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<title>Haaze.com / Marry / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:11:03 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Iwata aims to adapt Nintendo 3DS sales pitch]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iwata-aims-to-adapt-nintendo-3ds-sales-pitch</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iwata-aims-to-adapt-nintendo-3ds-sales-pitch</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:11:03 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>pwhelihana</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iwata-aims-to-adapt-nintendo-3ds-sales-pitch</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Will you be buying the 3DS(Credit:Nintendo)After selling 3.61 million 3DS units rather than the 4 million units it hoped to sell by the end of its fiscal year, Nintendo is going back to the drawing board on its message to consumers.Speaking during his company's fiscal 2011 financial results briefing yesterday, Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata said that &quot;analysis of the situation after the launch [of the 3DS]&quot; has revealed that the company needs to &quot;do a lot more to convey the value&quot; of its portable to customers.&quot;The value of 3D images without the need for special glasses is hard to be understood through the existing media,&quot; Iwata said. &quot;However, we have found that people cannot feel it just by trying out a device, rather, some might even misestimate it when experiencing the images in an improper fashion. This makes it more important to give people more opportunities for appropriate experiences of glassless 3D images.&quot;Prior to the launch of the 3DS in the U.S. last month, Nintendo launched a demo tour in major cities across the country, giving consumers the chance to try out the device. The company set up Demo Pods for people to play games, and supplemented them with Demo Squads of people that were there to answer questions on how the device worked.Trying to convey how the 3DS works even in-person can be difficult. Unlike the vast majority of 3D experiences consumers have, the 3DS allows users to play 3D titles without the need for special glasses. In order to get the full effect of the 3DS, folks must be holding the device at the right angle, which could turn away those who don't do so.But Iwata said that the issues go beyond the viewing angle. He also pointed out that the viewing of 3D images is &quot;highly individual,&quot; which is why the device features a 3D Depth Slider. However, communicating that to users through simple marketing means can be difficult.Even so, Iwata says Nintendo's research has found that &quot;many people feel that they 'want' and 'want to buy' Nintendo 3DS.&quot; He went on to tell investors that demand for the 3DS is higher than that for previous platforms. That said, the same research also found that &quot;not that many people believe 'now is the time to buy it,'&quot; and he acknowledged that overcoming that hurdle is integral to the device's success going forward.To help promote the 3DS more effectively, Iwata said his company is planning on delivering a &quot;3D video distribution service&quot; to bring &quot;nonactive&quot; users into the mix of using the 3DS. He also plans to improve the device's network services at the end of next month, including offering a free download of ExciteBike for a limited period of time. Finally, Iwata wants to make consumers aware of all the worthwhile gaming opportunities available to them in the coming months, including Dead or Alive Dimensions and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.With all those plans in place, Iwata knows that convincing consumers to buy the 3DS over the many other portable devices at their disposal, including the PSP and smartphones that are becoming increasingly popular for gaming, will be difficult.&quot;There is no easy road to making people understand the attraction of glassless 3D images and making Nintendo 3DS widespread,&quot; Iwata said. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA['South Park' MusicSkins: Cartman on your phone]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=south-park-musicskins-cartman-on-your-phone</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=south-park-musicskins-cartman-on-your-phone</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Apr 2011 07:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ccretspql</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=south-park-musicskins-cartman-on-your-phone</guid>
<description><![CDATA[You must respect my authority! (Click to enlarge.)(Credit:MusicSkins)Television shows have a way of escaping from the small screen into the real world. Now you can share your devotion to the foul-mouthed young residents of South Park, Colo., on your smartphone, laptop,iPod, ortablet with MusicSkins' new line of &quot;South Park&quot; images.There is a reason for this special skinning occasion. &quot;South Park&quot; just arrived for its 15th season (that's a long time to be stuck in fourth grade). Choose from character portraits or memorable scenes such as the &quot;Last Pizza Party.&quot; Am I the only one wishing Mecha-Streisand and the Loch Ness Monster were options MusicSkins are made from glossy 3M ControlTac vinyl for a tight, but removable, fit. Expect to pay around $15 to $20 per skin.The skins are available for most brands of cell phones and laptops, as well as a menu of more obscure devices. Consider sticking Chef to your Seagate external hard drive or slapping Captain Chaos onto your kids' Fisher Price iXL preschool learning device. It's never too early to start forming a crude sense of humor. They'll thank you when they get to college and &quot;South Park&quot; is still on the air.If &quot;South Park&quot; doesn't float your boat, you can upload your own images for a custom MusicSkin or browse the huge list of images that are ready to go. I'm totally checking out the Justin Bieber collection, but I think I'd rather skin my iPad with a panorama of run-down Baltimore buildings from &quot;The Wire.&quot;Decorating your phone or laptop with &quot;South Park&quot; is a good way to signal to potential mates that you're into skewing celebrities, social satire, and singing Christmas Poos. Now, every time you drop youriPhone, you can shout, &quot;I killed Kenny!&quot; <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Amazon restoring AWS, but slowly for some]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-restoring-aws-but-slowly-for-some</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-restoring-aws-but-slowly-for-some</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 07:10:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>winmintern3u</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-restoring-aws-but-slowly-for-some</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Amazon Web Services&amp;39' status dashboard showed troubles with the Elastic Compute Cloud service.(Credit:screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)A serious Amazon Web Services outage has extended well into its second day, but Amazon said Friday the end is in sight for most affected customers of the cloud-computing infrastructure.&quot;We continue to see progress in recovering volumes, and have heard many additional customers confirm that they're recovering. Our current estimate is that the majority of volumes will be recovered over the next 5 to 6 hours,&quot; Amazon said on its AWS status dashboard at 8:49 a.m. today. Volumes are areas of Amazon's Elastic Block Storage (EBS) service that store data. But for some customers, the news isn't so good. In some cases, Amazon has to restore data from backups made yesterday, a time-consuming process. &quot;We anticipate that those will take longer to recover,&quot; Amazon said, without making any predictions about just how long.AWS is a flagship example of one facet of cloud computing, a flexible collection of online computing services that can ramp up and down according to varying needs, with customers getting a flexible infrastructure and paying only for what they consume. At the same time, though, when a widely used service goes down, many suffer. In AWS' case, the problems with some services in the East Coast region laid low many Internet operations, including the Web sites of Quora, Sencha, Reddit, and FourSquare, and services that relied on Heroku.Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) service, Relational Database Service, and Elastic Beanstalk service have been affected by the outage. The problem was first logged at 1:41 a.m. PT yesterday, the result of a &quot;networking event&quot; that triggered a cascade of other problems.Struggling to restore the service has clearly been a taxing effort for Amazon. &quot;The team continues to be all-hands on deck trying to add capacity to the affected Availability Zone to re-mirror stuck volumes. It's taking us longer than we anticipated to add capacity to this fleet,&quot; Amazon said late last night.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[ACLU: Michigan cops stealing drivers' phone data]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=aclu-michigan-cops-stealing-drivers-phone-data</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=aclu-michigan-cops-stealing-drivers-phone-data</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:10:31 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bugmaningdfd</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=aclu-michigan-cops-stealing-drivers-phone-data</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This machine can let police see all of your photos. Even that one.(Credit:Matt Hickey/Cellebrite)The Michigan State Police have started using handheld machines called &quot;extraction devices&quot; to download personal information from motorists they pull over, even if they're not suspected of any crime. Naturally, the ACLU has a problem with this.The devices, sold by a company called Cellebrite, can download text messages, photos, video, and even GPS data from most brands of cell phones. The handheld machines have various interfaces to work with different models and can even bypass security passwords and access some information.The problem as the ACLU sees it, is that accessing a citizen's private phone information when there's no probable cause creates a violation of the Constitution's 4th Amendment, which protects us against unreasonable searches and seizures.To that end, it's petitioning the MSP to turn over information about its use of the devices under the Freedom of Information Act. The MSP said it's happy to comply, that is, if the ACLU provides them with a processing fee in excess of $500,000. That's more than $100,000 for each of the five devices the MSP says it has in use.The ACLU, for its part, says that the fee is odious, and that a public policing agency has a duty to its citizens to be open. &quot;This should be something that they are handing over freely, and that they should be more than happy to share with the public--the routines and the guidelines that they follow,&quot; Mark Fancher, an attorney for the ACLU, told Detroit's WDIV.As of yet there's no suit, but one is likely if the MSP sticks to its proverbial guns and refuses to hand over information about how it's using the cell phone snooping devices, without being first paid off. If litigation does come, the outcome may set a precedent that would have far-reaching effects, and might make a device that most of us carry a pocket battleground in the war of digital privacy.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The skinny on Final Cut Pro X (FAQ)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-skinny-on-final-cut-pro-x-faq</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-skinny-on-final-cut-pro-x-faq</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 07:10:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ArjunSahker</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-skinny-on-final-cut-pro-x-faq</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Apple)Apple this week unveiled the next major version of Final Cut Pro, the company's video-editing software that plays big brother to the more ubiquitousMac pack-in iMovie. The software, which arrives in June, comes off a two-year update hiatus and is a bold step for Apple. It does away with boxes and discs, instead being delivered as a direct download. It also comes in at $700 less than the current version, which is available as part of Apple's pro video-editing suite.Such a cut raises some questions though, like &quot;what's missing&quot; and &quot;is this a downgrade for current Final Cut Studio users&quot; CNET is here to give you the answers with an FAQ.What's newFinal Cut Pro X has a laundry list of new features and tweaks, but the really important thing is that the application is now 64-bit, meaning it can address more RAM. The application also makes use of some of the new low-level system features in OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard like Core Animation, OpenCL, and Grand Central Dispatch, which lets the software run on as many processing cores and as much of the graphical processing unit as it can get. As a result, Apple says the software has effectively done away with rendering times, giving editors a way to view changes they've made to content instantaneously. This is managed with a new background-rendering feature that does the work behind the scenes each time a change is made.Final Cut's interface has also been completely reworked, which Apple says puts the focus on the three areas video editors tend to need while making cuts: a preview area, a new media browser, and an editing timeline that's been given an overhaul. Two of those areas: the media library tool and the timeline are where many of the most drastic changes can be found. The media library tool, which is where clips are organized has been redesigned to do some of the heavy lifting with footage. This is something pros have told CNET they thought could be improved from older versions of the software, and it's something Apple has addressed in Final Cut Pro X. The new library lets editors begin edits on media that's being imported, before it's fully transferred. And as footage is being imported, it can analyze shots to help editors sort them out, including tools that can tell what type of shot it is (close, medium, wide), and if there are people in it. It can also run color management and stabilize video if it's shaky. To add to this, footage that's been imported can be organized with range-based keywording, which lets users apply tags to specific, or entire clips to search and pull out later. On the timeline side, Apple has tweaked the connection between audio and video tracks with something it's calling &quot;Clip Connections.&quot; This binds secondary audio tracks to the primary audio tracks that are attached to footage. This way, if it's dragged to another part of the timeline, it won't lose the secondary audio that was added after the fact. Joining that is a feature Apple calls &quot;Magnetic Timeline&quot; which makes sure that these connected items that are dragged around on the timeline do not collide with one another. To make specific clusters of edits less unwieldy, Apple has added a timeline feature called &quot;Compound Clip&quot; that can group together audio, video, transitions, and titles into single clips. These can be treated just like a finished clip, but de-clutter the timeline. And because it's non-destructive, editors can go in and make changes to something in this cluster any time they want, then re-compound it to save space. Other changes made to the edit side include an inline precision editor, which lets users adjust where cuts have been made on clips, right on the timeline. This has been set up so if you realize you want an extra second or two from a clip, you don't have to go back and re-find it from your library, cut out one that's slightly longer, and switch it out. You can just dip into that source clip from the timeline, extend it and be done. Another edit feature, called &quot;Auditions&quot; lets users do A-B testing on two variations of an edit to see what each one would look like, without having to redo the work to re-create it. In its presentation, Apple said these were just a few of the new features that are part of the new software, with more to be unveiled closer to its release in June. What's it look like compared with the current Final Cut ProHere's Final Cut Pro 7:(Credit:Apple)And Final Cut Pro X:(Credit:Apple )OK, those are neat pictures, but this is a video application, I want to see it in action. Is there a video somewhereThere is. As spotted by MacRumors, pro film group Les Machineurs was there and filmed Apple's presentation. It's split up into two parts with a small break in between. What's missing is the initial part of the presentation where Apple spells out some of its customer satisfaction metrics and that it's got more than 2 million licensed Final Cut Pro users.If you're looking for the hands-on demos with the software, skip to part two, which has Apple's chief architect of video applications, Randy Ubillos going over some of the new features.Part one: Part two: (Credit:Apple)How does this compare with Final Cut StudioThe big difference here is that this is one application, versus Final Cut Studio's six. That suite includes Final Cut Pro along with Motion, Compressor, DVD Studio Pro, Soundtrack Pro and Color.That said, there are features you'd find in Soundtrack Pro and Color that have been built into Final Cut Pro X. But that may not be enough for pros, who were using the authoring tools in DVD Studio Pro to make salable products with their work, or movie makers using Motion to do composite work. So does that mean those applications aren't making the jump to be a part of the Final Cut Pro X universe Following the presentation an Apple representative told The Loop that &quot;today was just a sneak peak of Final Cut Pro,&quot; and to &quot;stay tuned.&quot; How does this compare with iMovieFinal Cut Pro X is a much more advanced piece of editing software with many more bells and whistles than iMovie. That said, several features that started out in iMovie have made their way over to Final Cut Pro X, such as skimming previews for clips, identification for types of shots and if people are in them, as well as some of the visual aesthetics. The bottom line is that if you're an iMovie user who wants a little more, Apple is going for the same up-sell as it's had with Final Cut Express. The big difference is that this is now being positioned as its top of the line editor at about $100 premium of what Express costs. What does this mean for Final Cut ExpressApple has stayed mum on if Final Cut Express has been shelved. However comments made about the $199, middle-of-the-road between iMovie and Final Cut Studio at the end of Apple's presentation strongly suggest it's being replaced by the lower-priced Final Cut Pro X once the software is released. From Apple's Richard Townhill, who is the director of pro video product marketing:&quot;Lastly perhaps, we've had a couple of different flavors. We've had upgrade pricing, we've had Final Cut Express, we've had Final Cut Studio. So we decided we really wanted to do away with that. We wanted to greatly simplify the pricing structure and make it very easy for you if you decided that you wanted to get a copy of Final Cut Pro. So we've decided to make it available for the amazing price of $299.&quot;With that said, Final Cut Express and Final Cut Pro 6 (which pre-dated the current version of Final Cut Pro) remain two of the the last versions in the Final Cut family that can run on PowerPC hardware, providing those with older computers a way to edit using Final Cut. I already have Final Cut Pro, do I still have to pay $299Yes. Unlike past versions where a new version means previous users can pay a smaller amount with an upgrade price, everyone pays $299 for Final Cut Pro X.One thing to keep in mind is that the previous upgrade price for Final Cut Studio upgrades was also $299, so its no more than it used to be. It can be argued that users are getting less included if Apple does not ship it with a comparable feature set with what some of the other studio tools can do.(Credit:Apple)Can I buy this in storesNo, Apple has only said that it's offering Final Cut Pro X as a paid download through its Mac App Store. On the plus side that means there are no more worries about punching in serial numbers or losing physical media since it can be re-downloaded. Can my computer run thisApple has not released hardware requirements, but it's making use of many OS X 10.6 specific features that will require Snow Leopard, specifically Grand Central Dispatch. The current version of Final Cut Pro requires that users are running Mac OS X version 10.5.6 or later.What's up with the nameSimilar to Mac OS X, the X is a Roman numeral, meaning it's said like &quot;Final Cut Pro ten.&quot; But don't be confused, this isn't actually the 10th iteration of the software. The last version of the software was version 7, technically making this version 8. Version 8 and 9 didn't disappear per se. Apple just seems to have followed a similar naming convention to what it did in making the jump from QuickTime 7 to QuickTime X in Leopard to Snow Leopard. Apple also has a history of doing this with its iLife apps, so it's odd, but not unusual.Any other questions Send them our way and we'll try to get them answered for you.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Bing scores 30 percent of all searches in U.S.]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bing-scores-30-percent-of-all-searches-in-u-s-</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bing-scores-30-percent-of-all-searches-in-u-s-</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:10:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>uckbimterrt56</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bing-scores-30-percent-of-all-searches-in-u-s-</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Microsoft's Bing captured 30 percent of all searches run in the U.S. last month, market researcher Experian Hitwise said yesterday.Looking at the U.S. search engine market in March, Experian Hitwise found that the number of searches at sites powered by Bing rose by 5 percent since February. That includes searches run on Bing's own site as well as those on Yahoo sites powered by Bing. Individually, Bing.com itself accounted for 14.3 percent of all searches, while the ones on Yahoo tallied 15.7 percent.Market leader Google continued to dominate in the U.S. However, it has seen a gradual, ongoing decline from 69.7 percent in December to 68 percent in January to 66.7 percent in February to 64.4 percent in March. The numbers mimic a trend reported last month by rival market-researcher ComScore.Bing and Yahoo also outperformed Google in successful searches, as defined by Hitwise.Measuring the number of searches that led to an actual visit to a Web site, the research firm calculated an 81 percent success rate for both Yahoo and Bing individually, but a 66 percent rate for Google--numbers that have held steady over the past several months. The success rate can help determine whether a search engine is providing relevant responses. However, Google has in the past questioned Hitwise's findings in this area.A Google Buzz post in February by Google engineer Matt Cutts expressed skepticism over this metric and criticized the way Hitwise defines a successful search as one in which the user leaves the search engine to visit another site.The numbers used by Experian Hitwise are based on 10 million U.S. Internet users.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Verizon to install 100 gigabit network in U.S.]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=verizon-to-install-100-gigabit-network-in-u-s-</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=verizon-to-install-100-gigabit-network-in-u-s-</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:10:46 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>kabuuto95</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=verizon-to-install-100-gigabit-network-in-u-s-</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Verizon Communications plans to upgrade segments of its U.S. Internet backbone to 100 Gigabit Ethernet by the end of the second quarter, the carrier said today.The upgrade to 100G will happen in three segments: Chicago to New York, Sacramento to Los Angeles, and Minneapolis to Kansas City.The upgraded network can offer backbone speeds of 100 gigabits per second, up to 10 times faster than is generally now available. Verizon said the upgrade can benefit business customers that increasingly depend on video streaming, cloud-based applications, and other bandwidth-intensive services.Internet backbones use high-speed fiber-optic networks to send data between major routers on the Internet. The various backbones that support the Internet are maintained by different organizations, including telecom companies such as Verizon. Providing a major improvement in performance over 1G and 10G Ethernet and the more recent 40G Ethernet, the 100G Ethernet standard was ratified last summer by the IEEE, or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.The U.S. effort will follow a deployment earlier this month in Europe, where Verizon set up a 100-Gigabit Ethernet network between routers on a 555-mile stretch from Paris to Frankfurt. As in Europe, Verizon's U.S. backbone upgrade will use Juniper Networks' routers and Ciena's equipment to help the link bridge the long distance between cities.Beyond offering faster speeds, 100G Ethernet is more efficient than other network standards.Verizon can upgrade its current fiber-optic system by simply installing new equipment on the network rather than replacing the underlying infrastructure. The network is also more efficient, according to Verizon, because it can carry traffic on a single 100G wavelength as opposed to 10 different wavelengths, each running at 10 gigabits per second. And the overall efficiency of 100G Ethernet can help cut down on latency, or the total time it takes for the data to reach its destination.&quot;Advancing to 100G is a significant step in strengthening our global IP network to handle the bandwidth demands of our customers--whether it's large enterprises or the average consumer,&quot; Ihab Tarazi, vice president of network planning at Verizon, said today in a statement. &quot;Besides greater scalability and network efficiencies, we also expect 100G deployment to improve latency on a route-by-route basis.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Sprint dials up Google Voice for all subscribers]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sprint-dials-up-google-voice-for-all-subscribers</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sprint-dials-up-google-voice-for-all-subscribers</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Mar 2011 07:10:18 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>abnusiredf</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sprint-dials-up-google-voice-for-all-subscribers</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Sprint makes it easy to use Google Voice.(Credit:Google/Sprint)Little by little, Google Voice has encroached on U.S. mobile operators' turf, most recently offering to port a subscriber's carrier-assigned cell phone number for use with Google Voice's service. But now for one carrier, potential friction has given way to partnership.Sprint and Google announced today deep integration with Google Voice that lets subscribers use their Sprint phone number as a Google Voice number to access the service's features. These include transcribed visual voice mail (manage voice messages as you would your e-mail), call forwarding (calls ring through on your cell phone, home phone, office phone, Gmail inbox, and so on), custom voice mail greetings, and competitive international calling rates, among many more offerings.Google and Sprint have been in talks for about a year, Vincent Paquet, senior product manager for Google Voice, told CNET. &quot;We always felt that the ultimate simplicity would be to just use [Google Voice] with your mobile phone,&quot; Paquet said. He declined to comment on details pertaining to the deal, and questions about Google's deals with other carriers.Benefits of Google VoiceAnyone could sign up for the free Google Voice service before, but today's agreement has a few notable benefits. First, Sprint simplifies getting on board with Google Voice. Previously, Google Voice users on any carrier needed to walk through a number of steps to either get a new Google Voice number, port their existing number, or let Google handle just the voice mail. The results could be confusing, with friends often collecting multiple phone numbers for a contact, depending on a several factors, including if the Google Voice user has a feature phone, or uses a Google Voice mobile app or Web-optimized site from a smartphone.As a second benefit, all Google Voice calls will originate from the same single number--the one first issued by Sprint. Third, if you enable Google Voice, the service will replace Sprint's voice mailbox on your phone, so dialing &quot;1&quot; from the handset dials up your Google Voice message inbox. There is no extra set-up required. Fourth, Sprint smartphones get most Google Voice features without requiring a mobile app. Texting is one exception to this last point, however. Sprint's rates and plans still apply for messages sent from the phone's default texting program, but Google Voice texts will remain free to the United States and Canada if you send them from the Web or from a Google Voice smartphone app.Prepaid phones and MVNOs that ride on Sprint's network--like Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile--are ineligible for the Sprint/Google Voice combo.Signing upThere are several ways to enable Google Voice on a Sprint phone. When new users sign up online, Google Voice will recognize Sprint numbers before guiding you through the setup process. Existing users who log in will receive a prompt to switch to the Sprint number. This is optional, of course.We look forward to testing the service out in the coming days, and we'll likely hear much more from Google and Sprint this week at CTIA. Check back with CNET for more insights, and feel free to leave your own in the comments.<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[Meet CNET's new Microsoft beat reporter]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=meet-cnets-new-microsoft-beat-reporter</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=meet-cnets-new-microsoft-beat-reporter</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:11:36 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>megapanita</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=meet-cnets-new-microsoft-beat-reporter</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Jay GreeneIt takes a real pro to write about a complex company like Microsoft, and we've got one in Jay Greene, the newest addition to CNET's news reporting staff.Jay has covered Microsoft for more than a decade, first as a reporter for The Seattle Times and then for nine years as the Seattle bureau chief for BusinessWeek. He's done some big stories on the Redmond gang over the years, including one of the first to point out that the company that seemed invulnerable for so long looked like it was struggling with middle age.  He won a New York Press Club award for spot news reporting on the retirement of Bill Gates and was on a team of reporters involved in an award-winning series on evangelism in corporate America. Along the way, Jay has earned himself a reputation as a tenacious, tough, and fair reporter.Most recently, Jay has been promoting his book, &quot;Design is How it Works: How the Smartest Companies Turn Products into Icons,&quot; an insider's look at product design at companies ranging from Porsche to Nike. We expect our new in-house design guru will have a few things to say about design trends in the world of consumer electronics, too.It's an interesting (to say the least) time to be covering Microsoft, and that's why we hired a veteran reporter like Jay. Despite good reviews for theWindows 7 operating system, Microsoft is struggling to come up with answers to what Apple and Google have been throwing at them over the last few years. They're just getting themselves back into the discussion for smartphone operating systems. Bing is grabbing some share in search, but slowly and at a hefty price. And while Kinect appears to be a big gaming success, that halo doesn't seem to be carrying over to other products.So will Microsoft return to its glory days, or will it continue to get outmaneuvered Stay tuned to Jay's coverage for CNET because we're as curious as you are to see what happens.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Plaxo re-focuses on address book maintenance, faces new competition (updated)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=plaxo-re-focuses-on-address-book-maintenance-faces-new-competition-updated</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=plaxo-re-focuses-on-address-book-maintenance-faces-new-competition-updated</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:11:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>stuartggsr</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=plaxo-re-focuses-on-address-book-maintenance-faces-new-competition-updated</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Plaxo Personal Assistant will monitor the public Web for updates on your contacts.(Credit:Plaxo)This review has been updated throughout, now that I have had hands-on experience with the Plaxo Personal Assistant product. Some time after its launch back in 2002, contact list management app Plaxo lost its way. Leadership at the company saw social networking as a bandwagon it had to get on and made Plaxo into a personal social hub--which nobody really needed. It was the second bad mistake Plaxo had made with its service, the first being its habit of sending requests for updated information to users' contacts that were often taken for spam. Nobody liked Plaxo's users, even though Plaxo's core address book updating and multidevice sync functions were quite useful.  Now the company, a division of Comcast for the last three years, is going back to its roots as a contact updating and synchronization service, which is still a needed function. If you've got different and conflicting address books on the Web, your e-mail app, and your phone, then you know the problem well. The new Plaxo also dials back on the outbound e-mails, so you can use it without becoming a pariah. But it's facing off with a less well-known competitor that performs a similar function for 100 percent less money.  Plaxo is officially dumping the redundant social-network portal today and launching a new service to automate address book maintenance for its users. The new Plaxo Personal Assistant takes your personal address book and goes out to the public Internet to find updates for the information in it. Then it syncs that data back to your existing address books (on Outlook or Google) and devices (iPhones and so on).  Unlike Hiya (see review below), which uses White Pages data to update home addresses and phone numbers of your contacts, Plaxo uses ZoomInfo to update business contact details, like the companies your contacts work for, and their titles and work contact information. That's of more business use, obviously, than White Pages data. And having the data updated automatically means you don't end up annoying your contacts with impersonal impingements on their time. You won't get unlisted and private information, of course, but you will get to keep your friends happy.  I was also not willing to experiment with Plaxo's sync function to send its data back to my main contact list on our company's Exchange server. As is the case with many people I know, my own address book is made from a collection of separate and fragile lists in various Exchange folders, plus someiPhone-only addresses. As much as I would like to pull all these lists together, Smalley told me I'd have to disable existing Exchange sync functionality on my phone, and also install software on my PC, to sync with Outlook directly to make Plaxo work, and we weren't sure all my data would make the transition back to Exchange. I did connect my Plaxo account to a Gmail account, and the two-way synchronization was fast and accurate.  Plaxo's best features are not cheap. The new automatic update feature, Plaxo Personal Assistant, is $79.95 a year. The sync tool, Plaxo Platinum Sync, is also a paid service, at $59.95 a year. You can get both for $120 a year (a savings of $1.66 a month, if you're counting). Plaxo is a useful service, but these are high prices. Someone who's concerned enough about contact maintenance is probably already paying for LinkedIn (starting at $239.40 a year) and possibly an e-mail intelligence app like Xobni Plus ($95.88), both of which you're more likely to use day-to-day. Plaxo does have a useful free function that it used to charge for, a de-duper to get rid of the dust bunnies of modern address books: the repeated contacts that come from the contact list merges we do from time to time, such as when moving to a new mobile device. This tool works well, merging data appropriately from separate records, and always asking before performing a merge that may not make sense. The de-duper is a key feature given Plaxo's focus on merging and synchronizing contact lists from multiple sources (Outlook, Google, smartphones, etc). Plaxo will collate your address books from all your sources, and merge them into one online address book (at Plaxo.com) for free, which is good for backing up your personal contact lists. But it is the paid services that make Plaxo really useful. Hiya also updates contacts from public information--but it&amp;39's free.(Credit:Screenshot by Rafe Needleman/CNET)If you don't want that, try thisThere's a serious competitor to Plaxo, called Hiya. Like Plaxo, it will de-dupe your contacts and update them automatically from public White Pages data. I fed Hiya my iPhone address book, and it did a good job at finding and merging duplicate contacts. It also put personal (home) contact information that I didn't have into my address book. Hiya doesn't, though, know much about contacts' work information, as that data isn't in phonebooks. For keeping business contacts up to date, Plaxo Personal Assistant does a better job.  As with Plaxo, though, a flaw in the system meant I couldn't sync my changes back to my iPhone address book. In Hiya's case, I was alerted that enabling two-way sync would replace all the photos in my iPhone address book (and by extension my synced Exchange contacts) with blanks. That wasn't a feature I wanted.  Hiya does not work directly with Outlook or Exchange, but if you enable two-way sync to your iPhone, you can update your PC-based addresses indirectly. It will connect to Google Contacts, though. It will also, if you ask it to, e-mail your contacts asking for updated contact information. Plaxo has taught us that people dislike receiving those e-mails.  One big advantage: Hiya is free. I like its iPhone app, too.  There's a big limitation in both Hiya and Plaxo: Neither uses Facebook or LinkedIn as a source for updating contact info. These social networks are the de facto white pages of today's Internet, so it's a shame that these utilities don't use them. I'm told that in the case of Facebook, it's because that service doesn't allow API calls to the address book (for once, Facebook is more private than it should be)' Hiya representatives tell me that Facebook integration is coming, though. Recommendations (updated)For people who want to keep their address books updated with personal information on their contacts, Hiya is a good address book management utility. It's free, easy to use, and does a good job with de-duping and filling in information. Plaxo is better for automatically updating business contact information, but you'll pay a lot for the service. Plaxo also remains the go-to updating service for users who are primarily on Outlook. It's a shame neither service does a complete job, updating both personal and work information accurately.  Anyone with an older or complicated address book scheme should proceed with caution, however, as neither system has perfected the mechanism to sync updated contact lists back to PC- or phone-based address books.  See also Soocial, which does sync and de-duping.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google to launch new social network at SXSW]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-to-launch-new-social-network-at-sxsw</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-to-launch-new-social-network-at-sxsw</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 13 Mar 2011 08:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>VanessaVex</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-to-launch-new-social-network-at-sxsw</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Updated at 10:20 a.m. PT: Sources within Google deny that anything will be launched at SXSW this evening and say that the ReadWriteWeb report is inaccurate.When it comes to social networks, Google has not managed to garland itself in too much glory. Critics suggest Google doesn't quite understand what makes people buzz.And yet an interesting report has emerged that says Google might be using an event at SXSW this evening to launch--or, at least, preview--a new social network.According to ReadWriteWeb, Google's social network is to be called Circles. At its heart it purportedly has something that seems crucial in today's socially networked world--privacy.The idea seems to be that this social network will allow you to share every part of your being--namely status updates, photos, and videos--with a very specific group of friends (hence the name &quot;Circles&quot;), rather than with the great unwashed and unfiltered.The report suggests that Google might be at least offering a sneak peek of this concept tonight, at an event co-hosted by the ACLU, an organization that feels there is nothing mutually exclusive between privacy and freedom.Just how might these new Circles work(Credit:CC Fillmore Photography/Flickr)Philosophically, it would appear that this idea recognizes the fundamental truth that we are not one personality to everyone. As we connect to different social groupings, we offer a different side of ourselves--the side that we feel most comfortable showing to that group. It may well be that after some time within a particular group, we feel better about revealing some of our more hidden traits. But that is our choice. One that this purported social network seeks reportedly to respect.If Google Circles truly is as described in what is still a speculative report, one possible danger is that it will turn out to be complicated. It's hard enough in the real world to work out who your friends are. Worse, one day someone is your friend, and the next, they're someone you used to know.Managing all the different permutations online might require a considerable amount of aforethought, accuracy, and alertness. These are things that don't necessarily rhyme with a world that is increasingly lazy and laissez-faire. Still, the heart of the idea seems a very interesting one and one can only hope that it also puts pressure on Facebook to consider how much easier its own privacy controls have truly become. It will also put additional pressure on Google to consider even more carefully its own attitude to privacy, given such difficult snafus as the &quot;Oops, we appear to have recorded some e-mails over Wi-Fi&quot; incident.I have contacted Google for confirmation of Google Circles and all who sail in it and will update should I hear from the company.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Mefeedia: HTML5-compatible video on the rise]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=mefeedia-html5-compatible-video-on-the-rise</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=mefeedia-html5-compatible-video-on-the-rise</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>orvalluppr</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=mefeedia-html5-compatible-video-on-the-rise</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The debate between using Adobe Flash or HTML5 for online videos could be winding down, but the war among different video formats is heating up.A whopping 63 percent of all videos on the Web are now HTML5-compatible, compared to only 10 percent just a year ago, according to video-sharing site Mefeedia. Instead of relying solely on Flash to display their videos, many more Web sites are adopting video formats that can run directly in HTML5-compatible browsers.The majority of the sites uncovered by Mefeedia are using H.264, the most common video format since it's also compatible for playback using Flash. Google's VP8, or WebM, video codec is second on the popularity charts, followed by Ogg, aka Ogg Theora.With Apple's no-Flash requirement, Mefeedia says that sites such as YouTube, Daily Motion, Blip TV, and Vimeo are among those striving to support video on iOS devices. Specifically, mobile devices now represent 5 percent of the traffic to Mefeedia's site, up from 1 percent a year ago.Although HTML5 has shot up in popularity as an alternative to Flash, the array of video codes supported within HTML5 are themselves battling for dominance. H.264 may currently be the most common among the three on the Web, but lately it's divided different companies against each other.Google recently dropped a bombshell by announcing it would no longer support H.264 in its Chrome browser and would instead push for its own WebM codec. Many in the industry decried the decision, but Google justified it by saying that H.264 carries with it some hefty royalty fees, while WebM is open source. Apple and Microsoft are members of a patent pool called MPEG-LA that actually licenses the code for H.264, while Mozilla and Opera are stuck paying the licensing fees.The debate over HTML5 video formats is one that could be with us for awhile. This means that for the time being, many Web sites will need to continue to support more than one format for their videos. In Mefeedia's eyes, &quot;Web video is maturing and becoming more complex.&quot;To compile its findings, Mefeedia analyzed the videos indexed on its site (around 30 million from more than 30,000 video sites). The index includes videos from such content partners as Hulu, CBS, and ABC as well as videos from YouTube, Vimeo, and DailyMotion. Mefeedia specifically looked at videos that can play within HTML5's &quot;video&quot; tag, which in most cases means videos encoded using H.264.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[States in CO2 pact invest $404 million in efficiency]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=states-in-co2-pact-invest-404-million-in-efficiency</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=states-in-co2-pact-invest-404-million-in-efficiency</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:10:53 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>fredederee</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=states-in-co2-pact-invest-404-million-in-efficiency</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Ten eastern states in a greenhouse gas reduction program have invested more than half of their carbon permit auction proceeds, or about $404 million, in energy efficiency, the group said today. New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, and seven other states on the East Coast belong to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or RGGI, which aims to trim carbon dioxide output from the area's power plants 10 percent by the end of 2018. To meet that goal, RGGI holds quarterly auctions of permits that let the plants emit carbon dioxide. Some investors also buy the credits in the cap-and-trade program, believing their value will rise as RGGI gradually lowers the emissions cap. Recent auction prices have sunk to less than $2 a short ton, however, as prospects for a national climate market have faded, the tough economy has pushed emissions down, and as plants switched from coal to cleaner-burning natural gas. Still, since 2008, RGGI auctions have raised nearly $780 million. &quot;RGGI is helping to improve air quality in Delaware, while also helping make our economy more competitive,&quot; said Collin O'Mara, secretary of Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. About 80 percent of the proceeds have gone to programs that aim to cut energy demand, foster the growth of alternative energy, and to help the poor pay energy bills. RGGI said in a draft report (PDF) today that 52 percent of the proceeds have gone to programs to improve energy efficiency, such as replacing boilers and caulking windows at homes and businesses. It called those programs the most cost-effective tool for reducing emissions of gases blamed for global warming. About 14 percent of the proceeds went to help poor families with heating bills, and 11 percent went to help speed the deployment of renewable-energy programs. Not all of the proceeds are going to energy programs. New York and fellow RGGI member New Jersey have recently targeted tens of millions of dollars of their proceeds to help ease huge budget deficits. Last week, New Hampshire's House of Representatives voted to pull out of RGGI. The bill will soon be considered by the state's Senate. Story Copyright (c) 2010 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Another coupe for Aston Martin]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=another-coupe-for-aston-martin</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=another-coupe-for-aston-martin</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:10:52 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>isjumfo</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=another-coupe-for-aston-martin</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Aston Martin adds the Virage to its GT car lineup at the 2011 Geneva auto show.(Credit:Aston Martin)Aston Martin Virage (photos) With its DB9, DBS, and Vantage, you would think Aston Martin had its GT lineup well covered. But the company, obviously feeling there was room to squeeze in anothercar, announced the all-new Virage, to be unveiled at the 2011 International Motor Show in Geneva.The Virage is another sport touring coupe, and Aston Martin says it fits between the DB9 and DBS. The car is powered by a 6-liter V-12, similar to that used in the DBS, but is supposed to offer more of the comfort and style of the DB9.Unlike its sibling GT cars, the Virage gets an active suspension, relatively new technology for Aston Martin. It also comes standard with ceramic brakes.Aston Martin says the Virage will come with a new navigation system and a 700-watt audio system. But photos of the car show a Bang &amp; Olufsen audio system, which should be a premium option. If the audio system is anything like those found in the DB9 and DBS, then it will have 13 speakers and 1,000 watts of amplification.Aston Martin will announce pricing at the Geneva auto show, and offer the car for sale soon after. It will be available in hard-top and convertible forms.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[How online tools spoil reality show secrets]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-online-tools-spoil-reality-show-secrets</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-online-tools-spoil-reality-show-secrets</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:10:45 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rasrasbimuir</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-online-tools-spoil-reality-show-secrets</guid>
<description><![CDATA[For the producers of a reality show like &quot;The Amazing Race,&quot; the headaches probably don't get much bigger than those caused by the TAR Detectives.A global, loosely formed group of sleuths dedicated to uncovering and publicly revealing spoilers about TAR, or &quot;The Amazing Race,&quot; the detectives have proven what the producers of any number of reality shows have learned: It's nearly impossible to keep what happens during filming a secret from those determined to find out.And thanks to the growing number of online and social-media tools available, and the vast numbers of people who use them, ferreting out ahead of time what happens on reality shows appears to be getting easier and easier to do.'The Bachelor' is just one of many reality show whose fans can easily find accurate spoilers online any time they want.(Credit:ABC)For years, spoiler sites have been great at offering up informed guesses of what might happen--like who will be voted out, or who will perform, on the next episode of shows like &quot;Survivor,&quot; &quot;American Idol,&quot; &quot;The Bachelor,&quot; and the like. But bloodhounds who frequent popular fan sites and forums have shown how easy it is to exploit the fact that these days, widespread use of Twitter and Facebook can lead those who know where to look to all kinds of accurate conclusions about what will happen throughout a season of some of these shows.&quot;We can actually draw up our own map&quot; of where &quot;The Amazing Race&quot; contestants will go during a forthcoming season, said Boingo, a longtime member of the TAR Detectives. &quot;In fact, we actually have the entire course pretty well laid out.&quot;Boingo, a technology industry professional from Northern California who asked that his real name not be used, is a longtime member of the TAR Detectives and a habitue of the Reality Fan Forum, a site where spoilers about &quot;The Amazing Race&quot; and other reality shows are given prominent play.He explained that in the early days of &quot;The Amazing Race,&quot; those interested in figuring out and disseminating spoilers were limited to keeping an eagle eye on previews for upcoming episodes and using services like Flickr and Photobucket to try to make assumptions based on what little the producers of the show offered up. But over the years, Boingo explained, a succession of new online tools have made it possible to uncover more and more about what will happen on the show. First services like Google Earth and Google Street View allowed the detectives to figure out where certain buildings shown in previews might be--and therefore, where the show would be heading next. &quot;The way it worked was that, in previews, you'd [be able] to identify a building behind the contestants,&quot; Boingo said, and using Google Earth or Street View, &quot;that would give you a location, and then you could narrow it down to a city, or even a street, and you could glean a lot of information about where the contestants were&quot; going.More recently, however, it's become harder and harder for producers to keep information about even entire seasons under wraps. For one thing, given the fact that &quot;The Amazing Race&quot; is filmed in public places around the world, it's hard to keep people from tweeting or posting to Facebook that they just saw the show come through their town. &quot;People post, 'Oh, I happened to see a camera crew going by my house,'&quot; Boingo said, &quot;so we knew approximately where racers were...after [filming] but before airing.&quot;And because of Twitter, it's become easy, Boingo said, for TAR Detectives in the Los Angeles area--where the show's producers are based and where it usually starts from--to find tweets from random people about the show's producers and crews getting ready to depart from the airport there and quickly rush out to see where they're headed. &quot;With Twitter, you could just sit there and search for the phrase 'The Amazing Race,'&quot; Boingo said, &quot;and someone would invariably tweet, 'Oh, I just saw [a film] crew, and someone in LA would run to the airport to take pictures of the crew and cast, and track them in real time.&quot;The upshot, Boingo continued, is that by keeping a close eye on social media mentions about the show and about where its crews and cast are spotted, it has become a simple matter for those intent on doing so to track the show's developments almost in real time and piece together a complete map and outline of an upcoming season as much as five or six months before it airs.'American Idol'To be sure, &quot;The Amazing Race&quot; is hardly the only reality show whose producers must grapple with a steady flow of spoilers being posted online. Shows like &quot;Survivor,&quot; &quot;The Bachelor,&quot; and &quot;American Idol&quot; are also popular among spoiler sites, and in the case of each, it's easy for those who are interested to go online and find out what will happen on the show in the future. Thankfully, most spoiler sites place such information in sub-sections of forums that warn off unwary visitors with language like &quot;Spoiler Alert&quot; and red text, or all-capital letters. This usually makes it possible for people to visit fan sites to read about current episodes without discovering unwanted information about what will happen on as-yet unaired episodes.&quot;Survivor&quot; and &quot;The Amazing Race&quot; are broadcast by CNET parent company CBS. An &quot;Amazing Race&quot; publicist at CBS did not return a call and e-mail from CNET. For those particularly adept at collecting spoiler information, the news often comes from a mix of sources, and being savvy at both social media and other online tools and old-fashioned good source development may be crucial to being king of the spoilers hill.According to M.J. Santilli, who runs the &quot;American Idol&quot; fan site MJ's Big Blog, a key to uncovering the identities of contestants on an upcoming season is mixing some well-informed tips about who has tried out for the show with clever detective work on Twitter and Facebook.Santilli explained that by following known would-be &quot;Idol&quot; contestants on Twitter or friending them on Facebook, it's often possible to find out which have made it on to the show through those people's less than stealthy posts, or by putting two and two together from things they might say on one social media site or another, or by following their friends and seeing what they have to say.According to Michael Slezak, a senior editor at TVLine.com, it can be nearly impossible to keep a lid on what will happen on reality shows, in large part given how many people are involved. &quot;I think when you're putting together a show the size of any of these franchises,&quot; Slezak said, &quot;it requires a lot of staffing of people, and some freelance types. I think it's just hard to contain that much information when you're dealing with that&quot; many people.Of course, while most reality show fans want to maintain the mystery of what will happen on their favorite programs, there are clearly enough who savor spoilers to make sites that cater to that desire profitable. &quot;Spoiler sites are dealing with a hard core group of fans [who go] on the Internet and seek out information about the shows,&quot; Slezak said. &quot;Some people just like to know what's going to happen.&quot;That's a notion to which Reality Steve, one of the leading purveyors of spoiler information about ABC's &quot;The Bachelor,&quot; clearly subscribes. And even though Reality Steve, whose real name is Steve Carbone, said he gets most of his &quot;Bachelor&quot; spoiler information from inside sources who are right 98 percent of the time, he doesn't really know why the people who give him his information do so.SurvivorSucks.com is just one of many sites devoted to revealing advance information about the hit CBS show.(Credit:SurvivorSucks.com)Indeed, Carbone said that he doesn't enjoy spoilers, particularly for shows that like &quot;Survivor,&quot; depend more on drama than does &quot;The Bachelor.&quot; But he knows that his readers often want to hear what's coming. &quot;I've had so many people email me and tell me, 'I love reading the end of a book first,'&quot; Carbone said. &quot;'I like to see it play out leading up to that...It would seem confusing, you don't know who any of these people are. I guess they just want to be out in front of it. They just want to tell their friends, 'I know something you don't know.'&quot;To Slezak, one of the most impressive examples of spoilers was the advance spilling of the list, in the proper order, of &quot;Survivor: Nicaragua&quot; contestants being voted off. That feat of spoiler accuracy came courtesy of a famous &quot;Survivor&quot; spoiler perpetrator known as MissyAE. Sued by &quot;Survivor&quot; production company Mark Burnett Productions for his efforts, MissyAE, whose real name is Jim Early, revealed that he had gotten his information directly from one of the show's most notorious contestants, Russell Hantz. In a widelypublished statement, CBS addressed the Hantz scandal, and &quot;Survivor&quot; spoilers by saying that, From the beginning, &quot;Survivor&quot; has been blessed with a rabid fan base, including a fanatical group online which, from the show's early days, initiated one of television's first organized campaigns to predict and speculate results in advance of a reality show broadcast. As the show has progressed in years and the Internet has grown in scope, the number of these sites has increased with periodic claims of unauthorized leaks from people connected to the show.We've investigated some of these claims. Each time, we've peeled back the curtain to find a subculture of the show with fans/bloggers simultaneously networking and competing with each other for spoiler information while hurling accusations of unfair practices against each other.The fervent activity of these sites often generates a confusing web of backstabbing, claims of misinformation and Internet alliances. It's almost like an underground game-within-a-game of &quot;Survivor&quot; that plays out with the melodrama of a daytime soap and the complexity of Dungeons and Dragons.Outwit, outplay, outlast. It happens more than just on the air.Oddly, given how much online tools help with developing good spoiler information, Early told CNET that he used to compile his spoilers by dutifully tracking Google Alerts for anyone associated with the show--since many contestants or people who know them inadvertently give away information in interviews, often in their hometown newspapers--he now relies on a much more old-school method for getting his information: the phone.It used to be &quot;fun because it was like detective [work],&quot; Early said, &quot;but the new...way is 100 percent accurate.&quot;And how does it work Early said that he gets phone calls all the time from &quot;Survivor&quot; insiders who want to fill him in on what will happen on the show. Indeed, he said that Hantz--who was a contestant on the season of the show currently being aired--was his most reliable source. And other players reach out to him as well, often because they want to set the record straight about how something was presented to the viewing public.&quot;It sounds like a joke, but it's not,&quot; Early said of how he gets his information these days. &quot;I just pick up the phone and say hello. Sources call me up and tell me everything.&quot;        Daniel Terdiman     Full Profile E-mail Daniel Terdiman   E-mail Daniel Terdiman If you have a question or comment for Daniel Terdiman, you can submit it here. However, because our editors and writers receive hundreds of requests, we cannot tell you when you may receive a response.   Submit your question or comment here: 0 of 1500 characters       Daniel Terdiman is a staff writer at CNET News covering games, Net culture, and everything in between.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft patches Windows, IE]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-patches-windows-ie</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-patches-windows-ie</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>xayoesihuf</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-patches-windows-ie</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Microsoft today issued three &quot;critical&quot; security bulletins as part of its monthly Patch Tuesday program. Together with nine other alerts, which the company rated as &quot;important,&quot; the bulletins address 22 vulnerabilities spanning Microsoft products from Windows and Internet Explorer to Office and Internet Information Services. On the top of the list is MS11-003, which is a cumulative update for Internet Explorer that resolves four vulnerabilities. Included is a fix for the nasty CSS bug outlined in Security Advisory 2488013, a bug that could give attackers control of people's computers. In a podcast about the patches, Jerry Bryant, the group manager of response communications for Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group, downplayed the scope of the CSS issue, saying that the company had seen only limited, targeted attacks focused on this vulnerability. To drive that point home, the company has released telemetry of how that vulnerability stacks up against an already-patched vulnerability in the Windows Shell, to explain why a fix was not made available outside the company's normal release cycle.&quot;While our first priority is to protect customers from issues like these, we also look to minimize disruption that issues like out-of-band releases can bring,&quot; Bryant said. The second critical item included in the list of patches is the thumbnail image attack vulnerability, which is being addressed in MS11-006. This fixes the security hole in Microsoft's Windows Graphics Rendering Engine that could let attackers gain control of users' computers by having them load a specially formatted image. The problem affects Windows XP, Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008, but notWindows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, the company said. &quot;We have not seen any attacks against this vulnerability, but proof of concept code is available to attackers, so we recommend customers put this at the top of their priority list,&quot; Bryant said. The third critical item that's being patched is the OpenType Compact Font exploit as part of MS11-007. That particular vulnerability requires end users to load what Microsoft classifies as a &quot;maliciously crafted&quot; font. Bryant explained that the issue had privately been disclosed to the company, and that it was rated a 2 in the Exploitability Index, since Microsoft does not believe a reliable exploit code will show up within the next 30 days. One tier Lower on the company's deployment priority index (which is how Microsoft dictates to customers the order in which to deploy patches to machines) is the fix to the zero-day vulnerability with the FTP services in IIS 7.0 and 7.5. It too has a rating of 2 in the Exploitability Index, and it makes up part of MS11-004. Along with those critical and important updates, Microsoft is changing its Autorun functionality when users plug in USB thumb drives. The company is disabling Autorun from USB thumb drives in versions of Windows that are older than Windows 7, which already has such a security feature. That's going out to users as an AutoUpdate in Windows Update. As mentioned in previous coverage about this month's batch of updates, Microsoft has not offered up more details on long-term fixes for the MHTML vulnerability that cropped up last month and affects Internet Explorer. But according to Jim Walter, the manager of McAfee Threat Intelligence Service, the MHTML problem is smaller than most.&quot;The scope and impact of the MHTML vulnerability is relatively limited compared to other recent zero-day code execution vulnerabilities,&quot; Walter said in a statement. &quot;Based on the information that is currently available, we are aware that successful exploitation could lead to the running of arbitrary scripts, as well as the disclosure of sensitive information.&quot;More details about the list of fixes, and ways to deploy them, can be found in Microsoft's Security Response Center blog.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Kenny G to make Audi Super Bowl star again]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=kenny-g-to-make-audi-super-bowl-star-again</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=kenny-g-to-make-audi-super-bowl-star-again</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 06 Feb 2011 08:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bahis10900</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=kenny-g-to-make-audi-super-bowl-star-again</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Many participate in the tradition of the Super Bowl in order to laugh.No, not at the saggy bottoms of linemen, but at the ads that, sadly, often strain like stand-up comedians in Des Moines pub.However, Audi promises to be an exception.The company was, to my yellowing eyes, the finest advertiser in last year's Super Bowl, with its joyous &quot;Green Police&quot; ad.This year, the chances of an Audi repeat seem rather high.The company has prereleased some longer YouTube films, all of which offer the concept that everyone who drives Beamers, Mercedes, and Lexuses is trapped in luxurious confinement.And what better way to express this than to feature Kenny G as the man who quells riots in the luxury prison with his soothing saxAudi has reportedly already declared that Kenny G will--in his role of Head of Riot Suppression--be appearing shortly after the kickoff of today's game.We will, no doubt, be treated to an image or two of somecar (or two) during the Super Bowl spot. We will even be treated to Audi being, allegedly, the first to use a Twitter hashtag, ProgressIs, on screen. (Sample post so far: &quot;ProgressIs the opposite of Congress.&quot;)However, viewers will surely be enchanted by a quite brilliant performance from a man who, by some, is mostly admired for his golfing prowess. (He's good. Really.)You might imagine that people tune in to ads to hear about the latest technological advancements of sometablet, cell phone or car.But what they will most remember are those actors who make them giggle, make them talk and make them giggle again the following day.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Buffett-backed EV car maker set to enter U.S. in '12]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=buffett-backed-ev-car-maker-set-to-enter-u-s--in-12</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=buffett-backed-ev-car-maker-set-to-enter-u-s--in-12</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>pnojubimJohn1</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=buffett-backed-ev-car-maker-set-to-enter-u-s--in-12</guid>
<description><![CDATA[BYD, a Chinesecar and battery maker backed by investor Warren Buffett, expects to enter the mass U.S. auto market in the first quarter of 2012, starting with its e6 all-electric car model, its chairman said yesterday.&quot;The United States offers a huge opportunity for new-energy vehicles, especially pure electric,&quot; Chairman Wang Chuanfu told Reuters in an interview at the Detroit auto show.&quot;Many auto companies will pay attention to this market, and BYD will take this opportunity as well,&quot; he said through a translator, adding he wants BYD to lead in the field of electric cars and buses in the world's second-biggest auto market.BYD&amp;39's all-electric e6(Credit:BYD)&quot;Our strategy in the U.S. market will probably focus on the pure electric segment,&quot; he said.In its fourth consecutive appearance at the Detroit auto show, BYD is showcasing a series of electric vehicles, including the e6 and S6DM models, and other products such as solar panels and home energy storage units.Wang said that while BYD has yet to work out in which U.S. cities and states to set up dealerships first, he expected to begin selling the zero-emission e6 as its first model in the first quarter of next year, followed by the S6DM, and eventually electric buses.The company will work with independent dealers to set up a sales network in the United States.BYD began pilot sales in Los Angeles at the end of 2010, and Wang said he hoped to expand test-marketing over the coming year.The company has said it expects the e6 to cost around $42,000, meaning it would likely need subsidies and other incentives to appeal to consumers.Story Copyright (c) 2010 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: U.S. leads world in spam output]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-u-s--leads-world-in-spam-output</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-u-s--leads-world-in-spam-output</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>gbeauchamp</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-u-s--leads-world-in-spam-output</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The U.S. is the spam leader across the world, responsible for one out of every five junk messages sent, according to a report out today from Sophos.The security vendor's fourth-quarter &quot;Dirty Dozen&quot; report of spam-relaying countries found that the United States upped its percentage of global spam from the third quarter and now accounts for 18.83 percent of all junk e-mails.That percentage is almost three times higher than second-place India, which is responsible for deploying 6.88 percent of all spam across the globe, according to Sophos. Other countries named on the Dirty Dozen list include Brazil, Russia, the U.K., and France.(Credit:Sophos)Beyond producing the sheer volume of spam per country, the bad guys are finding more malicious ways to spread their payloads.Though junk mail still relies on typical subjects, such as ads for pharmaceuticals, more spam is being geared toward sending malware and stealing user names, passwords, and other personal information, says Sophos. Another form of attack on the rise is spear-phishing, which sends out e-mails targeted to specific organizations or people, usually in an attempt to gain confidential information.Following the takedown of the Bredolab network late last year, spam levels started to take a dip. Spam also has been in a slump since Christmas as the Rustock spambot, responsible for generating a lot of the world's junk mail, seemed to take some time off for the holidays.But Sophos believes the malware writers have actually turned their attention to using Rustock for other tasks, such as installing pop-up ads and trying to get people to buy phony antivirus software. And as of yesterday, the security vendor reports seeing spam levels spiking up yet again. As always, Sophos cautions people to be wary of e-mail attachments and unknown links, especially ones associated with social networks.&quot;As long as spammers continue to make money from these schemes, Internet users can be sure that they'll continue to receive unsolicited emails and social networking scams,&quot; Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said in a statement. &quot;To combat this, it's essential that computer users remain wary of clicking on unknown links, regardless of whether they appear to be on a trusted contact's social networking page.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: SoundFreaq SFQ-02 Sound Step, hands-on]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-soundfreaq-sfq-02-sound-step-hands-on</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-soundfreaq-sfq-02-sound-step-hands-on</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>XRumerTest</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-soundfreaq-sfq-02-sound-step-hands-on</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The SoundFreaq SFQ-02 Sound Step speaker dock.(Credit:Donald Bell/CNET)One of my happy surprises of 2010 was a Bluetooth speaker dock called Sound Platform from an upstart company called SoundFreaq. Stylish yet unique, with a premium sound, generous extras, and a down-to-earth price, the Sound Platform came out of nowhere to deliver a product few others can match.So this year, in spite of being torn in a dozen different directions to covertablets atCES, I made time to visit SoundFreaq to see what they're cooking. For their sophmore product, SoundFreaq is going smaller, more portable, and more affordable. The SFQ-02 Sound Step is a 2.1 speaker dock, due out this summer for $149. It doesn't have the tiny, retro knobs of the original, but core features such as A2DP Bluetooth streaming,iPod/iPhone/iPad support, FM radio, remote control, and UQ3 audio enhancement are all still here. The Sound Step boasts some advantages over its predecessor, as well. For one, it includes a built-in lithium-ion battery, offering up around 6 hours of cord-free music. There's a video output, making it a suitable little soundbar to keep near your TV. And finally, the dock connection has been raised up, making it possible to dock an iPad (even one that's wrapped in a case).To see the SFQ-02 Sound Step in all its minimal glory, head over to our photo gallery.SoundFreaq SFQ-02 Sound Step (photos)  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Vader invades Vegas to pump Blu-ray set]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-vader-invades-vegas-to-pump-blu-ray-set</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-vader-invades-vegas-to-pump-blu-ray-set</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-vader-invades-vegas-to-pump-blu-ray-set</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Out in Force: The Dark Lord hit Vegas with some very powerful pointing. (Credit:Tim Hornyak )LAS VEGAS -- He came, he pointed, he mock-choked people. Darth Vader descended onCES with a pack of Imperial Stormtroopers, as Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment announced the availability of preorder sales of the complete &quot;Star Wars&quot; saga on Blu-ray, with shipping in September. (Credit:Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment)Fox President Mike Dunn and Amazon Vice President of Music and Video Bill Carr joined the Dark Lord on stage to screen a new trailer for the Blu-ray package, which creator George Lucas announced last August at the Celebration V fan convention. &quot;Star Wars: The Complete Saga&quot; on Blu-ray, officially $139.99 but available through Amazon for a discounted $89.99, includes the six &quot;Star Wars&quot; films, plus three additional discs that have more than 30 hours of special features with unseen deleted and alternate scenes. The release marks the first time that all six films are available in one collection. Two other three-disc packages feature Episodes I-III and IV-VI, respectively. Vader posed for pictures after his stage appearance, pointing at awed fans and giving Dunn a friendly choke. He then disappeared, presumably for a bit of gambling before boarding his Imperial shuttle. Check out the trailer for &quot;Star Wars: The Complete Saga&quot; on Blu-ray below. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: BlackBerry PlayBook (hands-on)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-blackberry-playbook-hands-on</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-blackberry-playbook-hands-on</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>lawan</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-blackberry-playbook-hands-on</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Panasonic's GT30 series plasmas tout THX]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-panasonics-gt30-series-plasmas-tout-thx</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-panasonics-gt30-series-plasmas-tout-thx</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:10:17 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Rita01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-panasonics-gt30-series-plasmas-tout-thx</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Panaosnic&amp;39's GT30 series is the comapny&amp;39's second-best plasma and the least-expensive with THX certification.(Credit:Panasonic) LAS VEGAS--THX Display certification has been one of the saving graces of higher-end Panasonic plasma TVs over the last few years, making up for the relatively inaccurate color and sparse picture settings available in other modes. Among the company's lineup of 2011 plasmas, THX is available starting on the GT30 series. It's unclear from Panasonic's press material whether that THX picture mode is available for both 2D and 3D sources, like that of LG's plasmas including the PX950 series.. In any case we expect it to be adjustable, unlike THX on LG, and provide an accurate picture without too much fuss. The GT30 is missing many of the step-up extras found on the flagship VT30, including an &quot;Infinite Black 2&quot; panel, 24p playback and an included pair of 3D glasses. Given the performance differences between the G25 and VT25 from 2010, we don't expect the GT30 to deliver as impressive a picture as the flagship VT30. With the exception of THX, the GT30 seems to have essenitally the same picture quality specs as the less-expensive ST30, so those two might be closer in performance. Of course there's no way to know for sure until we can review one. Otherwise the GT30 and ST30 have similar feature sets, including 3D capability and the Viera Connect Internet suite. Check out the writeup of the ST30 series for more details. Pricing was not announced for the GT30 series, but it will be available sometime this spring.Panasonic TC-PGT30 series features:Plasma TV3D compatibleTHX certificationInfinite Black panelShort throw phosphors3D-compatible SD card slotViera Connect Internet suitePanasonic TC-PGT30 series models:Panasonic TC-P50GT30: 50-inchPanasonic TC-P55GT30: 55-inchPanasonic TC-P60GT30: 60-inchPanasonic TC-P65GT30: 65-inch<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Chrome OS notebook giveaway]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chrome-os-notebook-giveaway</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chrome-os-notebook-giveaway</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:10:30 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Massey</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chrome-os-notebook-giveaway</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Tweet for a chance to win a Chrome OS Netbook prototype. Five lucky winners will get one!(Credit:Rafe Needleman/CNET) Google's highly anticipated new Chrome operating system won't be here until 2011, but we got our hands on five prototype Chrome OS notebooks courtesy of Google. We are happily giving them away to you, our cherished readers, in our Chrome OS sweepstakes. Important: Unlike our usual Crave giveaways, which you enter by posting a comment, the rules here are different, so please follow the instructions below on how to enter.How do you enter to win this notebook of the future Here are the rules. Please read them carefully:Become a follower of @cnet on Twitter.com. To enter this Sweepstakes, you must be a follower of @cnet on Twitter.com. If you are not currently a follower of @cnet on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/cnet and click on the button in the top-left corner of the page that says &quot;follow&quot;' then Tweet the required phrase and you will receive an entry into the Sweepstakes.Tweet the required phrase. Tweet this phrase (copy and paste): I entered the @cnet ChromeOS Sweepstakes for a chance to win a Chrome OS notebook: http://bit.ly/dOgTmxTweet only once. You may enter this specific giveaway only once. If you tweet more than once, you will be automatically disqualified.The winner will be chosen randomly. Five winners will receive (1) one Chrome OS notebook with a retail value of $300.If you are chosen, you will be notified via Twitter Direct Message. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.Entries for the Chrome OS Notebook can be submitted until Wednesday, December 22, at noon PT.Sweepstakes ends 11:59:59 a.m. PT on December 22, 2010 (the &quot;Promotion Period&quot;). And here's the disclaimer that our legal department said we had to include (sorry for the caps, but rules are rules):NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES OR D.C., 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes ends at 12 PM PT on December 22, 2010. See official rules for details. Good luck. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The hack felt 'round the Web (week in review)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-hack-felt-round-the-web-week-in-review</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-hack-felt-round-the-web-week-in-review</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 08:10:50 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>pnomabeqw</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-hack-felt-round-the-web-week-in-review</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A data breach at Gawker Media last weekend had a ripple affect for sites all over the Web.Gawker's Web site and back-end database were compromised, and passwords, usernames, and e-mail addresses for about 1.3 million user accounts were posted on the BitTorrent site Pirate Bay. Passwords were encrypted with technology, but weak passwords can easily be cracked.People who use the same password on multiple sites are at risk of having their accounts on those other sites compromised. This happened already on Twitter, with some accounts being used to send spam shortly after the Gawker breach was publicized. (To find out how to check if you are at risk and get more details about the incident read this FAQ.)Professional-networking site LinkedIn said it would disable passwords of users whose e-mail addresses were included in the customer data that was exposed in an attack on the Gawker blog sites. Yahoo asked some of its e-mail users to reset their passwords but did not say whether it was related to Gawker, while World of Warcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment said outright that it reset user passwords because of the Gawker breach.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' How Facebook saved some Gawker subscribersMcDonald's warns customers about data breachCompromised data was in computer system of database management firm hired by a marketing business partner of the fast-food company.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' How far did McDonald's-tied data breach rippleMore headlinesJulian Assange leaves London jail on bailWikiLeaks' now-famous spokesman emerges from Wandsworth Prison and tells crowd of journalists and supporters that he hopes to &quot;continue&quot; his work.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' WikiLeaks could be vulnerable to Espionage Act&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' WikiLeaks editor faces grand jury indictment&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' WikiLeaks.info rebuts malware warningsMark Zuckerberg named Time's person of the yearFacebook founder beats out world leaders and controversial figures for the title, bestowed on the person who has &quot;done the most to influence the events of the year.&quot;&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Yes, Zuckerberg deserves to be person of the year&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Facebook named best place to work&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Facial recognition comes to Facebook photo tags&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Facebook confirms outage amid new design rolloutAppeals court: Feds need warrants for e-mail Rebuffing the Justice Department, judges insist on warrants because e-mail records give police &quot;the ability to peer deeply&quot; into someone's activities.Google proclaims Chrome business-ready Chrome accounts for nearly 10 percent of browser usage. Google would like more and is looking to corporate use for further adoption. &amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Chrome 9 beta to bring faster, fancy graphics Yahoo slashing products like Delicious, MyBlogLog As it cuts costs and head count, Yahoo is also shutting down a number of social-media services that have fallen out of use or never made the company much money.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Yahoo confirms much-rumored layoffs&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Bartz's layoff memo to beleaguered Yahoo troopsIBM's Watson set for 'Jeopardy' battle Program powered by an IBM Power7 server will compete against &quot;Jeopardy&quot; superstars Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter in a contest to air in February.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Taking IBM's supercomputer to Final 'Jeopardy' (Q&amp;A)Home solar costs falling with industry scaleA study of 10 years of data shows that falling solar PV panel prices and more competition among installers are resulting in lower prices, with dramatic price drops in 2010.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' California says yes to molten solarAlso of note&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Is Pandora taking over our Christmas carols&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Comcast testing combo TV-Internet service&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Paul Allen's lawsuit against Apple, Google dismissed.postBody h3, .postBody h4{font-size: 1.2em'margin: 10px 0 0 0 'padding: 0px'font-weight: bold'border-bottom: none'}<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The Daily Show app: Everything but full episodes]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-daily-show-app-everything-but-full-episodes</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-daily-show-app-everything-but-full-episodes</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Dec 2010 08:10:36 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>marmonju34</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-daily-show-app-everything-but-full-episodes</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Daily Show app looks great on the iPhone, but it&amp;39's even better on an iPad, where it takes full advantage of the extra screen estate.(Credit:Screenshot by Rick Broida)I'm a huge, huge fan of &quot;The Daily Show.&quot; It's the single funniest thing on TV, and Jon Stewart is perhaps the smartest guy ever to sit behind a talk-show desk. (The less said about his interviewing skills, however, the better.)Needless to say, it didn't take a lot of arm-twisting for me to grab the new The Daily Show app--especially considering that it's being offered free just for today. (I'm not sure what the price will be as of tomorrow, but we can look for clues in The Colbert Report's The Word, which costs $1.99.)&amp;nbsp'The app offers a lot for rabid fans like me, starting with a shareable quote of the day (and accompanying show segment) for roughly the last eight weeks' worth of shows.Tap the Topics button and you'll see a spinning word cloud (or an alphabetical list if you switch views), with each item leading to handfuls--if not buckets--of clips related to that topic. These appear to date back as far as December, 2009--not the full archives by any stretch, but still plenty of stuff to watch.Thankfully, all videos are commercial-free, at least for the moment. All you see is a brief Capital One graphic before each clip.The Schedule button shows upcoming guests for at least the next few days, and the times each episode will re-air on Comedy Central the following day. (Wow, each one repeats four times. Who needs a DVR) You can set reminders (15, 30, or 60 minutes) for any selected airing.Finally, there's the Tweets button, which shows not only TheDailyShow and JonStewart hashtags, but also the tweets for the show itself and four correspondents (Aasif Mandvi, Olivia Munn, John Hodgman, and Kristen Schaal).What's missing Unfortunately, the one thing fans undoubtedly want most: full episodes. Great as it is to have access to complete segments (as opposed to, say, 30-second clips), it's not the same as being able to watch an episode start-to-finish.Maybe that will come. In the meantime, The Daily Show app is still a must-have for &quot;The Daily Show&quot; fans, and today's the day to get it--while it's free.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google elevates PDF reading in Chrome 8]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-elevates-pdf-reading-in-chrome-8</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-elevates-pdf-reading-in-chrome-8</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 08:10:11 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>jeandanis123</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-elevates-pdf-reading-in-chrome-8</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google helped make Adobe Systems' PDF files a first-class citizen on the Web years ago by indexing their content with its search engine. Now it's gone another step by building the ability to read them into its latest browser, Chrome 8, released yesterday for Windows, Mac, and Linux.That means when people click a PDF link, the document will open directly in the browser. Chrome's built-in PDF reader is also walled up within a sandbox, lowering the risk that security issues will escape a confined region of memory to facilitate a broader attack on a computer.The PDF reader is among 800 improvements in Chrome 8, including 12 security fixes, according to a blog post yesterday by Chrome team member Jason Kersey. Google paid out $1,000 to each of three discoverers of high-risk vulnerabilities and $500 to two discovers of medium-risk vulnerabilities.Chrome 8 also is the first version to support the Chrome Web Store, Google has said. However, there aren't any direct signs yet that it's tapping into the upcoming Google service for finding and selling Web applications, Chrome extensions, and Chrome themes.Adobe is working to improve PDF without Chrome, too. Its latest Reader 9 and Acrobat X software has a browser plug-in that hides the application frame that previously surrounded PDF documents viewed in a browser.The new Chrome 8.0.552.215 replaces both the earlier beta and stable versions. It arrives just about six weeks afterGoogle released Chrome 7' the faster release pace this year means new Chrome versions aren't necessarily as big of a departure from their predecessors. For those with a taste for cutting-edge features but less stability, there's the Chrome Dev channel, which is on the 9.x release version.New for Windows users of Chrome Dev is a sandboxed version of Adobe's Flash Player, an oft-cited culprit in browser crashes and security vulnerabilities. Building Flash and PDF readers into Chrome means, among other things, that they will be upgraded rapidly and typically invisibly whenever Google wants to distribute a new version for performance, features, or security reasons.Chrome's PDF reader appears to use the Foxit PDF SDK software, but the built-in Flash Player is from Adobe.&quot;For initial testing, the sandboxing code currently supports Windows XP, Windows Vista, andWindows 7. There are plans to make this available for all OS platforms once we are further along in testing and development,&quot; Adobe Flash team member Peleus Uhley said in a blog post this week. &quot;We hope that we can use this experience as a platform for discussing sandbox approaches with the other browser vendors.&quot;Also on tap for Chrome 9 is a lot of hardware acceleration work, including accelerated 3D graphics with the WebGL interface.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[WebGL powers 3D virtual world on the Web]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=webgl-powers-3d-virtual-world-on-the-web</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=webgl-powers-3d-virtual-world-on-the-web</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 08:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>JozhssonDate</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=webgl-powers-3d-virtual-world-on-the-web</guid>
<description><![CDATA[KataSpace is a 3D world accessed using a WebGL-enabled browser.(Credit:screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)One of the obstacles to Second Life popularity is the fact that people must install specific software to visit the site. One of the promises of a 3D technology called WebGL is that such worlds could be drawn directly in a browser.Now a company called Katalabs, formed by a number of Stanford researchers, has done just that with a virtual world project called KataSpace. A version can be explored online with a browser such asFirefox 4 beta 7 (Windows | Mac | Linux) that has WebGL support.KataSpace uses the Web technologies to create a user interface for the open-source Sirikata platform for multiuser 3D world, Katalabs said in a blog post. The demonstration world is workable but primitive, with only two avatars to pick from, some jerky movement, and terrain that avatars walk through rather than over. But it does serve to show that WebGL is moving from concept to reality.3D on the Web is a competitive area, with WebGL support being built into Firefox, Chrome,Safari, and Opera--the four browsers that all trail Microsoft's Internet Explorer in usage. Adobe Systems also is at work building a roughly similar low-level 3D interface into its Flash technology that's already widely used today for online games.Google, which has formidable marketing muscle and growing clout in the browser market, plans to put some of its marketing muscle behind WebGL. It can be tried today in the developer version of Chrome 9' the final version should ship some time in January.&quot;The Chrome experiments team is building a section specifically for WebGL,&quot; said Henry Bridge, a Google Chrome product manager. The Chrome Experiments site showcases new Web technology.Microsoft is cagey about its WebGL plans. In the past, the software giant's Dean Hachamovitch dismissed it as not meeting the &quot;same markup&quot; goal the company advocates with Web technologies, meaning that a Web developer should be able to write one version of a Web page that should load in all browsers. Of course, if Microsoft joined the WebGL effort, it could well meet that &quot;same markup&quot; goal.Microsoft, however, also has its Silverlight browser plug-in. The company announced yesterday that the upcoming Silverlight 5 will include a lower-level hardware-accelerated 3D graphics interface, too. However, Silverlight 5 has been under a cloud after earlier Microsoft remarks that indicated HTML, the language of the Web, was stealing some of its the thunder.Microsoft plans to ship Silverlight 5 in beta form during the first half of 2011 and in final form by the end of 2011.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Amazon cuts off WikiLeaks]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-cuts-off-wikileaks</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-cuts-off-wikileaks</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Massey</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-cuts-off-wikileaks</guid>
<description><![CDATA[WikiLeaks no longer has a home at Amazon.The controversial site, which has roused the ire of the U.S. government for leaking classified information, is no longer being hosted by Amazon's Web servers as of yesterday.WikiLeaks had been tapping into Amazon's EC2, or Elastic Cloud Computing service--including earlier this week. WikiLeaks said yesterday it's now being hosted by servers in Europe, according to Reuters.In response to its expulsion from Amazon, WikiLeaks tweeted two comments:&quot;WikiLeaks servers at Amazon ousted. Free speech the land of the free--fine our $ are now spent to employ people in Europe.&quot;and&quot;If Amazon are so uncomfortable with the first amendment, they should get out of the business of selling books.&quot;Amazon may have dropped WikiLeaks following inquiries from Sen. Joseph Lieberman (Ind.-Conn.), who is chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Lieberman's staff contacted Amazon officials on Tuesday asking them to explain the company's relationship with WikiLeaks.In response to Amazon's move to drop WikiLeaks, Lieberman issued a statement that reads in part:&quot;I wish that Amazon had taken this action earlier based on Wikileaks' previous publication of classified material. The company's decision to cut off Wikileaks now is the right decision and should set the standard for other companies Wikileaks is using to distribute its illegally seized material. I call on any other company or organization that is hosting WikiLeaks to immediately terminate its relationship with them.&quot;Lieberman added that he plans to further question Amazon about its relationship with WikiLeaks and determine what it and other hosting providers can do to make sure they're not used to &quot;distribute stolen, classified information.&quot;Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNET. WikiLeaks has repeatedly found itself in trouble with the U.S. government over its leaking of sensitive information. But the latest release of classified and in many cases embarrassing documents from the U.S. State Department has prompted calls among some politicians to brand the site a terrorist group, putting it in the same category as al-Qaeda. Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), incoming chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, is among those looking to clamp down on the site, saying that &quot;WikiLeaks presents a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States.&quot;WikiLeaks has faced other pressures as well. It was hit by hackers since last weekend. The cyberattacks, which included distributed denial of service attacks, were seen as an attempt to take down the site to keep people from reading the latest round of classified disclosures.        Lance Whitney     Full Profile E-mail Lance Whitney   E-mail Lance Whitney If you have a question or comment for Lance Whitney, you can submit it here. However, because our editors and writers receive hundreds of requests, we cannot tell you when you may receive a response.   Submit your question or comment here: 0 of 1500 characters       Lance Whitney wears a few different technology hats--journalist, Web developer, and software trainer. He's a contributing editor for Microsoft TechNet Magazine and writes for other computer publications and Web sites. Lance is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and he is not an employee of CNET.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Researchers in motion--as they move to RIM rival]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=researchers-in-motion-as-they-move-to-rim-rival</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=researchers-in-motion-as-they-move-to-rim-rival</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 25 Nov 2010 08:10:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>carecraige889</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=researchers-in-motion-as-they-move-to-rim-rival</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As Research In Motion waits for its PlayBook tablet to counter incursions onto its enterprise turf by Apple'siPhone andiPad gadgets, some of RIM's enterprise sales force have apparently decided not to wait--they've defected to the competition.Stuart Weinberg of The Wall Street Journal did a little sniffing around on LinkedIn and discovered that in the last year and a half, at least five members of RIM's enterprise sales team have jumped ship and joined Steve Jobs and Co.Those onetime Researchers In Motion are:Geoff Perfect, former head of strategic sales at RIM, who, according to Weinberg's LinkedIn findings, has become head of enterprise iPhone sales at Apple'Joe Bartlett, a senior global sales manager at RIM, who's now pitching the iPhone and iPad to companies in New England'Steve Marshall, a global strategic account manager at RIM, who's now an iPhone sales rep for the Greater New York City area'Peter Decker, a global account manager at RIM, now also an iPhone sales rep for the Greater New York City area' andPaul Alvarez, another former global strategic account manager at RIM, who now works in enterprise iPad and iPhone sales in Canada.The sales team brain-drain presents another challenge for RIM, which has seen one of the main selling points for its BlackBerry related services--security-- chipped away at by the Apple products, as well as by Google's Android operating system.RIM is also watching as IT managers increasingly open their arms to the hugely popular iPhone and iPad, largely because so many of their fellow employees already own the devices.And too, Apple's gadgets enjoy the advantage of having more enterprise apps available to them, a crucial weapon in the fight for customers. It's true that heavy hitters like SAP have voiced their continued support for RIM--but at the same time, they're busily deploying the Apple devices. As noted in Weinberg's Journal article, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer said last month that more than 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies are using or testing the iPhone.Will RIM's PlayBook tablet make a difference in this battle for the enterprise We'll have to wait until the new year to find out. The device is scheduled to appear in the U.S. in early 2011, with international availability set for the second quarter.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft job posting points to Silverlight on Xbox]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-job-posting-points-to-silverlight-on-xbox</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-job-posting-points-to-silverlight-on-xbox</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Abiabeo</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-job-posting-points-to-silverlight-on-xbox</guid>
<description><![CDATA[More good news for Silverlight it seems, as based on two new job postings on Microsoft's site (1, 2), the company is looking to hire additional Silverlight engineers, as well as bring the technology to more of its devices--including theXbox.Blog TechTrends discovered and reposted the positions earlier today, before Microsoft removed the reference to the Xbox, which was referred to as &quot;Silverlight on the Xbox as part of the next wave.&quot; The posting has since been changed to refer to &quot;various devices we plan to enable over the coming years.&quot; The news comes less than two weeks from Microsoft's Silverlight-focused developer event, where the company plans to detail &quot;the future of Silverlight&quot; in a keynote address by Scott Gutherie, corporate VP of Microsoft's developer division. This is also after much brouhaha about the technology's role as part of Microsoft's ongoing strategy and how it will play into the development of future products and services. The idea of Silverlight coming to the Xbox is not so far-fetched, though. It would serve many goals, notably making development for the platform more cohesive with some of Microsoft's other developer tools--including the ones used for makingWindows Phone 7 applications. If Microsoft is positioning the next Xbox to play within its app ecosystem, as the inclusion of a Zune Marketplace suggests, getting Silverlight on there is a necessary first step. Silverlight on the Xbox would also bode well for Microsoft finally including a Web browser as part of the Xbox's system software, which it has not yet offered. In all truth, this did not crop up as a necessity for the device until Microsoft began adding third-party applications like Facebook and Twitter, where if you came across a URL someone had posted, you would be unable to follow it forward. There's also that not-so-secret meeting that took place between Adobe Systems' and Microsoft's CEOs last month, where getting something like Flash onto the Xbox, and the Windows Phone 7 could have been among the topics of discussion. Another outlier in the case for Silverlight befitting the Xbox is Netflix, which makes use of the technology for its movie streaming service on the PC andMac. While it got off to a bumpy start, it's since gone on to have many of its kinks ironed out, enough to the point where the company is now offering the streaming portion of its service a la carte. If there are benefits--either in performance, or faster compatibility with Netflix's feature updates, Silverlight could help make a big difference in giving Microsoft an edge over the myriad devices that can now hook up with the video service.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Gawker yanks Palin excerpt after court order]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gawker-yanks-palin-excerpt-after-court-order</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gawker-yanks-palin-excerpt-after-court-order</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 20 Nov 2010 08:10:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>dwienulkirul</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gawker-yanks-palin-excerpt-after-court-order</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Hope you've sated your curiosity about Sarah Palin's upcoming book: Gawker Media, which published unauthorized excerpts of the book on Thursday, has pulled them off the Web following a federal court order.The ruling comes following a lawsuit filed Friday by Palin's publisher HarperCollins. AP:A federal judge on Saturday ordered Gawker Media to pull leaked pages of Sarah Palin's forthcoming book &quot;America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag&quot; from its blog.The injunction prohibits Gawker from &quot;continuing to distribute, publish or otherwise transmit pages from the book&quot; pending a hearing on Nov. 30.The link to Gawker's original post now generates a 404 error message. Palin's book is due out on Tuesday, a full week before the scheduled hearing.I've asked HarperCollins if they have any additional comment beyond the statement they sent me this morning (the publisher is owned by News Corp., as is The Wall Street Journal Digital Network, home to All Things Digital). I have yet to receive any comment from Gawker Media.Via Politico, here's the court order. Note the handwritten note at the bottom, indicating that a hearing was held at 3pm Saturday afternoon.Story Copyright (c) 2010 AllThingsD. All rights reserved.              h4 a{            text-decoration: underline !important'        }        addStories{            margin-bottom: 15px'        }        addStories li{            line-height: 1.8em'        }                            Additional stories from AllThingsD                                                        Gawker Yanks Palin&amp;039's Book Excerpt After Court Order                                                                        Sarah Palin&amp;039's Publisher Sues Gawker Over Book Excerpt You Haven&amp;039't Read                                                                        LOLCatz: Safra on The Stand Again in Oracle-SAP Trial                                                                        The Landscape Around Google&amp;039's Hiring Binge                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iFixit digs into Microsoft Kinect's guts]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ifixit-digs-into-microsoft-kinects-guts</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ifixit-digs-into-microsoft-kinects-guts</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Nov 2010 07:11:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Savariya</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ifixit-digs-into-microsoft-kinects-guts</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Microsoft Kinect(Credit:Josh Lowensohn/CNET)Microsoft's Kinect motion-gaming peripheral, which launched yesterday, has already been torn apart by the folks over at iFixit, who have revealed some rather interesting components inside the device.iFixit, a DIY repair site, was apparently quite surprised by what is packed into the relatively small Kinect. The site said the device boasts so many built-in sensors, that only the Pleo dinosaur robot comes close to matching it. And due to how &quot;mechanically complex&quot; the device is, iFixit believes it was &quot;clearly designed by a team accustomed to designing large hardware, like theXbox.&quot;Aside from a slew of sensors, iFixit found four microphones in the Kinect. The device includes two infrared cameras for &quot;depth detection&quot; and &quot;one standard visual-spectrum camera used for visual recognition.&quot;Microsoft&amp;39's Kinect in pieces, thanks to iFixit.(Credit:iFixit)In addition, the Kinect boasts a motor and a three-axis accelerometer &quot;to increase the accuracy of the panning motor.&quot; But it os the Kinect Prime Sense PS1080-A2 that makes the device work. According to iFixit, the Kinect's sensors are connected to the Prime Sense PS1080-A2 to be processed &quot;before transmitting a refined depth map and color image to the Xbox.&quot;Overall, iFixit gave the Kinect a 6 out of 10 for &quot;repairability,&quot; saying that fixing the Kinect without a service manual &quot;will be quite a challenge.&quot;Microsoft's Kinect launched yesterday to much fanfare. For now, the device is still available in some locations, but how long before it's sold out is anyone's guess. Microsoft expects to sell 5 million Kinect units by year's end amid its competition in the motion-gaming space with Sony'sPlayStation Move and theNintendo Wii. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Researchers attack transistors to slay vampire power]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=researchers-attack-transistors-to-slay-vampire-power</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=researchers-attack-transistors-to-slay-vampire-power</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Kareena</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=researchers-attack-transistors-to-slay-vampire-power</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The European Union is sponsoring a multimillion-dollar research project to boost the efficiency of everyday electronics and choke the constant flow of wasted energy from their chips.The three-year effort, called Project Steeper, promises to result in gadgets that operate 10 times longer on a battery charge and don't lose energy to standby--or vampire--power, researchers say. Although there are many different ways to improve efficiency in computing, the focus of this work is on the basic building block of all electronics, the transistor. Everything from TVs to cell phone chargers draws a small current even when they are not in use. Called standby or vampire power, this little trickle results in a huge amount of unused energy.Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the U.S. estimates that standby power alone is upwards of 10 percent of U.S. consumers' electricity bills. In Europe, standby power in one year is equal to the electricity consumption of Austria, the Czech Republic, and Portugal in one year, according to IBM Research, which is involved in the project. At the same time, power consumption from electronic gadgets is becoming a bigger and bigger share of all electricity use, to the point where they can represent 15 percent of utility bills, according to the International Energy Agency.Standby, or vampire, power refers to electronic devices' constant consumption of a trickle of power even when they are turned off.(Credit:IBM)The problem is that transistors, which control the flow of electricity through microprocessor circuits, &quot;leak&quot; electric charge, much the way that a leaky faucet drips water, explained Heike Riel, a researcher at IBM in Zurich. The problem is getting worse as chip designers cram more and more transistors into tighter packages, since transistor gates have less control over that flow, she explained.Project Steeper researchers plan to design less &quot;leaky&quot; transistors that can be manufactured by the chip industry within 6 to 10 years, said Riel. The project, which will be funded with $5.5 million from the EU and an undisclosed investment from corporations involved, will be led by the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne and IBM and will involve a number of other European academic and commercial research organizations. &quot;We are really optimizing the individual transistor, the building block of the processor,&quot; she said. &quot;We are working on an existing technology platform, which is very important so we can stick to using (silicon) wafers.&quot;Tunnel field-effect transistorsThe EU-sponsored project, like a number of other research efforts like it, aims to create semiconductors that have a more abrupt switch between the on and off state than the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) design, which has been used since the 1970s, according to IBM. These devices would have a steep slope between on/off transitions, which gives the project its name, and would lower the leakage of charge in transistors.To get there, researchers will pursue new materials for so-called tunnel field-effect transistors, which have been studied for several years but no working devices have been shown, said Riel. European researchers in Project Steeper will explore ways to make transistors more energy efficient using tunnel field transistors and semiconductor nanowires, pictured here.(Credit:IBM)One group of researchers will seek to make these transistors from silicon and silicon germanium, and another group will work with semiconducting nanowires. These cylinder-shaped nanowires, which are only a few nanometers in diameter, allow better electrostatic control. &quot;Because they are cylindrical, we can now wrap the gate around the cylinder, which gives us much better gate control and leads to the fact that there is less leakage,&quot; explained Riel. These devices would operate at under 0.5 volts, which means that electronics would use significantly less power, allowing for a reduction on the order of 10 times compared to today's products.In three years, researchers hope to show a demonstrating nanowire semiconductor device. A second phase of research would adapt manufacturing techniques to make them. The nanowires would be made from indium arsenide grown on top of a silicon wafer, Riel said.Low-power transistors not only translate into longer battery life for mobile phones or digital music players, but they also pave the way for new forms of power generation. For example, energy harvesting technologies, where motion is converted into usable energy, today are gated by the amount of power electronics need to operate.But more efficient transistors have implications for large-scale computing as well. &quot;Right now for supercomputers, it's less a technology challenge as it is power consumption that limits the increase in performance,&quot; said Riel.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sallydu</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It&amp;'s Christmas time for Instapaper fanatics: Developer Marco Arment has finally delivered Instapaper 3.0 for the iPhone and iPad, bringing with it new social features, sharing options, and more.For  those not familiar with the insanely useful service, Instapaper lets  you easily save articles on the web to read later. Saved articles appear  in a minimal format that strips out unnecessary distractions like ads.  You can read the saved pieces on Instapaper&amp;'s website, and Arment... Continue ReadingAOL eliminated approximately 900 jobs today, including 200 US employees in the media and tech group and 700 people in India.In a company memo that has leaked out to a number of news organizations, chief executive Tim Armstrong tries to paint the move as a positive and necessary step towards turning the company around, saying it will a4Asignificantly improve AOLa4a4s ability to focus on growth.a4 And despite the layoffs, Armstrong said AOL will be... Continue ReadingRadiumOne said it has raised $21 million for a new digital ad network that leverages the social web.That a lot of capital for an ad-based startup, but the San Francisco company believes it can deliver superior advertising performance through its patent-pending ShareGraph technology. The ShareGraph technology analyzes how users communicate with their closest connections and then identifies the specific consumers who are most likely to engage with a brand&amp;'s ads. RadiumOne says this works... Continue ReadingVideo game players finally bought enough games in February to push the monthly sales numbers above year-ago figures, with February sales coming in 3 percent above a year ago.Total sales of game hardware, PC games, console games, and  portables rose 3 percent to $1.36 billion from $1.33 billion a year ago, according  to market researcher NPD. The report is encouraging since many months have been negative compared to year ago numbers. The core video... Continue ReadingThere&amp;'s trouble brewing over at Clearwire, the 4G network company in which Sprint holds a non-controlling majority stake. Chief executive Bill Morrow has resigned from his positions as CEO and executive board director, citing the usual &amp;''personal reasons,&amp;'' the company announced today.Current Clearwire chairman of the board John Stanton will replace Morrow as interim CEO. Stanton was formerly the head of VoiceStream Wireless, a company that in 2001 was bought out by Deutsche Telekom... Continue ReadingIn a move that threatens Intel&amp;'s lock on vast swaths of the computing market, the Chinese-made Loongson chip will take a giant step from netbooks to supercomputers later this year.&amp;''Like a country&amp;'s industry cannot always depend on foreign steel and oil, China&amp;'s information industry needs its own CPU,&amp;'' or central processing unit, said Hu Weiwu, the lead architect Loongson microprocessors, to the Peoplea4a4s Daily newspaper.Intel doesna4a4t have to worry yet: It will take... Continue ReadingJustin.tv, a site that lets web browsers watch and publish live video streams, is recruiting additional developers to build an exclusive electronic sports live-streaming website for games like real-time strategy game Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty.The live streaming site launched a new landing page for job-seekers, saying it wants to &amp;''be the world&amp;'s best live esports site.&amp;'' Justin.tv is already widely used as a place to broadcast live streams of video game matches in... Continue ReadingWhen it comes to iPad 2 reviews, there aren&amp;'t many surprises.  Ita4a4s thinner, faster, and lighter, just like Apple claimed when it was unveiled last week.Reviewers all agree that ita4a4s still the best tablet on  the market right now. After all, ita4a4s Applea4a4s second stab at a tablet, while most competitors are still struggling to launch their first entries (Samsung is one of the rare exceptions with last yeara4a4s Galaxy  Tab).For new tablet... Continue ReadingProduction and installation of solar power fixtures grew 67 percent in the United States a4&quot; but it wasn&amp;'t enough to keep up with booming demand and growth of the solar power industry in Europe, according to a new report by the Solar Energy Industries Association.The U.S. solar power industry grew 67 percent to $6 billion in 2010, up from $3.8 billion in 2009, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.Solar electric installations generated... Continue ReadingIt seems pretty obvious nowadays that companies need to engage with their customers on social networking sites like Twitter. But how can they find the comments that are really worth a response A startup called InboxQ has one answer: Look for the questions.The San Francisco company was incubated at Y Combinator under the name Answerly and started out as a Q&amp;038'A search engine, but it relaunched last month with a new name and a... Continue ReadingMobile social game platform Scoreloop is encouraging iPhone game developers to switch sides with the launch of its Go Android campaign.Munich-based Scoreloop makes mobile games more social by infusing them with features such as achievements, leaderboards, friend requests and multiplayer challenges. It started on the iPhone and now it is encouraging developers to make games for Google&amp;'s Android operating system.This move is another nudge that could get the snowball rolling in Google&amp;'s favor... Continue ReadingGoogle suffered a black eye with the malware that targeted dozens of Android Market apps last week. But even as users clean out their phones, now comes this: the Android Market Security Tool released by Google has been copied to third-party alternative Android markets and it is itself embedded with malware.The latest incident shows that it&amp;'s not that easy to keep a multifaceted mobile app ecosystem free of malware.On March 6, Google published... Continue ReadingIn a sign of the growing importance of computers in education, Lenovo has signed up to join Intel&amp;'s Classmate PC program which sells child-friendly computers to governments and schools.The education market for PCs is booming worlwide as schools and teachers see more value in low-cost web-connected computers as learning devices.Lenovo is now making its Lenovo Classmate+PC and will sell them for $300 to $400, depending on configuration. Lenovo&amp;'s first major customer is Argentina&amp;'s... Continue ReadingLinkedIn just announced a new product today called, uh, LinkedIn Today. It&amp;'s an online news site with the most-shared headlines on the professional networking service.At first glance, this might not seem all that different from all the other news services pulling headlines from Facebook and Twitter. The difference, however, is that LinkedIn Today is connected to users&amp;' professional identities, which means it can filter the headlines in a cool new way. For example, if... Continue ReadingThere is no bubble forming around Silicon Valley or tech startups because white-hot companies like Twitter and Facebook are able to show they have fundamental value and are capable of making money, Phil Black, co-founder at early stage venture capital outfit True Ventures told me today.&amp;''There is no bubble at current moment. There are very successful Internet businesses being created that are growing very rapidly and are making a lot of pretax profit,&amp;'' said... Continue ReadingBain Capital Ventures has led an $8.3M investment round in Clovr Media, which has built the first platform that converts banner, text-link, video, or mobile ads into card linked offers.The company, which aims to pioneer &amp;''Loyalty 2.0,&amp;'' or the next generation of consumer loyalty programs, gives advertisers the ability to offer special discounts to consumers without requiring any payment up front or paper coupons from users. The company works with financial institutions to present... Continue ReadingSome of the excitement around real-time search seems to have died down recently &amp;8212' Ia4a4m no longer seeing hordes of startups embracing the term, and some of the most prominent companies that were active in the space have refocused. But investors still seem to be optimistic about San Francisco startup Topsy, which just announced that it has raised $15 million in a third round of funding.Like other real-time search engines, Topsy allows users to... Continue ReadingThe Go Game, creators of location-based scavenger hunts for companies, today announced the launch of a do-it-yourself iPhone application for creating and participating in local scavenger hunts, according to a company announcement.The application, which is now available in the Apple App Store, is being released at South by SouthWest (SXSW) with basic functionality, including the ability to challenge other players and participate in local scavenger hunts around Austin, Texas, where the event is held.... Continue ReadingMarket research firm Forrester isn&amp;'t putting too much stock in the hype surrounding upcoming Android 3.0 tablets. Instead, the company believes that Amazon is best suited to take on the iPad when it decides to enter the tablet arena.What&amp;'s the problem with Android slates like Motorola&amp;'s recently released Xoom Forrester considers them all too expensive, and they also can&amp;'t match the Apple Store&amp;'s retail experience. Forrester has found that consumers also find Apple&amp;'s products... Continue ReadingAccel Partners and Atomico Ventures have co-led a $42 million investment round for Rovio, the creator of the Angry Birds Franchise.The Angry Birds game is played by 40 million monthly active users and, with sales of over 2 million plush toys, has become one of the most recognized entertainment franchises. The game has had well over 75 million downloads.Rovio plans to use the money to increase its reach internationally and to expand across... Continue Reading<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Intel looking for new MeeGo partners &8212' good luck with that]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intel-looking-for-new-meego-partners-8212-good-luck-with-that</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intel-looking-for-new-meego-partners-8212-good-luck-with-that</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Suzana</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intel-looking-for-new-meego-partners-8212-good-luck-with-that</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Once the love child of Intel and Nokia, the MeeGo mobile operating system may be dead in the water now that Nokia has partnered with Microsoft to use its Windows Phone operating system in its phones.But Intel isn&amp;'t ready to throw in the towel yet. CEO Paul Otellini said in a meeting with analysts this morning that Intel is seeking out new partners for MeeGo, Reuters reports.Prepare yourself for a long search, Paul.The deck was stacked against MeeGo since Nokia and Intel first announced it early last year. At the time, it theoretically sounded like a promising competitor to the iPhone and Android operating systems. But both of those platforms made significant strides forward in 2010 while MeeGo remained quiet. Nokia reportedly scrapped its first planned MeeGo device, and now it only has plans to release a single MeeGo phone as an experiment.Intel said last week that it is &amp;''not blinking&amp;'' on MeeGo, and it proceeded to demonstrate its tablet interface for the OS at the Mobile World Congress conference this week. Intel also plans to support Android and Windows Phone 7 in the mobile arena but clearly wants a mobile platform to call its own.There&amp;'s little reason I can think of for any company to jump into Intel&amp;'s MeeGo quicksand pit. Most companies have already decided to support Google&amp;'s Android OS in lieu of their own, and there simply wouldn&amp;'t be anything to gain from pouring money into MeeGo. It doesn&amp;'t offer any features that competing platforms don&amp;'t, something that even Palm&amp;'s beleaguered WebOS managed to do last year with its slick multitasking interface.So why continue this charade Otellini says that &amp;''carriers still want a third ecosystem and the carriers want an open ecosystem, and that&amp;'s the thing that drives our motivation.&amp;'' He went on to say, &amp;''Some closed models will certainly survive, because you can optimize the experience, but in general, if you harness the ability of all the engineers in the world and the developers in the world, open wins.&amp;''Indeed, open will win, but that open champion will be called Android.Next Story: Nokia Plan B: Journalists fooled by &amp;''one very bored engineer&amp;'' Previous Story: OpenFeint Connect lets gamers socialize across different smartphonesPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: meegoCompanies: Intel, nokia, PalmPeople: Paul Otellini          Tags: meegoCompanies: Intel, nokia, PalmPeople: Paul OtelliniDevindra Hardawar is VentureBeat's lead mobile writer and East Coast correspondent. He studied philosophy at Amherst College, worked in IT support for several years, and has been writing about technology since 2004. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can reach him at devindra@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @Devindra. Have news to share Launching a startup Email: tips@venturebeat.comVentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Motorola bringing Atrix-like Webtop docks to all high-end smartphones]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=motorola-bringing-atrix-like-webtop-docks-to-all-high-end-smartphones</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=motorola-bringing-atrix-like-webtop-docks-to-all-high-end-smartphones</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>karadim3z</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=motorola-bringing-atrix-like-webtop-docks-to-all-high-end-smartphones</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Motorola will be bringing its Webtop apps and their corresponding docks to all of its high-end smartphones in the second half of this year, CEO Sanjay Jha told investors today.That means Motorolaa4a4s Atrix, one of our favorite gadgets from the Consumer Electronics Show in January, wona4a4t be the only Motorola phone that can plug into a dock and turn into an ultraportable laptop using its Webtop app. It makes sense, because the Atrixa4a4s high-end hardware will likely be matched by upcoming Motorola phones, like the Droid Bionic on Verizon. Therea4a4s no good reason for the company to keep such innovative technology in one device.Ita4a4s unclear if future phones will come with docks of their own, or if theya4a4ll somehow connect to the Atrixa4a4s dock.Hopefully the news will also lead to Motorola will wising up about its Webtop dock pricing. The company is offering the Atrix bundled with its dock for $499.99 with a two-year contract. The dock on its own retails for $499.99 as well &amp;8212' a price which seems egregious when you can get full-blown laptops at that price.Motorolaa4a4s dock is basically a thin shell with a screen, battery and keyboard. All of the hardware that powers it &amp;8212' including the CPU, RAM and storage &amp;8212' is contained in the Atrix phone. Given that ita4a4s really not packing too much power, it seems more fair for Motorola to price the dock somewhere around $200 and under.AT&amp;amp'T is also forcing Atrix users to sign up for its tethering plan at $20 a month, if they want to get the phone bundled with the Laptop Dock. I suppose it makes sense since the dock relies on the Atrixa4a4s network connection, but it still seems ridiculous for AT&amp;amp'T to demand even more money when the dock itself is overpriced. Hopefully future Motorola docks will come with fewer carrier restrictions.Via EngadgetNext Story: On the GreenBeat: Solyndra raises $75M credit facility, Reno&amp;'s wind experiment Previous Story: Think&amp;'s electric car faces third recall after three months in the U.S.PrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Atrix, docks, smartbooks, smartphones, ultraportables, WebtopCompanies: AT&amp;amp'T, Motorola MobilityPeople: Sanjay Jha          Tags: Atrix, docks, smartbooks, smartphones, ultraportables, WebtopCompanies: AT&amp;amp'T, Motorola MobilityPeople: Sanjay JhaDevindra Hardawar is VentureBeat's lead mobile writer and East Coast correspondent. He studied philosophy at Amherst College, worked in IT support for several years, and has been writing about technology since 2004. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can reach him at devindra@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @Devindra. Have news to share Launching a startup Email: tips@venturebeat.comVentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Hitwise: Facebook Accounts For 1 In 4 Page Views In The&nbsp'U.S.]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hitwise-facebook-accounts-for-1-in-4-page-views-in-thenbspu-s-</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hitwise-facebook-accounts-for-1-in-4-page-views-in-thenbspu-s-</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>anyannucci</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hitwise-facebook-accounts-for-1-in-4-page-views-in-thenbspu-s-</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Hitwise has released another staggering data point in favor of Facebook&amp;'s domination today. According to Hitwise&amp;'s data, 1 in 4 page views in the US took place on Facebook.com as of last week.In March, Hitwise reported that Facebook overcame Google to become the largest website in the U.S. with 7.07% of all U.S. visits. Google was second at 7.03% at the time. As of September, comScore reported that Facebook was behind Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. Hitwise also says that visits to Facebook have increased by 60% from the same week last year and represented 1 in 10 US Internet visits last week. And the market share of page views for Facebook was 24.27% last week, 3.8x the volume of the 2nd ranked website YouTube.com with 6.93%.Of course, it&amp;'s important to note that this doesn&amp;'t include visits from outside the U.S. and excludes mobile traffic. CrunchBase InformationHitwiseInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Foursquare Gets Pepsi, SCVNGR Answers With A Fizzy Partner Of Its Own:&nbsp'Coca-Cola]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=foursquare-gets-pepsi-scvngr-answers-with-a-fizzy-partner-of-its-ownnbspcoca-cola</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=foursquare-gets-pepsi-scvngr-answers-with-a-fizzy-partner-of-its-ownnbspcoca-cola</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zainab01</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=foursquare-gets-pepsi-scvngr-answers-with-a-fizzy-partner-of-its-ownnbspcoca-cola</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Location-based services are currently in a race to lock up the biggest brands and retailers they can. Earlier this month Facebook ran a major promotion with the Gap' Chipotle is also using the platform to offer buy-one-get-one-free deals. This morning, Fast Company reported that Foursquare has forged a deal with Pepsico.  And today SCVNGR is announcing that it&amp;'s scored a partnership with arguably the biggest brand of all: Coca-Cola.SCVNGR CEO Seth Priebatsch says that the company has been gunning to land Coke for some time (and that its competitors have as well).  The campaign will take the form of custom, coke-themed SCVNGR challenges that will appear in 10 major malls across the country through the end of the year. Players who complete these challenge will be eligible for rewards like Coke bottle openers (meh) and $100,000 worth of American Express gift cards (more tempting). Players will be able to redeem these challenges at each malls&amp;' information booth. And on Black Friday, Coke will actually have teams of people in the malls urging customers to try out the challenges.Obviously this is a big win for SCVNGR, especially if it can maintain a relationship with Coke to run more campaigns in the future. Since its rewards platform launched over the summer, Priebatsch says that SCVNGR players have redeemed some $1.5 million worth of free goods.The timing of today&amp;'s soft-drink related announcements seems like more than a coincidence, but it&amp;'s worth noting that Foursquare&amp;'s deal is quite different from SCVNGR&amp;'s. As reported in Fast Company today, Foursquare has actually partnered with Safeway/Vons to integrate with the grocery chain&amp;'s existing rewards program a4&quot; this helps lower the barrier to get users playing the game, because it happens automatically at check-out. Users are rewarded with different Pepsi products based on their Foursquare history. In contrast, SCVNGR probably won&amp;'t be going the auto-checkin route any time soon, because it&amp;'s focused primarily on offering engaging challenges rather than the check-in itself.CrunchBase InformationSCVNGRInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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