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<title>Haaze.com / Nina01 / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Google accused of hypocrisy on Grooveshark ban]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-accused-of-hypocrisy-on-grooveshark-ban</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-accused-of-hypocrisy-on-grooveshark-ban</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>riareszi1</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-accused-of-hypocrisy-on-grooveshark-ban</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A watchdog group that is also a longtime Google ally on copyright issues, has accused the company of being hypocritical when it recently removed a controversial music app from its app store.Kent Walker (left), Google&amp;39's general counsel, following his appearance earlier this month before a U.S. House subcommittee looking into online piracy. (Credit:Greg Sandoval/CNET)Two weeks ago, CNET reported that Grooveshark, a music service that provides free access to songs by enabling users to post their own music to the site, had seen its app banned from the Android Market. It later came out that Google acted after receiving a complaint about Grooveshark from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the trade group for the four largest record companies. The search giant banned the app without providing Grooveshark any warning or opportunity to defend itself. Google also didn't disclose how exactly the music company violated Google's policies, according to Grooveshark. EMI and Universal Music Group, two of the top record labels, have accused Grooveshark of copyright violations in separate lawsuits filed against the Gainesville, Fla.-based company. EMI settled its suit, but the legal battle with Universal Music Group continues. In a blog post yesterday, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a group that advocates for Internet users and technology companies, noted the irony in Google's apparent loss of respect for the concept of transparency and for the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Julie Samuels, an EFF staff attorney, pointed out that in the not-so-distant past Google criticized Apple for allegedly lacking transparency and adopting &quot;draconian&quot; business practices.&quot;But who's being draconian now&quot; Samuels wrote. Google did not respond to an interview request. Samuels then took aim at Google's relationship with the DMCA's safe harbor provision. In past dustups with copyright owners, Google has repeatedly argued that the DMCA protects services, such as YouTube, eBay, and Craigslist, from being held liable for acts of copyright infringement committed by users. That's the same legal argument Google used to defend YouTube against a copyright lawsuit filed by Viacom in 2007. That's the same argument Grooveshark managers say protects them. &quot;Did Google's takedown intentionally coincide with its appearance before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on (intellectual property) in an effort to make itself more sympathetic to Congress&quot;--EFF &quot;That Google would perform a copyright takedown without requiring a valid notice under the (DMCA) is surprising to say the least,&quot; Samuels wrote. &quot;Especially given that Google just last week filed its reply brief in the Viacom v. YouTube appeal, vigorously defending its policy of responding only to valid DMCA notices where copyright complaints are concerned.&quot;The Grooveshark case is the latest controversy to raise questions about where Google stands on copyright. For much of the company's history, Google has crossed swords with newspapers, film studios, and record companies on copyright issues. Free-content proponents loved Google for taking on big media. Is there any company that has done more to promote the free flow of information than Google But during the past year, Google has appeared to soften its stance.In December, the search engine announced it would start booting alleged copyright violators off AdSense, the company's advertising program. Google said it would try to block terms associated with piracy from appearing in the search engine's Autocomplete function. Google also supplied the RIAA with antipiracy software tools that it once planned to offer for a fee, according to a music industry source. If Google is fighting piracy more aggressively, it's likely due to two separate forces propelling the company in that direction: the first is economic. Google is looking to acquire top video entertainment content for Google TV and YouTube's movie rental service. In music, Google is trying to negotiate licenses from the top labels that would enable the company to store consumers' existing music libraries on its servers. Both the music labels and film studios have used this leverage to pressure Google to do more piracy-busting. In Washington, the government has become very serious about fighting piracy. President Barack Obama, both major political parties and both houses of Congress seem intent on thwarting infringement of intellectual property. There's so much momentum for antipiracy legislation now, that it's almost certain a bill closely resembling the one introduced into the Senate last year by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), called the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act, will become law this year. This will give the government the ability to speed up the process of shutting down suspected pirate sites and ordering credit card companies, bandwidth providers and advertising firms, such as Google, to cease doing business with these sites. This is just one of the ways how the government plans to come down hard on companies that pirate or assist in piracy. To critics on Capital Hill, Google is solidly in the latter camp. During a hearing two weeks ago held by a U.S. House subcommittee investigating online piracy and counterfeiting, lawmakers questioned Kent Walker, Google's general counsel, about why the company didn't do more to block search results for pirated and counterfeit goods. One of the bright spots for Google during the hearing was the news that the company had banned Grooveshark's app, which broke earlier the same day. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) applauded Google for removing the app. But in her blog post, Samuels suggested that the intention of the ban was exactly that, to win favor from from lawmakers. Click on image to read Lawmakers tell Google to do more on antipiracy.(Credit:Greg Sandoval/CNET)&quot;Did Google's takedown intentionally coincide with its appearance before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on (intellectual property),&quot; Samuels wrote &quot;in an effort to make itself more sympathetic to Congress&quot; You can judge for yourself. Grooveshark said Google removed its app on April 1, five days before Walker was scheduled to testify before Congress but months after representatives from the music sector asked Google to pull the app, multiple music industry sources told CNET. To those requests, Google had politely refused, the sources said. That may come as good and bad news to the free-content crowd. Google's slow response could mean that Google continues to hold the line against content creators. But it also could illustrate a willingness by Google to throw accused copyright violators under the bus when pressured.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Panasonic's GT30 plasma TV slimmer, still superb]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=panasonics-gt30-plasma-tv-slimmer-still-superb</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=panasonics-gt30-plasma-tv-slimmer-still-superb</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:10:36 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>svetalaxw</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=panasonics-gt30-plasma-tv-slimmer-still-superb</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Panasonic&amp;39's GT30 represents the company&amp;39's first slim plasma panel redesign.(Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET)Panasonic has consistently been among our favorite televisions over the last few years, both at the high-end level and the lower--the latter due to historically excellent picture-quality-for-the-buck. The GT30 sits in the upper middle-end, a notch below the company's 2011 flagship in panel technology and, we assume, picture quality. It's not without its flaws, but it's still a superb TV overall that sets the bar high once again, and outperforms its step-down linemate, the ST30 series (review coming soon), with better black levels and color. The Panasonic TC-PGT30 series belongs on the short list for buyers who want the advantages of plasma but don't want to pay the premium for a flagship TV.Read the full review of the Panasonic TC-PGT30 series.Panasonic TC-PGT30 (photos) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Energy plant hack all wind, says operator]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=energy-plant-hack-all-wind-says-operator</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=energy-plant-hack-all-wind-says-operator</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:10:56 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>escucce</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=energy-plant-hack-all-wind-says-operator</guid>
<description><![CDATA[There's no proof that a suspected hacking attack on the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems of a U.S. energy plant actually occurred, according to the operator, NextEra Energy Resources.Moreover, the company has claimed that the information posted on the Full Disclosure mailing list as evidence of the attack is already public.The statements follow claims that a former employee who was reportedly fired illegitimately had sought revenge by hacking the system responsible for controlling parts of a 200-megawatt plant at a New Mexico wind farm.Read more of &quot;Energy plant hack all wind says operator&quot; at ZDNet Australia. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Toshiba to launch self-erasing hard drives]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=toshiba-to-launch-self-erasing-hard-drives</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=toshiba-to-launch-self-erasing-hard-drives</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 14 Apr 2011 07:11:01 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>EldewJefEndurece684</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=toshiba-to-launch-self-erasing-hard-drives</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Toshiba will soon debut a series of hard drives that can automatically erase or prevent access to their own data should the drives end up in the wrong hands.(Credit:Toshiba)The company's new self-encrypting drive family will include a new feature that detects if the drive is connected to an unknown and undefined computer or other system. If so, the drive can either securely wipe all of its data or just deny access to that data. Customers can apply the feature to specific data on the drive and choose how and when to render the data indecipherable, according to Toshiba.The drives are designed to provide an extra layer of security, especially for corporations, government agencies, and other organizations that need to adhere to certain security and data privacy requirements. The security technology itself is built on the &quot;Opal&quot; specification from the Trusted Computing Group, which dictates certain requirements for data protection in enterprise environments.The new MKxx61GSYS family consists of five different drives, ranging in size from 160GB to 640GB, all of which connect via a SATA (Serial ATA) interface, run at 7200 RPM, and use AES 256 encryption. Being demonstrated this week by Toshiba in Japan, the drives will go into mass production and reach a few select customers sometime in the second quarter.&quot;Digital systems vendors recognize the need to help their customers protect sensitive data from leakage or theft,&quot; Scott Wright, product manager with Toshiba's storage device division. &quot;Toshiba's security technologies provide designers of copiers, printers, PCs, and other systems with new capabilities to help address these important security concerns.&quot;Toshiba said it will work closely with PC and hardware manufacturers as well as security vendors to integrate the new security technology with their products.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft gives details on next Windows Phone OS]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-gives-details-on-next-windows-phone-os</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-gives-details-on-next-windows-phone-os</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:10:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sallyac</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-gives-details-on-next-windows-phone-os</guid>
<description><![CDATA[LAS VEGAS--Microsoft offered today its most detailed look yet into the next version of Windows Phone, code-named Mango, at the company's annual show for Web and phone developers.Oh, and Microsoft said the popular game Angry Birds will be available on the phone May 25.At the Mix developer event here, Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Windows Phone program management, discussed tools that will let developers create applications that can run in the background while users move onto other programs. And he demonstrated an upcoming release from the digital music service Spotify (which isn't yet available in the United States), playing music from the app while he moved onto other programs on the phone. The Spotify app will let users quickly pause music and adjust volume without having to close and move away from another application.Qantas Windows Phone app(Credit:Microsoft)In another demonstration, Belfiore showed how Qantas has created a traveler app that uses data from local maps and calendars. He pinned specific flight data from Qantas on the home screen of his phone. That tile offered details about the flight as the departure time approached, such as the ability to check in online and get gate information. As the departure time gets close, the app triggers an alarm that notifies travelers that they ought to get to the airport. They can also open a map, which gives the quickest route to the airport. And the app even offers the option to change to a later flight.Belfiore said Mango will build on Microsoft's efforts to provide &quot;glance and go&quot; information. &quot;It's a lot quicker and easier [for people] to find the things they are looking for,&quot; Belfiore said.He also took a few minutes at the beginning of his talk to address Windows Phone's rocky few months since its launch last year. A February update rendered some Samsung phones running the software temporarily unusable. Microsoft stopped the update to fix the bugs. But even the follow-up update caused some glitches. Now Microsoft is slowly rolling out the so-called NoDo update, but its pace has angered some users.Belfiore was skewered by users for saying a few weeks ago that the latest update had made it to all Windows Phone devices, when it hadn't. &quot;It was out of a lack of preparation,&quot; Belfiore said.The company has learned the hard way that phone makers add software to their phones, which triggered some of the problems. One version of the update caused one phone to switch into its factory diagnostic mode.That's why Microsoft has been cautiously rolling out the latest update. &quot;We felt it would be better to be a little bit prudent,&quot; Belfiore said.Microsoft&amp;39's Joe Belfiore at Mix11(Credit:Jay Greene/CNET)And he's optimistic that the problems are behind the company. &quot;We expect that we're going to get these problems licked and get good at this,&quot; Belfiore said.The features Belfiore highlighted are enabled by behind-the-scenes technology built into Mango that allows application multitasking. That technology gives developers the ability to better use the tiles that display their application on the phone. Mango will also offer access to the Windows Phone camera and motion sensor library, giving developers the ability to create programs that incorporate the phone hardware.Belfiore also said that a version of Internet Explorer 9, the new, zippier browser that Microsoft launched for PCs a month ago, will come to Windows Phone this fall. To demonstrate that speed, Belfiore ran a test, comparing a phone running Mango with current versions of Google's Nexus S, running Google's Android operating system, and Apple'siPhone 4, running iOS.&quot;I'm going to give the iPhone a head start because I only have two fingers,&quot; Belfiore jibed, as he began the demo. Not surprisingly, given that it's a Microsoft demonstration, the Mango phone retrieved information more quickly than its rivals.Belfiore also showed a few other Mango features, such as customizable ringtones and a new bar code scanning application from Amazon that takes users right to its store if it has the product. And he was joined briefly onstage by Marco Argenti, Nokia's head of developer experiences, who highlighted the companies' new partnership but offered no new timeline for phones that the partnership will generate.After Belfiore finished, Microsoft shifted gears to developer tools, announcing the immediate availability of its Silverlight 5 technology, which gives developers tools to create advanced graphics in their applications. The company showed off the new software with a preview of a Web site for the Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration squad. The site runs high-definition video from inside the cockpit as well as animated graphics that let Web surfers inspect its fleet of jets.And finally, Microsoft offered details of the upcoming software development kit for Kinect for Windows that will arrive later this spring. Kinect is the hot-selling motion-sensing controller for Microsoft'sXbox 360 gaming console. The company wants to unleash its vast developer network on Kinect, which is already a favorite among hackers.Kinect drivable lounge chair at Mix11(Credit:Jay Greene/CNET) To demonstrate, Microsoft had a bit of fun, showing off a &quot;Kinect drivable lounge chair.&quot; The chair wheeled around the stage, with the &quot;driver&quot; using hand gestures to move it about. The company said it will release the source code, as well as details for obtaining all the parts, after the software development kit is released. It also demonstrated using hand gestures to navigate through the universe using the Worldwide Telescope, a Microsoft Research project, giving users the ability to zoom in to the moons of Saturn by spreading their hands apart.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Amazing videos of SpaceShipTwo in flight]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazing-videos-of-spaceshiptwo-in-flight</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazing-videos-of-spaceshiptwo-in-flight</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 2011 07:10:41 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SenEtedafed</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazing-videos-of-spaceshiptwo-in-flight</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In this image, Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo is seen carrying SpaceShipTwo as they fly alongside a Virgin America flight.(Credit:Virgin Galactic)Usually, when someone says &quot;this is the coolest thing I've ever seen,&quot; you know that no matter what they're looking at, they're resorting to a little hyperbole. But today, when I saw two videos taken from the window seat of a Virgin America flight that show Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo flying alongside in tandem (give the video about 35 seconds before the spaceship appears), my reaction was, well, &quot;this is the coolest thing I've ever seen.&quot;And that was before hearing the audio of the person shooting the video saying exactly the same words.The video was taken by Boing Boing's Dean Putney, who writes, &quot;I was just in shock. I did what I could to keep myself collected, which was not an easy task. This was just totally unexpected and amazing. At times, the spaceship was only a couple hundred feet away from us.&quot;It's hard for me to express how jealous I am. And while I'm often skeptical of publicity stunts, I have to hand it to Virgin's Richard Branson--and anyone there who was responsible--and of course to Burt Rutan for being the brain behind the wonderful WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo. &quot;Flight guests, including Sir Richard Branson and space pioneer Buzz Aldrin,&quot; said a release about the stunt, timed to the opening of Virgin America's new Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport, &quot;will get a bird's-eye view of the future of flight as they meet up with the world's first commercial spaceline over the California coast and proceed to touch down on parallel runways (see video below) at SFO. Amazing stuff. Well done, Virgin.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[360 lens for iPhone 4 looks around for funding]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=360-lens-for-iphone-4-looks-around-for-funding</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=360-lens-for-iphone-4-looks-around-for-funding</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:10:33 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>kathyrahry</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=360-lens-for-iphone-4-looks-around-for-funding</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Occasionally we post interesting projects that appear on kickstarter.com, a crowdsourced angel investor site that can help folks raise money to produce products that are in various stages of development (some projects get funded, some don't).EyeSee360, the small company behind the GoPano Micro 360-degree lens for the iPhone 4, already produces a larger version for cameras and camcorders called the GoPano Plus ($699). But it's trying to raise money to commercially produce the Micro, which allows you to capture 360-degree videos with youriPhone 4.Worth funding That's for you to judge, but so far the GoPano looks like a winner. We just hope it doesn't end up costing more than the iPhone.Source: kickstarter.com via 9to5Mac<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Did Sony CEO leak plans for iPhone 5 camera]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=did-sony-ceo-leak-plans-for-iphone-5-camera</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=did-sony-ceo-leak-plans-for-iphone-5-camera</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 02 Apr 2011 07:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>akhimass</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=did-sony-ceo-leak-plans-for-iphone-5-camera</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Sony CEO Howard Stringer fueled speculation that Sony would be supplying the camera for the iPhone 5--and that it would be late doing so.(Credit:Apple)The tech blogosphere is abuzz this morning with news that Sony CEO Howard Stringer may have accidentally leaked word that Sony was supplying the camera sensor for theiPhone 5--and that delivery of that sensor has been delayed due to factory damage in Japan.During an interview with the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, Stringer reportedly was talking about how Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami had affected 15 Sony factories. One of those factories happens to be where Sony makes its camera sensors.9to5Mac's Seth Weintraub was at the event, which the public paid $20 to attend (the event was called Talking Tech with Sony and the Wall Street Journal). He reported the following:I'm here watching Walt Mossberg talk to Sony's CEO, Sir Howard Stringer. Stringer just said that their camera image sensor facility in Sendai was affected by the tsunami. Getting image sensors to Apple will be delayed. Stinger said something to the effect of: &quot;Our best sensor technology is built in one of the (tsunami) affected factories. Those go to Apple for their iPhones...or iPads. Isn't that something They buy our best sensors from us&quot;That's not an exact quote from Stringer but later the Wall Street Journal, reporting on its own event, mentioned the camera comment:Early on, he raised the irony of Sony supplying camera components for Apple devices. It &quot;always puzzles me,&quot; he said. &quot;Why would I make Apple the best camera&quot; It is unclear what devices he was talking about as Sony isn't known to supply key camera components, known as image sensors, to Apple' A Sony spokeswoman declined to comment and an Apple spokesperson couldn't be reached for comment.OmniVision has been providing the image sensors for the iPhone 4, but recent rumors have suggested that Apple was switching to Sony camera components for the iPhone 5. Word was Apple was looking at Sony's Exmor R 8MP sensors, which are found in the new Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and Neo smartphones (the iPhone 4 has a 5MP sensor). While users have been impressed with the iPhone 4's video shooting capabilities some have complained that indoor still shots have a yellow tinge to them. Apple has been rumored to be moving to Sony sensors for a while. If indeed the delivery of the sensors is delayed, the question is whether the iPhone 5 will be delayed. Some recent reports suggest that the iPhone 5 will ship in the fall instead of in June, with Apple focusing exclusively on software at its World Wide Developers Conference in June. Of course, none of that's confirmed and many believe Apple will announce a next-generation iPhone this summer as it has in the past. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Jane McGonigal hits New York Public Library in new game]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=jane-mcgonigal-hits-new-york-public-library-in-new-game</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=jane-mcgonigal-hits-new-york-public-library-in-new-game</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:11:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Shiree</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=jane-mcgonigal-hits-new-york-public-library-in-new-game</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Find the Future is the newest project of famed game designer Jane McGonigal. Its players will be the first members of the public to ever spend the night in the landmark New York Public Library building in midtown Manhattan(Credit:Find the Future Game)What would you put in the Declaration of Independence if it was being written todayThat's an exercise that you and 499 other people could try out if you're one of the lucky few that will be chosen to take part in game designer Jane McGonigal's 100th anniversary ode to the New York Public Library, &quot;Find the Future.&quot;On May 20, 500 hand-selected gamers will get to spend the night in the world-famous Stephen A. Schwarzman Building--otherwise known as the main branch of the city's library system--immersing themselves in some of the most special artifact's in the institution's archives, including Charles Dickens' letter opener--made from the paw of his beloved cat' Jack Kerouac's glasses' and an original copy of the Declaration of Independence.Related links&amp;149' Author Jane McGonigal explains why 'Reality is Broken' (Q&amp;A)&amp;149' McDonald's is lead sponsor of Olympics-themed ARG, 'The Lost Ring'&amp;149' Jane McGonigal at SXSWi: Game developers can induce happinessIn &quot;Find the Future,&quot; the players--initially the 500 chosen to be on hand on May 20, and later anyone on the Web, will have to complete a series of quests designed by McGonigal, the author of the best-selling &quot;Reality is Broken&quot; and the creator of games like &quot;A World without Oil,&quot; &quot;The Lost Ring,&quot; and a regular keynote speaker at events like the Game Developers Conference, South by Southwest Interactive, and TED.&quot;For the first time in its history, the library will open the doors of its 42nd Street building all night starting at 8 p.m. to allow the players to explore [it] overnight and tackle a list of 100 quests,&quot; reads an introduction to &quot;Find the Future&quot; (see video below). &quot;Each quest will require players to be in the presence of and be inspired by objects from NYPL's collections. During the evening, players will be led into the stacks to unlock quests.&quot;The 500 chosen to play will be broken into teams of eight, and each team will have to finish as many as four of the quests. When all 100 quests have been completed, the players will create a book out of the responses the players write as part of those tasks. So, for example, faced with one of the many ancient menus in the library's collection, players will have to design their own ideal menu. Or, craft their own sections of a 2011-era Declaration of Independence. Players will be given &quot;missions&quot; to find the many artifacts in the collection via their smartphones, and they'll prove that they found them by scanning a QR code. At that point, they'll be assigned the writing part of the quest. They'll then submit their work to the game's Web site. The idea is that when all the quests have been completed and unlocked, the general public will be able to play them online and create a personalized &quot;book&quot; of answers. That access will begin on May 21.But in order to be one of the 500 chosen for the in-person running of &quot;Find the Future,&quot; would-be players need to go online starting today and complete an initial quest. A team of judges will pick the best entries. All players must be 18 years or older. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[FCC approves Kyocera Echo, BlackBerry PlayBook]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fcc-approves-kyocera-echo-blackberry-playbook</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fcc-approves-kyocera-echo-blackberry-playbook</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Cliettifift</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fcc-approves-kyocera-echo-blackberry-playbook</guid>
<description><![CDATA[LG Revolution(Credit:Nicole Lee/CNET)Just like it did last week the Federal Communications Commission gave the nod to a lot of new cell phones andtablets this week. Among the highlights were Sprint's quirky new Kyocera Echo, the LG Revolution and the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook.Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past week on new and upcoming cell phones. Click through to read the full report.HTC Desire Huawei G7205Huawei U3220Kyocera EchoLG RevolutionLG VS760Motorola WX345Nokia C7Pantech P6010RIM BlackBerry PlayBookSamsung Galaxy S IISamsung GT-5660Samsung GT-BT7510Samsung GT-E3213KSamsung SGH-i7078Samsung SGH-T839<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Faster JavaScript gets Google Chrome 10 spotlight]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=faster-javascript-gets-google-chrome-10-spotlight</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=faster-javascript-gets-google-chrome-10-spotlight</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:10:12 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cobocumi</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=faster-javascript-gets-google-chrome-10-spotlight</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google released Chrome 10 today, endowing its browser with faster JavaScript, password synchronization, a revamped preferences system--but no new Chrome logo. Chrome is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.Google announced Chrome 10's stable release on its blog but refrained from mentioning its product number. That's in line with the company's effort to focus on features rather than version numbers, which it calls mere milestones. Google tries to get new versions into users' hands as rapidly as possible and currently passes a new milestone about once every six weeks.JavaScript is the programming language used to write Web-based programs, and it's steadily gaining in importance. That's because programmers are now using it to write full-featured Web applications such as Gmail and Google Docs, not just Web pages, and faster JavaScript enables more features and a faster interface.Chrome 10 comes with the &quot;Crankshaft&quot; version of the V8 browser engine that Google pegs as 66 percent faster than the unnamed version in Chrome 9 as measured with Google's V8 Benchmark suite. That's a major speed boost, but be aware there are many other attributes of browser performance, and one of the biggest--hardware acceleration--will hit prime time with the imminent release of Mozilla'sFirefox 4 and Microsoft's IE9.Chrome 10 gets some hardware acceleration, though, when it comes to playing videos, said Chrome team member Jason Kersey in a blog post.Browsers usually get new features, but, unusually, Chrome had oneremoved: H.264 video is gone. Google said Chrome 10 would support Google's own VP8 video encoding, which it offers royalty-free in an attempt to unencumber Web video from patent licensing barriers that come with the widely used H.264. For those who are attached to the codec, Microsoft offers an H.264 Chrome plug-in forWindows 7 users.Chrome already had Adobe's Flash Player built in, but Chrome 10 also puts Flash in a protective sandbox to confine security problems to a walled-off area of memory. Also in the security department are 23 security fixes discovered through Google's Chrome bounty program and ranging in severity from low to high.One seemingly minor but actually pretty useful change in Chrome 10 is a revamped configuration system. Instead of a pop-up dialog box that must be dealt with then closed, the new settings show in a browser tab.The first advantage of the approach is that there's more room to show what's going on. The second is that you can leave the settings open while using other tabs--for example while reading Web sites that are offering advice on what to do. A third is that you can save specific Web addresses for a configuration setting, which Google believes could make remote tech support easier because you can simply e-mail somebody a URL rather than tell them how to drill down through a number of settings. Finally, a feature that comes along for the ride is that the configuration page comes with a search box to locate particular features directly.Update 10:40 a.m. PT: Added information about Chrome 10 supporting VP8 video encoding and putting Flash in a protective sandbox.Updated 1:53 p.m. PT: Added information about Chrome 10's hardware acceleration for video and security fixes and about Microsoft's H.264 plug-in.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Laptops play catch up to the iPad, Xoom]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=laptops-play-catch-up-to-the-ipad-xoom</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=laptops-play-catch-up-to-the-ipad-xoom</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 05 Mar 2011 08:10:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bernardvvb</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=laptops-play-catch-up-to-the-ipad-xoom</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Market researcher Gartner released a research note Thursday claiming that laptops are not meeting the demands of the social-networking era. So, will mobile PCs become more like the Xoom and theiPad, which are, in turn, larger versions of the smartphone In a word, yes. This theory--or fact, depending on how you look at it--can also be restated as the post-PC era, which is the Apple marketing-spin corollary to the Gartner argument. But let's stick to Gartner's analysis about the unsuitability of laptops in the social-networking era. Here are the most significant points in the note about the average mainstream laptop: Battery life: not capable of all-day &quot;untethered computing&quot;Connections: constant and immediate connections are not possible (i.e., no standard 3G/4G)Heavy: still too heavy, lacks real mobilityWhat this means is more laptops need to be like the 11.6-inch MacBook Air: very light, very thin--just like atablet and, by extension, like a smartphone. Though small laptops aren't for everybody, it does mean more people will gravitate to this style as companies like Apple upgrade to powerful silicon like Intel's low-voltage Sandy Bridge processor (and its future Ivy Bridge chip) and upcoming power-efficient chips from Advanced Micro Devices. And don't count out a clamshell MacBook--or a variation on that theme--sporting a future Apple A6 processor or an HP laptop packing a Qualcomm chip. More future laptops will be like the 11.6-inch MacBook Air--but with 3G/4G standard and longer battery life.(Credit:Apple)In the more immediate future, this trend stipulates that Apple seriously consider built-in 3G/4G capability in the next version of the Air, as an Apple survey about 3G in a future MacBook Air seems to indicate the company is doing. As always, battery life would need improvement too. So, what about the Netbook, you might ask. That delivered on mobility but not--until recently--on long battery life, nor on standard 3G. Nor, most importantly, on adequate performance (for a laptop that would serve as someone's everyday machine). The Netbook was ahead of its time but has always been hampered by Intel's too-specific ideas about what a Netbook should and should not be. For better or worse, it's going to take a company like Apple to take the lead in redefining the high-mobility laptop. With help, of course, from companies like Hewlett-Packard and Sony--the HP Pavilion dm1z and Sony Y series, respectively, are a good start.A $999 MacBook Air with 3G/4G and monthly broadband plans similar to those of the iPad That's another good start. Any takers <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Gartner prophesies Apple's Post-PC era]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gartner-prophesies-apples-post-pc-era</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gartner-prophesies-apples-post-pc-era</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>libeju8</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gartner-prophesies-apples-post-pc-era</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Steve Jobs would have you believe that the post-PC era is here. Market researcher Gartner seems to agree. Apple iPad 2(Credit:Apple)At the rollout of the iPad 2 yesterday, the Apple CEO's carefully calculated musings about the post-PC world were meant to sow just enough doubt in consumers' minds that they think twice when buying that second PC. (And he was also careful to couch this as the post-PC era, not the post-Mac era. You can have your cake and eat it too if your Apple apparently.) Maybe Gartner sees this as a self-fulfilling prophesy. Whatever the case, the market research firm made some dark prognostications today about the future of PCs. It seems thattablets will not be &quot;additive&quot;--a word that Intel likes to use--but subtractive. In short, instead of opting for that second PC and then maybe a tablet on top of that, consumers will opt for just the tablet. &quot;We expect growing consumer enthusiasm for mobile PC alternatives, such as theiPad and other media tablets, to dramatically slow home mobile PC sales, especially in mature markets,&quot; George Shiffler, research director at Gartner, said in a research note today. &quot;We once thought that mobile PC growth would continue to be sustained by consumers buying second and third mobile PCs as personal devices. However, we now believe that consumers are not only likely to forgo additional mobile PC buys but are also likely to extend the lifetimes of the mobile PCs they retain as they adopt media tablets and other mobile PC alternatives as their primary mobile device.&quot; That last sentence is powerful. A consumer will hold off on buying a new PC and allocate that money instead to a tablet or other mobile device--like a high-end smartphone. And the verdict &quot;Overall, we now expect home mobile PCs to average less than 10 percent annual growth in mature markets from 2011 through 2015.&quot; Overall, Gartner is lowering its PC unit forecast for 2011 and 2012. Worldwide PC shipments are forecast to reach 387.8 million units in 2011, a 10.5 percent increase from 2010, according to Gartner's preliminary forecast. But this is down from Gartner's previous projection of 15.9 percent growth this year. And Gartner expects worldwide PC shipments to total 440.6 million units in 2012, a 13.6 percent increase from 2011. This is also down from Gartner's previous outlook of 14.8 percent growth for 2012. There were other factors too, like China. &quot;These results reflect marked reductions in expected near-term unit growth based on expectations of weaker consumer mobile PC demand, in no small part because of the near-term weakness expected in China's mobile PC market, but also because of a general loss in consumer enthusiasm for mobile PCs,&quot; said Ranjit Atwal, another Gartner analyst. But Gartner devoted most of the note to tablets. In a section titled &quot;PCs' Limitations Are Exposed,&quot; Gartner said that &quot;not too long ago, PCs were a 'fashion accessory' in mature markets with vendors linking themselves to fashion designers and even creating PCs specifically for women. The current 'cool' device is the smartphone, and now PCs will soon have to do battle with media tablets when they are launched in large numbers in the second quarter of 2011.&quot; Mobile PCs are not keeping up with the times, according to Gartner. &quot;Mainstream mobile PCs have not shed sufficient weight, and do not offer the all-day battery life, to substantiate their promise of real mobility. These limitations have become all the more apparent with the rapid spread of social networking, which thrives on constant and immediate connections. In short, all-day untethered computing has yet to materialize, and that has exposed the 'mobile' PC as merely a transportable PC at best,&quot; according to the note. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Man uses GPS on Droid to refute speeding ticket]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=man-uses-gps-on-droid-to-refute-speeding-ticket</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=man-uses-gps-on-droid-to-refute-speeding-ticket</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:11:01 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sophia001</dc:creator>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=man-uses-gps-on-droid-to-refute-speeding-ticket</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Sometimes, all of Google's wonderfully intrusive inventions can come in useful.I am moved, you see, more than usual by a story in SkatterTech of a man who got a speeding ticket.The police accused Sahas Katta of going more than 40 mph in a 25 mph limit, according to the story, which was authored by Katta himself. Katta was a little taken aback. He said he felt sure he wasn't going quite that fast. Fortunately, his Motorola Droid cell phone enjoyed Google MyTracks, according to his account.This charming software records your GPS tracks and even lets you watch live stats--which might not be such a good idea when you're driving.Still, even though Katta had been meek with the traffic policeman in question, when he looked at his MyTracks afterward, he said he discovered something that was more akin to his own inner senses. The maximum speed recorded had only been 26 mph, according to the story.Getting a ticket is never an easy experience.(Credit:CC WoodleyWonderworks/Flickr)He decided to fight his case in traffic court in Yolo County, Calif., and was nervous giving evidence, he said. Who wouldn't be Traffic officers are always firm with their facts. But he presented his GPS data. He also, rather cleverly, took the advice of a lawyer and asked the traffic cop whether he had experienced radar gun training recently and when the gun was last calibrated.Katta said the judge didn't seem too au fait with GPS technology, but he didn't seem too impressed with the traffic cop's evidence either.So, in a victory for common technology, he decided the ticket should not be paid.Katta told SkatterTech: &quot;The officer in question was doing his job and did not do anything wrong.&quot;However, this is not the only case of its kind that seems to be entering the courts. A man in Ohio also attempted to show that his GPS records proved he had not exceeded the 65 mph speed limit, when he was accused of driving at 84 mph.In this case, however, an Ohio appeals court ruled that it didn't have enough evidence about how Verizon Wireless' GPS alerts worked in order to throw out the ticket.Could it be that California is more welcoming to technology than is Ohio<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Can Amazon push Netflix out of limelight]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=can-amazon-push-netflix-out-of-limelight</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=can-amazon-push-netflix-out-of-limelight</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:10:49 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Exarlropalier</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=can-amazon-push-netflix-out-of-limelight</guid>
<description><![CDATA[For years, Amazon appeared to be a big pushover when it came to delivering Web entertainment.Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos(Credit:CBS)During the early part of the Internet Age, Amazon shipped CDs and DVDs to customers who ordered them via the Web and CEO Jeff Bezos' company was synonymous with Web music and movies. Then Apple's iTunes, and Netflix, laid waste to physical discs by delivering digital downloads or streaming video and Amazon quietly drifted to the back of the pack. But today Amazon flexed some muscle of its own by announcing it would stream movies for free to people who subscribe to the e-tailer's Prime service. Amazon Prime subscribers will be able to log on to the Web from Internet-connected devices to instantly access a pool of 5,000 films and TV shows. For $79 a year, Amazon Prime subscribers receive unlimited free two-day shipping without being required to meet any minimum-purchase requirements. Plenty of commentators in the blogosphere are noting that Amazon's video service isn't a Netflix killer yet, and they're right--but this is just the merchant's first volley as it prepares to take on Netflix, Apple, and others in the growing streaming media sector. The imagination runs wild when one considers what Amazon could do if the Web store throws its considerable retailing and financial girth into marketing a streaming-video service. Consider that Amazon must pay the film studios and TV networks for the rights to offer the streaming video, but so what Amazon has loads of cash. The company reported $3.7 billion of cash and cash equivalents for the 12 months ended December 31, 2010. With a snap of their fingers, the Amazonians now offer an unbeatable subscription price. Amazon can keep ads in front of the 65 million online shoppers that visit the company's site each month. The video service could be promoted and bundled with all kinds of other product offerings. Dan Rayburn, an analyst covering Web video for consulting firm Frost and Sullivan, said Amazon could conceivably sweeten its offer by selling deeply discounted set-top boxes that enable Prime subscribers to watch streaming video on their living-room TV sets. Heck, Amazon's deep pockets might allow the company to give those boxes away. Another advantage Amazon has over Netflix is that the company has the horsepower to stream its own video to Prime members without having to pay a third party. Netflix can't say this. On the contrary, the company overseeing that chore for Netflix is Amazon's Web Services (AWS). That's right, Netflix is dependent on a rival for some of its back-end operations. But as full of potential intrigue as that sounds, it's doubtful Amazon would ever undermine AWS' reputation by torpedoing Netflix that way. Wall Street apparently believes Amazon could cause Netflix some hurt. Netflix's stock tumbled more than $13, or 5 percent, in afternoon trading. Netflix shares have risen steadily over the past year and the stock posted an all-time high last week when it topped $247. Investors should factor in that Amazon is not likely to unseat Netflix anytime in the near future. Netflix has more than 20 million subscribers, a far larger selection of films and TV shows than Amazon, and has already shown that it can outmaneuver larger players. Experts once thought Blockbuster, the brick-and-mortar video-rental chain, would smash Netflix. The opposite happened. While Blockbuster was still charging late fees and engendering a deep well of consumer bitterness, Netflix was delivering videos to customers' doors via the U.S. Postal Service--creating an entirely new delivery model--and telling users to hang on to the DVDs as long as they liked without charge.&quot;A growing market attracts competitors,&quot; said Netflix representative Steve Swasey.While Amazon has several businesses to distract management's attention, Netflix thinks exclusively about delivering movies and TV shows. The company has posted a team of dealmakers in Hollywood so they can insert the company into the studios' future plans. Netflix has deals with such content suppliers as Warner Bros. Pictures, Relativity, Starz, and Epix, and just today it added TV shows from CBS, parent company of CNET. And consumers are already streaming video from Netflix via more than 200 different kinds of Internet-connected devices, such as video-game consoles and Web-enabled TVs, which are compatible with the service. Even if Amazon did offer a Roku-like box for free, it would likely take the company a while to cut enough of the deals to make itself as widely available as Netflix. The real loser could be Hulu, the joint venture operated by Disney, NBC Universal, and News Corp. that has recently suffered from internal strife. Hulu offers some content for free but the service requires users to pay $7.99 to access a growing number of shows. In addition, Hulu's pay service also forces viewers to watch ads. Amazon's new video service is ad free.  Regardless of which company takes over, with all the price cutting and scrambling to add programming, the real winner--for the time being at least--will be consumers. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Social links get higher billing in Google]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=social-links-get-higher-billing-in-google</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=social-links-get-higher-billing-in-google</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:10:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>paulsmith385</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=social-links-get-higher-billing-in-google</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google&amp;39's Matt Cutts climbed Mount Kilimanjaro last year, and if he&amp;39's part of your social landscape, content that he has authored or shared could now rank higher in your personalized Google results.(Credit:Google)Google's putting a little more attention into social cues when it comes to returning search results. Over the course of the day Google will start rolling out new social search features that more prominently display content that connections on social networks like Twitter have shared. Google's been doing that for a while, but in the slums of the search results page: all the way at the bottom. Now those results will appear interspersed with regular search results when you're signed into Google and someone on a social network that you have connected to your Google profile shares a link, with a note under the result telling you who shared the link and where. Twitter seems to be the big winner here, but any account linked to one's Google profile can be featured in results. Those results won't be displayed to all searchers: you'll see individual results when signed into Google based off of friends and connections within the Google world (Gmail, Chat, Google Buzz) who publicly share sites through those services or externally linked services like Twitter or LinkedIn. Google's also making it possible for users to privately link accounts to their Google Profiles. It's all part of Google's ongoing and mostly fruitless attempts to make social-media connections a greater part of its search results. One of Google's biggest priorities at the moment is finding a way to stay relevant as an information source as more and more people share information in social networks, and as more and more sites try to game Google's results. This is a long-term problem, but it's a problem nonetheless that is getting a lot of attention internally. One huge issue is the closed nature of Facebook, the king of the social-media world: Google's all-seeing Web crawlers can't penetrate Facebook's services and that has caused tension between the two companies. Google is expected to roll out more social services over the coming year, having discussed plans to add social layers to existing products as opposed to trying to build a network of its own. Past attempts at that--such as Orkut and Google Buzz--haven't made an impact.Updated 11:05 a.m. PST to clarify exactly who sees the social results.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Warning: Coupons make you spend more]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=warning-coupons-make-you-spend-more</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=warning-coupons-make-you-spend-more</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:10:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>garretkrgr</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=warning-coupons-make-you-spend-more</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ I've said before, and not too long ago, that only people with poor impulse control buy things at retail prices. But I've recently come to understand that deal-seekers, people who habitually try to save money by using social-shopping sites like Groupon or coupon directories like RetailMeNot, may actually be even more valuable to the retail industry than people who buy stuff at list price. Because they spend more. Cotter Cunningham, CEO of WhaleShark Media, which runs RetailMeNot, explained to me recently why his straightforward coupon site is working well, and how the Internet is changing how pricing and consumer marketing is done.Cotter Cunningham says coupons make for bigger online orders.(Credit:Rafe Needleman/CNET) Affiliate marketing--paid links to commercial destinations--is the third-most efficient way for consumer goods and services companies to get online business, after e-mailing existing customers and doing good SEO. Coupons make for very effective and trackable affiliate links, because users have to click on them to get the deal, not just visit the site selling the product they want. And coupon sites succeed because the business of aggregating coupons is very strong: each link is a CPA, or cost-per-action link, which pays out at a much higher rate than CPC, or cost-per-click advertising links.  The goal is to become the big site with the most coupons, as getting into that position makes for a virtuous SEO cycle: the more coupons you have, the more people link to and visit the site, and the higher you rise in the search engines. RetailMeNot pursues this strategy by including even nonaffiliate coupon deals in its listings. Unlike some of the original coupon sites, where each coupon has an affiliate or CPA link attached to it, RetailMeNot encourages its users to submit coupon codes they find around the Internet. These coupons don't generate direct revenue for the site (although pages they're on do serve ads), but they do serve the incredibly important function of improving RetailMeNot's depth and thus its SEO juice and its traffic, making its paid links bigger revenue drivers.  According to Cunningham, retailers don't mind the couponification of their customers. While it's certainly true that the profit margin a coupon-using consumer generates is less than somebody paying full retail price, advertisers effectively use coupons to &quot;march you up the AOV (average order volume) food chain,&quot; he says. You know those offers to get a discount or free shipping only on orders over a certain amount They work. People spend up, and spend more, to get to the coupon threshold. RetailMeNot has both paid coupons and those discovered by its users.(Credit:Screenshot by Rafe Needleman/CNET) The current challenge for the standard coupon site business is the competitive threat posted by the social coupon sites like Groupon and LivingSocial. RetailMeNot has some of its own social initiatives on Facebook and Twitter, and the company is working on ways to add more compelling game mechanics to the site to get people to use it more. Also, Cunningham says, RetailMeNot will soon launch a partnership with a social deals site as a test project.  Cunningham sees the effect of the group deals sites already. He says consumers are getting more disciplined, and this is good for his business. Consumers are learning the value of waiting for a coupon or group deal to appear' this realization will lead to enhancements in the alerting system in RetailMeNot.  The other coming improvement on RetailMeNot is a mobile app to help users find deals on items they're right in front of at physical retail stores (see also: eBay building mobile apps to grow user base). The site has focused on electronic commerce to date, so this is a bit of a branching out.  I still maintain that retail prices are for suckers' with the growth of social deal sites, now more than ever. However, it appears that thanks to retailers' smart use of coupons and deals, it's still just as easy to get suckered into paying more than you need to.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft brings first app to the Mac App Store]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-brings-first-app-to-the-mac-app-store</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-brings-first-app-to-the-mac-app-store</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>tambralmta</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-brings-first-app-to-the-mac-app-store</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Microsoft&amp;39's first app to hit the Mac App Store(Credit:CNET)Microsoft has brought its first piece of software to Apple'sMac App Store.The digital software storefront, which launched just last month, is now home to Microsoft'sWindows Phone 7 Connector software. This is the application that lets Mac users sync up their iTunes and iPhoto libraries with Windows Phone 7 devices. It's also the way Mac users will be able to update the system software on their phones when Microsoft pushes out its first big update next month. Microsoft first offered up the software in beta in October, and continues to offer it up as a standalone download on its own site. This is Microsoft's first piece of software on the Mac App Store, and is unlikely to be the last. Microsoft currently sells digital copies of Office for Mac through direct download, but does it through its own storefront. Thus far, the company has kept mum about plans to bring Office to the new platform, short of saying the idea had been under consideration.(via Cult of Mac)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Next-gen Samsung Galaxy S II unveiled]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=next-gen-samsung-galaxy-s-ii-unveiled</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=next-gen-samsung-galaxy-s-ii-unveiled</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 13 Feb 2011 08:10:29 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sosteessyflelaassthma</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=next-gen-samsung-galaxy-s-ii-unveiled</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Samsung Galaxy S II(Credit:Bonnie Cha/CNET)BARCELONA, Spain--As promised, Samsung unveiled its next-generation Galaxy S smartphone at Mobile World Congress 2011 today. Dubbed the Samsung Galaxy S II, the handset improves on its predecessor in a number of ways. First, you've got the addition of a dual-core processor. We were originally told by the company that it was using Nvidia's Tegra 2 chipset but were later informed that it was Samsung's own chip' unfortunately, further details were not provided at the event but generally speaking you should see faster performance and graphics. It also runs the latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but unlike the Nexus S, the Galaxy S II will feature Samsung's custom TouchWiz user interface.Given the delay with updates being pushed out to the current Galaxy S portfolio, we're sure this news will make some groan. However, TouchWiz 4.0 offers added functionality, including the three new hubs--Game, Music, and Reader--so users can download more content to their smartphones. The Games hub will be powered by Gameloft, while the Music hub will be run by 7Digital. The Reader hub will come from different providers and includes access to 2.2 million books, 2,000 global and local newspapers, and 2,300 magazines. You'll still get your social-networking feeds through the Social hub (now Social Hub Premium), but you'll also be able to see your communications history, IM status, and reach your contacts via SMS, e-mail, etc., all from one place. Though there's a social and multimedia aspect to the device, Samsung has also worked to make it a more business-friendly smartphone. As a result, the Galaxy S II includes on-device encryption and support for Cisco's mobile solutions for VoIP calls, VPN, and virtual desktop.Design-wise, the Galaxy S II features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus touch screen with a WVGA 480x800-pixel resolution. Samsung's Super AMOLED screens already provided one of the richest viewing experiences on a smartphone, but the Super AMOLED Plus adds 50 percent more sub-pixels, and we certainly noticed a crisper, smoother picture, and colors popped off the screen.The general form factor is like other touch-screen smartphones we've seen, but Samsung loves claiming to have the world's thinnest or smallest products, so we weren't surprised to hear them call the Galaxy S II the &quot;world's thinnest smartphone.&quot; Having seen it in person, we can say it is incredibly thin. It measures 4.93 inches tall by 2.6 inches wide by 0.33 inch thick and weighs 4.09 ounces. Like the previous generation, the Galaxy S II has a plastic build, but Samsung added a textured back, so at least the smartphone doesn't feel as slick this time around. You can get a closer look at the device in our hands-on photo gallery below. Other notable highlights of the Galaxy S II include an 8-megapixel camera and front-facing 2-megapixel camera, 1080p HD video recording and playback, option for NFC connectivity, HSPA+ support, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Samsung says it currently has no plans for a CDMA version of the phone at this time. The Galaxy S II is expected to ship to Europe and Asia in February, but no word on U.S. availability or pricing at this time. In addition to the Galaxy S II, Samsung also introduced the Galaxy Tab 10.1, which will debut worldwide this spring. Samsung Galaxy S II hands-on (photos) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[EEG headset makes surfing brain's waves easier]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=eeg-headset-makes-surfing-brains-waves-easier</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=eeg-headset-makes-surfing-brains-waves-easier</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>straigertir</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=eeg-headset-makes-surfing-brains-waves-easier</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Don&amp;39't stare--she&amp;39's just recording her brain activity.(Credit:IMEC)A prototype wireless electroencephalogram (EEG) headset debuts this week at the Medical Device and Manufacturing conference and exhibition in Anaheim, Calif., and European developers IMEC and Holst Centre say it could lead to not just neuro-feedback but improved safety (no more sleeping behind the wheel) and entertainment (real-time video game adjustments based on the user's mood).Currently, recording the brain's electrical activity involves having subjects sit in a lab or hospital room and perform activities over 20 or so minutes with electrodes placed via gel all over their scalp.So as strange as this prototype headgear may look, the advantages are numerous: ultralow power electronics, dry electrodes, wireless real-time transmission of high-quality EEG signals to a receiver within 10 meters, and the ability to record activity in real-life scenarios.Side effects may include, but are not limited to, people staring and asking unsolicited questions, which may or may not interfere with EEG results.The EEG system is 22x35x5 millimeters, so it could be embedded in helmets, headsets, and so on. With power usage at just 3.3mW for continuous recording and transmitting of one channel (i.e., a waveform representing the difference between two adjacent electrodes) and 9.3mW for eight channels, the device can run on a small 100mAh Li-ion battery for up to four days.The European developers admit in their news release that this EEG system is still in development: &quot;Industry can get access to this technology by joining the Human++ program as research partner or by licensing agreements for further product development.&quot;In late 2009, IMEC and Holst Centre unveiled a creative ECG monitor whose heartbeat detection algorithm was embedded in a processor worn like a necklace around the user's neck. Whether an EEG system can ever be so well disguised remains to be seen, but at least this initial design is nice and shiny.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Rumor: MacBook Pro refresh set for March]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rumor-macbook-pro-refresh-set-for-march</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rumor-macbook-pro-refresh-set-for-march</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bepnozi254</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rumor-macbook-pro-refresh-set-for-march</guid>
<description><![CDATA[New editions of Apple's MacBook Pro notebooks may be hitting Best Buy next month, according to screenshots of an inventory report apparently obtained by Apple enthusiast site 9to5Mac.(Credit:Apple)The alleged inventory report shows that Best Buy has created a dummy SKU for a mobile Apple computer set for release on March 11.Based on the retailer's report, the machine will cost $1,199. Since that's the cost of the current 13-inch MacBook Pro, it may be a tipoff that prices could remain the same for the refreshed models.These latest tidbits follow reports late last month from MacRumors and other Apple enthusiast sites that supplies have been dwindling for the MacBook Pro, especially the 15-inch and 17-inch models. That typically is a sign of Apple holding back stock as a precursor to refreshing the product line.This is, of course, all speculation until Apple would make an announcement. On that note, MacRumors said recently that it had seen the same inventory reports but was dubious about them because Best Buy had &quot;guessed&quot; at a release date for new MacBook Pros last year and was off by a month. Even 9to5Mac acknowledges that Best Buy's launch dates have missed the mark in the past.Apple last updated its MacBook Pro line in April 2010, so the timing would be right for a refresh. Still, there is one obstacle that Apple and PC vendors must take into account now. That is the impact of Intel's recent disclosure of a flawed Sandy Bridge chipset. With Intel due to start pushing out a fixed version of the chipset in mid-February, Apple could be forced to stall its MacBook Pro update beyond whatever launch date it had initially planned.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google adds Priority Inbox to mobile Gmail]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-adds-priority-inbox-to-mobile-gmail</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-adds-priority-inbox-to-mobile-gmail</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>tiffanffff</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-adds-priority-inbox-to-mobile-gmail</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Google)Gmail users who rely on the Priority Inbox feature to sort their e-mail will now find the same feature available through their mobile devices.Launched in August, Priority Inbox was designed to help clear the clutter of your inbox by filtering out e-mail deemed less important. Initially available on the standard Gmail Web site and via the Gmail Android app, the feature has just made its debut on the mobile Web version of Gmail accessible through any portable device.Priority Inbox filters the e-mail from your regular inbox into one of three categories: Important and unread, Starred, and Everything. You start out by indicating which e-mails you consider important and which ones less so.Over time, the feature is supposed to learn how to best sort your messages, but of course, you can steer it back in the right direction if it guesses wrong. Your regular inbox doesn't go away, so you can always access the full load of messages to make sure you don't miss any.According to Google's blog, once you set up Priority Inbox on the standard Gmail Web site, the feature will pop up in its mobile counterpart. Specifically, Google says that Priority Inbox will work in mostmobile browsers that support HTML5, including those on devices running Android 1.5 or higher and Apple's iOS3 or higher.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Next Windows Home Server gets release candidate]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=next-windows-home-server-gets-release-candidate</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=next-windows-home-server-gets-release-candidate</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:10:32 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>lilangelab</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=next-windows-home-server-gets-release-candidate</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Whispers and tweets about Microsoft's Windows Home Server hitting the all-important Release Candidate status this week have proven to be true, with Microsoft offering up the software earlier today to users on its Connect site.The software, code-named Vail, is the second iteration of Microsoft's Home Server product, and is based on Windows Server 2008 R2. Microsoft first let users try out the software in beta form in April of last year. Along with Vail, Microsoft has put out a release candidate of Small Business Server 2011 Essentials, previously code-named Aurora.One of the biggest changes to hit both versions of the software--besides some of the back-end and feature improvements--is actually a feature removal. As first announced by the company in a blog post in November, this new version of Windows Home Server gets rid of the software's drive extender tool, which would allow users to pool together hard drives into one large block of storage. Despite several heated comment threads about it, and acknowledgment by the Home Server team that the decision had been &quot;incredibly hard,&quot; Microsoft appears to be moving forward with its plans to keep the feature out of this latest version. To make up for the feature being gone, Microsoft has included a new Move Folder Wizard that can ferry data between drives, as well as a tool to format new drives when they're added. Microsoft has previously said that the release to manufacturing build of Vail will hit sometime in the first half of this year. No word on whether this will be the last RC ahead of that offering. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Tendril app tries to Energize consumer efficiency]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tendril-app-tries-to-energize-consumer-efficiency</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tendril-app-tries-to-energize-consumer-efficiency</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:11:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Susan01</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tendril-app-tries-to-energize-consumer-efficiency</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Tendril is trying to make the smart grid smarter about people.The company announced today the release of Energize, an application that seeks to improve energy efficiency with a simple user interface and techniques borrowed from the field of behavioral science.Grounded Power has tested out its home energy application via municipal utilities in Massachusetts. (Credit:Tendril)The product combines Tendril's software for managing home energy with tools that Tendril gained from its acquisition last year of Grounded Power, a small company with experience in smoking cessation efforts and other programs that rely on social psychology. There are dozens of companies that make dashboards to give consumers a real-time display of their energy use via the Web or a dedicated device. These dashboards are meant to help consumers save energy, but experts say that successful efficiency programs depend heavily on what information is presented to consumers and how.The Energize application seeks to get consumers actively involved by setting energy efficiency goals, measuring them, and then sharing them with others. The application can be accessed from Internet-connected devices such as smartphones or dedicated displays, or presented with paper reports. Opower is another company that has successfully used behavioral psychology, data analytics, and Web-based tools to improve utility efficiency programs. The announcement from Tendril, one of the most established smart-grid companies, was made at the DistribuTech utility conference. A number of consumer-oriented smart-grid programs are aimed at reducing peak-time power use and increasing customer efficiency.Late last week, Tendril announced a deal with Whirlpool in which the latter plans to make connected, or smart, appliances that can be managed by Tendril's Connect software.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Amid unrest, Egypt goes offline (roundup)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amid-unrest-egypt-goes-offline-roundup</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amid-unrest-egypt-goes-offline-roundup</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 08:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Arvinda</dc:creator>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amid-unrest-egypt-goes-offline-roundup</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Following days of street protests demanding an end to autocratic rule by President Hosni Mubarak, a country of more than 80 million people has found itself almost entirely disconnected from the rest of the world. Here's how the story has unfolded:This still from a CBS News video shows protesters out on the streets of Cairo on the fourth day of demonstrations against the Egyptian government.(Credit:Screenshot by Jonathan Skillings/CNET)Egypt's Internet disconnect reaches 24 hoursIt was a full day ago that Egypt's network links to the rest of the world began to die, and a televised address from the country's president indicates that no end is in sight.(Posted in Privacy Inc. by Declan McCullagh)January 28, 2011 2:43 p.m. PTGetting news out of an unplugged EgyptAl Jazeera streams Egypt protests while people turn to old-fashioned landlines and faxes to get information in and out of the country.(Posted in InSecurity Complex by Elinor Mills)January 28, 2011 11:04 a.m. PTEgypt's Internet goes dark during political unrestIn a stunning turn of events for the 21st-century Internet, a nation of more than 80 million people finds itself almost entirely disconnected from the rest of the world.(Posted in Privacy Inc. by Declan McCullagh)January 28, 2011 10:50 a.m. PTInternet disruptions hit EgyptIt's unclear how widespread the service disruptions are and what is causing them.(Posted in InSecurity Complex by Elinor Mills)January 27, 2011 5:06 p.m. PTFacebook: Egypt hasn't blocked us yetThe social network says traffic from the North African country, where activist protests have led to a crackdown on access to social media, has not experienced any &quot;major changes.&quot;(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)January 26, 2011 10:56 a.m. PTThere's no such thing as 'social media revolution'Or to put it another way: If activists using Twitter go on to topple a government, the real story should be that the government got toppled, not that the revolution was tweeted.(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)January 26, 2011 4:00 a.m. PTWhy Twitter is mum on Egypt blockThe company doesn't want to comment on persistent reports that Twitter.com is inaccessible amid anti-government protests.Perhaps it's still in the dark about what's happening.(Posted in The Social by Caroline McCarthy)January 25, 2011 11:33 a.m. PT.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[Microsoft's Dynamics CRM 2011 hits the cloud]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-dynamics-crm-2011-hits-the-cloud</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-dynamics-crm-2011-hits-the-cloud</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:10:17 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sallimichegani</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-dynamics-crm-2011-hits-the-cloud</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The latest offering in Microsoft's Dynamics business, Dynamics CRM 2011 Online, is being released to customers this morning, following a four-month beta program that consisted of more than 11,500 businesses around the world.The CRM software, which is being released first as a hosted service through Microsoft, hits 40 different markets in 41 languages today, with an on-premises and partner-hosted version of the software to follow on February 28. That delay can be chalked up to extra testing on Microsoft's part to make sure it will work outside of the company's data centers.&quot;One reason we do that [has to do] with the online environment,&quot; Dynamics General Manager Brad Wilson told CNET. &quot;We run our own systems, and we have a lower amount of testing required because we are actually running the service in our data centers so we know exactly what configuration is going in,&quot; Wilson said.Even though it's the same software, the company goes through some extra steps to make sure everything works once it's in the wild. &quot;When we release it out to our customers and to our partner hosts, we do additional testing because of the wide range of configurations that a customer or a partner host might have,&quot; Wilson said.Microsoft&amp;39's Dynamics CRM 2011.(Credit:Microsoft)As part of the initial launch, Microsoft has cut the price on the service from $44 per user per month down to $33 per user per month, as well as put forth its &quot;Cloud CRM For Less&quot; program, which has the company offering cash rebates on a per-user basis for companies that switch over from competing Salesforce or Oracle CRM tools. Wilson said it was too early to share data on how many rebates Microsoft had doled out so far, but said that as part of the launch announcement this morning, the company would have endorsements from companies that had recently made the switch from competitors like Oracle.Users that are still using Microsoft's beta release should move to the final release product in order to get full support, Wilson said. &quot;Now we're in the process of converting those existing beta customers onto full production trials, and then hopefully [moving] them on to be full, paid subscribers of the system,&quot; Wilson said. The company stopped taking beta sign-ups for the online product last month. Much like Microsoft's Office 365, which is currently undergoing its own beta test leading up to a public release, Wilson painted Dynamics CRM 2011 Online's big benefit as its capability to scale up or down depending on who is using it.&quot;What's kind of cool about this right now is that this kind of price point and this type of technology lets smaller business take advantage of technology that was before only available to larger organizations,&quot; Wilson said. &quot;So to be able to offer it up as an on-demand service at a very affordable price really expands the access of the technology to smaller companies, and I think that's very exciting.&quot; <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[DOE finalizes Abengoa Solar's $1.45 billion loan guarantee]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=doe-finalizes-abengoa-solars-1-45-billion-loan-guarantee</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=doe-finalizes-abengoa-solars-1-45-billion-loan-guarantee</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 23 Dec 2010 08:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>kohlline142</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=doe-finalizes-abengoa-solars-1-45-billion-loan-guarantee</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A unit of Spanish conglomerate Abengoa has gotten the final sign-off on the U.S. Department of Energy's largest renewable-energy loan to date, a $1.45 billion loan guarantee for a 250-megawatt solar thermal power plant in Gila Bend, Ariz.The loan guarantee helps advance the nation's broad goals of building up renewable energy resources and lessening its dependence on fossil fuels.This year, regulators have approved several large-scale renewable energy plants in the Southwest, but many of them haven't yet lined up financing.An Abengoa Solartower in Europe.(Credit:Abengoa)With the loan guarantee, which was announced on a preliminary basis in July, Abengoa Solar will be able to start construction on its Gila Bend plant, which at 250 megawatts will be big enough to power at least 75,000 homes.The size of Abengoa's DOE loan guarantee tops one awarded to BrightSource Energy, which has a conditional loan guarantee for $1.37 billion to support its 370-megawatt Ivanpah plant in California.Abengoa's Solana plant will use parabolic trough technology, meaning arrays of mirrors will collect energy from the sun and use it to heat fluid. The fluid will power steam generators that produce electricity. The plant will store electricity using a molten-salt technology.The project should generate some 1,600 to 1,700 construction jobs, and about 80 operational jobs upon completion. Pinnacle West Capital's Arizona Public Service utility unit will purchase Solana's output.Abengoa also has a 250-megawatt parabolic-trough plant under development in California's Mojave Desert.Story Copyright (c) 2010 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Yahoo said to be rolling out layoffs]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=yahoo-said-to-be-rolling-out-layoffs</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=yahoo-said-to-be-rolling-out-layoffs</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>gaylordsty</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=yahoo-said-to-be-rolling-out-layoffs</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Multiple media outlets reported earlier this month that Yahoo was on the verge of major layoffs, perhaps as high as 20 percent (but more likely 10 percent) of the struggling technology company. On Tuesday, TechCrunch reported that tipsters were contacting them to say the layoffs had begun. The company's Yahoo Groups and Flickr divisions were named specifically.Yahoo's official statement doesn't say much: &quot;Yahoo is always evaluating expenses to align with the company's financial goals. Beyond that, we don't comment on rumors or speculation.&quot;If true, the layoffs are yet another blow to morale at Yahoo as it continues to attempt a turnaround under the leadership of CEO Carol Bartz. There has already been one round of layoffs in Bartz's tenure, and prior to her arrival early last year there had been multiple layoffs since early 2008.In a talk last month, Bartz described the Yahoo turnaround process as &quot;traveling up (Highway) 101 at 100 miles an hour, changing the tires.&quot;To add insult to injury, many of the valley's other giants are soaring: Google, the company that dethroned Yahoo as king of search a decade ago, is said to be facing tough competition over engineering talent. But things are still sunny enough over there that the company was able to address this &quot;crisis&quot; with a 10 percent raise for all employees.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Survey: Smartphones altering holiday-shop habits]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=survey-smartphones-altering-holiday-shop-habits</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=survey-smartphones-altering-holiday-shop-habits</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:10:27 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sandrabui</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=survey-smartphones-altering-holiday-shop-habits</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Mobile devices will have a big impact on buying behavior this holiday-shopping season, according to a new study from market researcher IDC.An IDC survey of more than 1,000 American consumers in September shows that mobile devices are expected to give consumers &quot;greater advantage as they engage retailers.&quot;Over one-third of respondents said that they plan to use their smartphones to improve their shopping experience during the holidays. They plan to &quot;search for price and product information&quot; in stores, as well as search for &quot;merchandise availability.&quot; About 45 percent of respondents said that plan to compare pricing of certain products in other stores in the area, while 32 percent said they will browse reviews from their mobile devices.IDC predicts that people who use their mobile phones to help in their shopping experience will account for $127 billion of the expected $447 billion to be generated this holiday-shopping season. However, it is worth noting that the revenue figure does not mean that those people will be spending all of that cash through smartphones. According to IDC, they will simply use smartphones while making their buying decision.The impact of such behaviors could be drastic for brick-and-mortar retailers. As IDC pointed, &quot;these new behaviors will exert pressures that weaken the store's immediate influence on purchase decisions 'at the shelf.'&quot; And only those retailers that have &quot;superior mobile and social media commerce strategies in place will have a decided advantage.&quot;IDC's study followed another survey performed by Yahoo that claims two-thirds of all mobile phone users will be using those devices this year while they shop. Yahoo also found that the average consumer will spend about $900 during this year's holiday-shopping season.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google to delete U.K. Street View Wi-Fi data]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-to-delete-u-k--street-view-wi-fi-data</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-to-delete-u-k--street-view-wi-fi-data</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Gugen</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-to-delete-u-k--street-view-wi-fi-data</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A Google Street View car cruises by a protest near the company&amp;39's campus in Mountain View, Calif., in August.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)Google has been given the go-ahead by the U.K. Information Commissioner's Office to delete the data it collected from unsecured Wi-Fi networks as part of its Street View operation.Over the past year, the search and advertising giant has drawn criticism from privacy campaigners and has come under investigation by national data protection authorities for the harvesting of data, which may have included passwords and login details. Street Viewcars obtained and stored information from home and other Wi-Fi networks while driving around neighborhoods taking images for Google Maps.&quot;I welcome the fact that the Wi-Fi payload data that should never have been collected in the first place can, at last, be deleted,&quot; Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said in a statement Friday.Google said it intends to erase the data as soon as possible. It told ZDNet UK that it is not subject to any outstanding legal proceedings in the U.K. over the data harvesting.Read more of &quot;Google gets OK to delete Street View Wi-Fi data&quot; at ZDNet UK.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Chrome could preload pages for 'wicked-fast' Web]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chrome-could-preload-pages-for-wicked-fast-web</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chrome-could-preload-pages-for-wicked-fast-web</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:10:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ramesh01</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chrome-could-preload-pages-for-wicked-fast-web</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google has begun work on a feature to let Chrome load pages before they're needed, the latest instance of the company's relentless focus on Web performance.The work, described briefly in the Chrome issue tracker, said the project to &quot;pre-load pages in background tabs for 'wicked fast' page loads&quot; is scheduled to arrive in the browser's code base in February. The very early stages of work has begun: support for an eventual option to enable testing the feature through Chrome's &quot;about:flags&quot; interface.With Chrome's tabbed browsing interface, multiple pages can be loaded into separate memory compartments simultaneously. A background tab, presumably, is one that's in use but hidden from the user interface. When a person clicks on a preloaded Web page, the browser could simply activate the page rather than load it.One tricky part of the technology is of course deciding which pages, or fractions of pages, to preload and when to purge unread pages from memory. Some Web pages have dozens of links, and some browser users have dozens of active tabs open.Another complication: artificial inflation of page-view statistics on the Web. Analytics tools will have to be able to distinguish between a &quot;real&quot; page view and a preload. A related analytics complication is registering when a preloaded page is activated. AppleSafari's 3D interface for showing a thumbnail array of recently used Web pages brought similar complications.Through a process called DNS prefetching, Chrome already tackles some potentially slow networking chores before Web pages are clicked. And Google has many other fast-Web projects under way, including a technology called False Start to speed encrypted Web pages, rewiring Web server communications with the SPDY protocol, support for the WebP image format as an alternative to JPEG, and switching to the libjpeg-turbo library for when JPEG images need to be drawn.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Phone-toting time traveler in Chaplin movie]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=phone-toting-time-traveler-in-chaplin-movie</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=phone-toting-time-traveler-in-chaplin-movie</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>herman01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=phone-toting-time-traveler-in-chaplin-movie</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Roll up. Roll up. You won't believe your eyes.No, I'm not launching a new Apple product (at least not yet). Instead, I would like you to scan a piece of footage for me and tell me what you see.I would like you to examine a YouTube video that has been sent to me by various readers and eminences. It has already been viewed by more than 1.6 million people. And it shows Irish film director George Clarke declaring that he has seen an old woman--or a man in drag--in the 1928 Charlie Chaplin movie &quot;The Circus.&quot; Why might this be remarkable I am sure even Chaplin himself might have donned a skirt at least at some point in his life. Ah, but this skirted individual, with a hardened Edward G. Robinson-type face, appears to be talking on a cell phone.You did hear me right. She (or he) appears to be in possession of a mobile device and chatting into it. Clarke claims to be bemused by this spectacle. He claims that he has been looking at this footage for a year. His only explanation is that this is a time traveler who has wandered back in time, no doubt choosing &quot;The Circus&quot; because of a love for Chaplin or a scientific urge to see whether AT&amp;T might have had a better signal in 1928. (The first cell phone call is widely believed to have been made by Motorola executive Martin Cooper in 1973.)Of course, she might also have been testing some new Droid phone for Verizon and been mouthing &quot;Can you hear me now&quot;I am hoping that there is someone out there with a DVD of &quot;The Circus&quot; who can confirm that this slightly infirm-looking lady is, indeed, in all copies of the movie. I am hoping, too, that not everyone will be put off by the fact that Clarke's greatest directorial feat was a movie called &quot;Battle of the Bone.&quot; This opus, which passed me by, is, well, a &quot;martial-arts zombie extravaganza&quot;--at least according to Amazon.com, it is. Some might be prejudiced against the director of this movie. Some might think that this is just a desperate man playing a cruel, humorless joke. However, I must emphasize that &quot;Battle of the Bone&quot; did win the 2008 Audience Choice award at the Freak Show Film Festival held in the extremely freaky city of Orlando, Fla.I know that Technically Incorrect's astute and unforgiving readership will immediately pounce on this riddle and solve it.I believe that the supposedly cell phone-toting woman bears a considerable resemblance to former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. Meir would have been 30 in 1928 but lived to the age of 80. However, I would not wish to suggest that I might know how or why a future--or former--Israeli Prime Minster happened to appear in a Charlie Chaplin movie. Or how she might have obtained a cell phone.I will leave that to the scientists. And the chaps at MythBusters.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Utility NRG buys into giant California solar plant]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=utility-nrg-buys-into-giant-california-solar-plant</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=utility-nrg-buys-into-giant-california-solar-plant</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:10:26 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Anjali01</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=utility-nrg-buys-into-giant-california-solar-plant</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Heliostats track and focus sunlight directly onto BrightSource&amp;39's Luz Power Tower solar boiler, which contains a steam turbine to generate electricity.(Credit:BrightSource/Eilon Paz Studio EPP)California will soon lay claim to having the world's largest commercial solar thermal energy project in the world.BrightSource Energy and NRG Energy subsidiary NRG Solar announced today that they're partnering on a 392-megawatt solar thermal project called the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System.All the other moving parts to make the plant a go also seem to be in place.NRG Solar has signed a memorandum of understanding to partner with BrightSource, and plans to invest over $300 million in Ivanpah. Ivanpah has signed power of purchase agreements with Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas &amp; Electric. The U.S. Department of Energy meanwhile has given a &quot;conditional commitment&quot; for a $1.375 billion loan guarantee. All necessary federal and state permits for the project have been granted.The Ivanpah thermal solar project actually consists of three interconnected solar thermal plants located on federally protected desert land roughly 50 miles northwest of Needles, Calif., close to the Nevada border, according to the California Energy Commission. The power plants will use BrightSource's system of heliostats concentrating light onto a central Luz Power Tower, wherein a solar boiler atop a central tower contains a steam turbine that generates electricity.The deal is part of the push on the part of the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management to approve public land for large-scale solar-energy development.The Ivanpah project when complete will double commercial solar thermal production capacity in the U.S., according to BrightSource.Of course, that's not hard to do considering the U.S. currently has little thermal solar energy capacity for the commercial market. While there are some hybrid natural gas and solar thermal plants, as well as solar thermal plants like the 50-megawatt Nevada Solar One, mega plants simply have not yet been built.In August, for example, the 250-megawatt Beacon Solar Energy plant near the Mojave Desert was approved. Arizona also has the 280-megawatt Solana Generating Station set to be operational by 2012. There are also several other solar thermal mega plants with 250-, 500-, and even 1,000-megawatt capacities in various development stages.And while the Ivanpah might be able to claim a commercial first, it's the U.S. Army that is likely to have the largest thermal solar plant in the world. It's building a 500-megawatt solar thermal plant for Fort Irwin, Calif., but construction is not set to begin until 2012.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Crave 22: Smell my moon dust (podcast)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=crave-22-smell-my-moon-dust-podcast</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=crave-22-smell-my-moon-dust-podcast</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Julia01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=crave-22-smell-my-moon-dust-podcast</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ This week on Crave, a low-tech robot makes Donald excited...or sad. No, excited. No, sad. Either way, its bulbous hand is sure to provide minutes of entertainment. Also, we chime in on a high-fashion biking helmet from Sweden and find out what the moon smells like (Eric is disappointed it's not cheese). Plus, an R2-D2 swimsuit falls flat on the sexiness scale, super shimmery batteries catch Jasmine's eye, and a Hello Kitty Smart car brings the rave full circle--as does the iPhone soap that smells like sausage. Or maybe it's the faux-nut from ThisIsWhyYou'reFat that does it. Either way, you're in for a treat (and it might be a pizza pop). Episode 22-Coffee robot hand -Bicyclists get collar airbag -Scratch 'n' sniff moon -R2-D2 swimsuit -Glitter batteries -Hello Kitty Smart car -Grilled sausage iPhone soap This is why you're fat -Pizza lollipops -Just...ew<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Local Hero: Sam Altman, Loopt]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=local-hero-sam-altman-loopt</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=local-hero-sam-altman-loopt</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>poojaagarwal91</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=local-hero-sam-altman-loopt</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Company: LooptLocation: Mountain View, Calif.Founded: 2006Founder: Sam AltmanFunding: $17 millionEmployees: 40One of the first location-based services, Loopt has been quietly leading the charge since 2006 under chief executive and founder Sam Altman. Altman may well have coined the term a4Acheck-ina4 for the ability to find friends and activities in a specific area. With four different location-based applications running on more than 100 million devices &amp;8212' everything from BlackBerrys, Android smartphones, iPhones, and iPads.  Loopt is currently one of the most popular services with more than 4 million users. We caught up with Altman to talk more about his growing suite of location-based apps and how he plans to continue to be an innovator in the space.Why did you start the companyBecause I think location is the future of technology, and because I wanted Loopt for my friends and me to use.Whata4a4s the coolest place you checked into recentlyTwice in the last two weeks I&amp;'ve checked in on the side of the highway while getting pulled over for speeding.When did you realize it was working The first time I used Loopt to randomly meet up with a friend for lunch.What&amp;'s next for the location-based industry and servicesI see the future broken up into three major themes.First, what I call X-ray vision.  Our phones are going to help us see everything going on in the world around us.  We&amp;'ll have overlays with all of the information we care about.Second, the ability to have real-world connections.  One of the coolest things about location-based services is that unlike most technology which isolates us from each other, location-based services make us get out and do stuff and meet up with people face to face.Third, it&amp;'s moving from early adopters to very mainstream.  I&amp;'m not sure how this will change services like ours, but I expect that it will.Where are you checking in nextI&amp;'m off to a friends surprise birthday party.  I&amp;'ll try to remember NOT to check in, because I&amp;'ve ruined a surprise party like that once before.VentureBeat&amp;'s Local Heroes series is sponsored by Adobe and is also available as an Adobe Acrobat X Pro portfolio. Check out the portfolio to read the entire series and get additional content.Next Story: Local Hero: Josh Williams, Gowalla Previous Story: Local Hero: Seth Priebatsch, ScvngrPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Local Heroes, location based servicesCompanies: looptPeople: Sam Altman          Tags: Local Heroes, location based servicesCompanies: looptPeople: Sam AltmanCody Barbierri is a social and digital media consultant. He works for Piehead and blogs about social media at Social Tab. (None of his posts are about clients or their competitors.) Reach him at Cody@venturebeat.com. You can also follow Cody on Twitter.VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The battle for Internet movies: Apple vs. Walmart]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-battle-for-internet-movies-apple-vs--walmart</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-battle-for-internet-movies-apple-vs--walmart</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>izhsocuxe</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-battle-for-internet-movies-apple-vs--walmart</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Apple is currently holding strong as the dominant company when it comes to selling movies online, as a new report from the research company iSuppli shows.Apple&amp;'s iTunes is so far the number one service for selling moviesa4&quot;in the U.S., it accounted for 64.5 percent of all movie purchases online in 2010a4&quot;but the company is going to have to deal with a new contender: Walmart.This is the prediction that iSuppli is making. Even though Walmart&amp;'s presence in the segment is minuscule now (it doesn&amp;'t even show on the charts yet,) the retail giant is not to be underestimated as it will become a major player if its momentum continues, according to  research director Arash Amel of iSuppli.a4AThe company already represents a critical source of revenue for the major Hollywood studios because of its massive sales of Blu-ray and DVD moviesa4&quot;and now is expanding this business into the online realma4, says Amel.The statement is not an exaggeration: Walmart generated over $3.5 billion in revenues to the studios through sales of physical movies last year.Still, the online movie business could be a hard nut to crack for the retailer. Walmart began an aggressive push into the online movie business last year after it acquired Vudu, the online movie service. Walmart introduced a $0.99 promotional pricing on downloadable movies, and the service supports a variety of devices, like Sony&amp;'s PlayStation 3, meaning it could be a go-to movie service across different platforms. Walmart&amp;'s eventual impact will be seen as it becomes more established in the arena, but it is sure to make waves.As it is now, Apple&amp;'s toughest competition comes from Microsoft, which holds the number two position with a 17.9 percent market share. (Netflix leads the online movie rental business, and a subscription-based model or rental could be what the consumers are vying for, in the end.) Sony came in third with 7.2 percent, and there are others for Apple to watch out for, such as Amazon. However, Apple was the only service with a declined market share: the service went down from a 74.4 percent market share, while Microsoft&amp;'s share grew by six points, as did Sony&amp;'s, by 1.5 points to 7.2 percent.[Photo credit: Robert Couse-Baker]Next Story: LA authorities seize more than $10M in fake iPods and iPhones Previous Story: Zooska4a4s premium dating service earning $90M annuallyPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: downloadable movies, internet video on demand, online movie businessCompanies: Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Sony, WalmartPeople: Arash Amel          Tags: downloadable movies, internet video on demand, online movie businessCompanies: Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Sony, WalmartPeople: Arash Amel 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[There Goes Everything: A Handy Guide to all the Things that are&nbsp'&''Dead&'']]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=there-goes-everything-a-handy-guide-to-all-the-things-that-arenbsp8220dead8221</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=there-goes-everything-a-handy-guide-to-all-the-things-that-arenbsp8220dead8221</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ingmarbug02</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=there-goes-everything-a-handy-guide-to-all-the-things-that-arenbsp8220dead8221</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Ia4a4m sitting on a flight back from New York, finally catching up on my TechCrunch reading after a busy few weeks. And &amp;8211' my God &amp;8211' ita4a4s like walking through a post-genocide landscape. Everywhere I look lies the bloated corpse of another service, technology or thing that a TechCrunch writer has reported &amp;''killed&amp;'' or otherwise declared &amp;''dead&amp;''.For the benefit of any other TechCrunch readers who are struggling to keep up, I thought it might be useful to write a quick post aggregating all of the things that &amp;8211' according to us &amp;8211' are now officially dead. Here goes&amp;8230'.Point and shoot camerasTalking to peoplePublishing embargoesSubject linesA magazineEmail (maybe)The MP3RSSThe phone callEmail (again)Headphone cablesUS News &amp;amp' World ReportHireHive, SellIt And RudderMy MacBook ProMG&amp;'s MacBook ProThe CDTwitter&amp;'s websiteThe mouseThe mouse againPhew. After all that, you might think there was nothing left to kill. But you&amp;'d be wrong: herea4a4s a quick summary of some of the other things wea4a4ll be declaring dead before the year is out&amp;8230'DVD playersText messagingScientific calculatorsThe US Postal ServiceChristmas cardsSpoilers on carsLawn ornamentsThe letter &amp;''u&amp;''BelgiumSprayable cheeseSkype headsetsMovies starring Bradley CooperHyphensTiVoTeenage angstThe email sign-off &amp;''XO&amp;''Those cardboard sleeves that go around hot paper cupsWristwatchesRecyclingSecond baseFree refillsThe standby button.orgThe word &amp;''stoked&amp;''Spotify&amp;8230'and probably email a couple more times.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[WITN: Ita4a4s Tuesday so it must be&nbsp'Jakarta]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=witn-itrsquos-tuesday-so-it-must-benbspjakarta</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=witn-itrsquos-tuesday-so-it-must-benbspjakarta</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>dieterwinkel</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=witn-itrsquos-tuesday-so-it-must-benbspjakarta</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Saraha4a4s  latest whistle-stop tour of emerging markets has reached Indonesia,  where shea4a4ll be covering &amp;8211' and helping with &amp;8211' a start-up competition. But  before all the excitement kicks off, she called in from Skype to explain  the differences between Singapore (her previous stop) and Jakarta.Video below.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Group holidays for mourners help them rediscover joy in life - Springwise]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=group-holidays-for-mourners-help-them-rediscover-joy-in-life---springwise</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=group-holidays-for-mourners-help-them-rediscover-joy-in-life---springwise</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Dakota02</dc:creator>
<category>Travel</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=group-holidays-for-mourners-help-them-rediscover-joy-in-life---springwise</guid>
<description><![CDATA[For people who have lost a loved one, moving beyond grief and mourning can seem impossible. In Germany, leading travel company TUI has teamed up with grief counselor Fritz Roth to offer mourners a ''journey back into life'' by stepping out of their daily routine. Starting this month, Reise Ins Leben is offering group holidays to the Mecklenburg Lake District, Portugal, Spain and Greece. The trips follow a specific daily rhythm: mornings are devoted to quiet reflection, afternoons are about venturing into life by going to a beach or a museum, and evenings are focused on life''s pleasures: enjoying a good meal or listening to music. Since everyone is going through the same process, the groups bond quickly, with members offering each other support and encouragement. While death and grieving might feel like taboo subjects at home, the holidays provide an open and positive atmosphere, as well as the time and distance needed to deal with such a key stage in life. All trips are accompanied by grief counselors trained by Roth, and the company advises participants to wait three to four months after a loved one''s death before going on a trip. It also recommends  traveling without family or friends. While similar holidays have been offered by smaller organizations, the involvement of a major brand like TUI suggests this could be a significant opportunity for entrepreneurs elsewhere.Website: www.reiseinsleben.deContact: info@reiseinsleben.deSpotted by: Andy Kurth <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The 5 Myths Of Building A Great Mobile&nbsp'Team]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-5-myths-of-building-a-great-mobilenbspteam</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-5-myths-of-building-a-great-mobilenbspteam</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Kandifhhb</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-5-myths-of-building-a-great-mobilenbspteam</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Editor&amp;'s note: As the Web goes mobile, every Web company needs to build mobile products. Author Elad Gil, director of Geo at Twitter, has a lot of experience in that area.  Way before selling his company Mixer Labs to Twitter last year, he kickstarted Google&amp;'s mobile efforts back in 2004, when Google&amp;'s mobile team &amp;''consisted of 1/4 of an engineer dedicated to maintaining an old WAP search server on the brink of collapse.&amp;''  Gil pulled Google&amp;'s first mobile team together, recruited the first engineers, started discussions with carriers, and was involved in Google&amp;'s early mobile acquisitions which set the stage for Google Mobile Maps and Android.  In this guest post, he shares what he learned. Note that Elad works at Twitter but the following piece reflects his view only and does not represent Twitter&amp;'s thoughts or strategy.In the early days of Google&amp;'s mobile team, we needed to navigate a series of misunderstandings most people have about consumer mobile app development, and how to build a great consumer mobile team and product.  Given the ridiculous growth of mobile today, many companies I know are trying to start their mobile divisions and they are making the same mistakes over and over.  Similarly, many mobile consumer startups are making a series of common mistakes.  This post draws on my experience building Google&amp;'s early mobile team to point out how to overcome the myths people still believe about making super successful mobile applications.Myth 1: You need to hire mobile experts.Reality: Hire great athletes' mobile &amp;''experts&amp;'' will be useless in 6 monthsThe natural impulse of someone doing mobile development for the first time is to assume that mobile is somehow different from other software development.  This leads to the hiring of mobile &amp;''experts&amp;'', many of whom lack solid consumer product experience.  They may have worked on handset design, SMS based services, or for a large carrier.  While mobile client development obviously differs from web development (since you can&amp;'t just push a bug fix to all devices), it is very similar to any other form of consumer client development.This means that while people with deep mobile experience may bring knowledge about a specific technology or the limitations of mobile clients, they often lack the deep consumer experience that is actually much more important for the success of your consumer app.Additionally, any specialist knowledge the expert may have had will be learned organically by your team within 6 months.  This means the value of a &amp;''mobile&amp;'' person will diminish dramatically over time.  As with all roles, I would advocate hiring great consumer generalists to fill the spot, as they will have a much larger positive impact over time.a. Dona4a4t hire &amp;''mobile engineers&amp;''The first thing people want to do is hire an &amp;''iPhone engineer&amp;'' or &amp;''Android developer&amp;''.  The best mobile engineers I have ever worked with were great generalist engineers who picked up iPhone (variant of C) or Android (Java) development.  By focusing on hiring great engineers and having them pick up the programming language and platform (including learning its limitations) you will:Expand the pool of potential people you can hire. Grow the team faster!Avoid a &amp;''specialist&amp;'' culture at your company.  In general, I think it is good to build a culture of great generalists/athletes rather then specialists for your company.  You want people who are hungry, brilliant, and adaptable, and who can move between teams and contribute to the next big thing for the company once they jumpstart your mobile efforts.Ensure the quality of your team stays high.  Your existing engineers should interview the potential mobile hires and test them on general computer science skills.For example, on the early Google mobile team we had a PhD student from Yale with no industry experience, an expert on enterprise Java from BEA, and a research scientist at Google.  These people helped form a formidable core for mobile engineering at Google.b. Dona4a4t hire &amp;''mobile&amp;'' Product Managers (PMs)Just as you should hire generalist engineers for your mobile team, you should similarly find a great consumer product manager to run it.  The worst hiring mistakes I have seen people make is to hire PMs with telecom or handset backgrounds to run their consumer products.  You need people who understand that the phone is primarily a social devicea4&quot;for example, people love to take photos and share them with their friends (see Instagr.am, PicPlz, and PicBounce)a4&quot;and that the screens are still small, so focusing on a few key features or interactions is key.Myth 2: Your mobile codebase is different from regular code.Reality:  Its just code.  You should treat it as such.  Obviously, developing for a client app that can&amp;'t be fixed via a push to AWS has its own challenges.  But the mobile codebase should be something any engineer can contribute to at any timea4&quot;even if it is just to run internal test apps to try out new features.Similarly, don&amp;'t let your team use mobile as an excuse to avoid following good software engineering practice.  A good release process can apply anywhere.Myth 3: You need carrier or handset deals to distribute a mobile product.Reality: Focus on standard consumer distribution first, not carriers or handset manufacturers.When launching a mobile consumer product, many companies make the mistake of focusing on carrier or handset partners for distribution rather then just putting it out there for users to try.a. Focusing on carriers means you will build the wrong product.When dealing with a new consumer app, carriers and handset manufacturers will have all sorts of ideas, some of which may be bad, about how you should change the product before they agree to distribute it.  This will likely ruin the consumer experience.  They may also ask you to support a wider variety of handsets than makes sense for you to build for.  Further, all the time spent negotiating with carriers will also distract you from spending your time building things that will delight users.b. People naturally spread great consumer products.Think of all the consumer apps that have widespread use and adoption from scratch (Angry Birds, Foursquare, Gowalla, Bump).  None of these launched with any traditional teleco deals.c.  If your app is a big success, carriers will come to you for deals.If your mobile app is being used (or your desktop app has wide enough distribution), carriers will approach you to add your app to their phones.  Think Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc&amp;8230', as well as, back in the day, IM clients.Don&amp;'t get me wronga4&quot;carriers and handset pre-installs can widen your distribution dramatically.  However, as a startup or new mobile effort, you should focus on direct-to-consumer distribution first. Only deal with these intensive partnerships once you have proven traction with your core app experience and want to reach out beyond the relatively large population that discovers apps via the app store and friend recommendations.Myth 4.  You must build for all platforms from Day One.Reality: Start with iPhone or Android only first.One of the big fears when building a mobile property is that only a subset of the market can be addressed via each platform (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Symbian, XHTML, SMS).  These days, the best consumer apps are launching on iPhone or Android only first.  This provides enough distribution/addressable devices to see if the app can gain traction.  Once it gets traction, other platforms can be supported.  A great example of this is Foursquare, which launched exclusively on iOS and grew from there.In part you should choose your platform based on your market and distribution approach.  iPhone or Android (as well as increasingly HTML5) are good bets  for the US, and increasingly, the rest of the world.  You should only build XHTML or SMS based apps if you are focused on the low- to mid-range of developing markets.Myth 5.  (Once the app launches) We are mobile geniuses!Reality: Stay hungry and keep questioning your mobile directions.Congratulations!  You got your mobile app out the door and it is growing 50% month over month.   There is an old saying that a rising tide floats all boats.  The rapid growth in the overall smartphone market may make your mobile efforts look brilliant due to this ongoing, massive market shift.  Make sure to challenge your team&amp;'s thinking on their mobile choices, and don&amp;'t believe the mantra that &amp;''mobile is just different&amp;''.  Focus on building an awesome consumer experience and you really will end up looking like a genius.Mobile is a huge opportunity and will be the primary way many services are accessed in the future.  Hopefully as you start a new mobile consumer startup, or build a mobile team for your existing web property, with the tips above you can avoid the mistakes people frequently make for mobile app development.Photo credit: Flickr/JD HancockCrunchBase InformationElad GilGoogleTwitterInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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