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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[A million Optimus Ones say LG made a smart bet on Android]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=a-million-optimus-ones-say-lg-made-a-smart-bet-on-android</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=a-million-optimus-ones-say-lg-made-a-smart-bet-on-android</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ledesmartQ</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=a-million-optimus-ones-say-lg-made-a-smart-bet-on-android</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As with many cellphone manufacturers trying to figure out how to make the leap into superphones, LGa4a4s bet on Google&amp;'s Android operating system is turning out to be  a wise decision. The company announced today that its budget-minded Optimus One is its fastest-selling phone ever, hitting 1 million units sold worldwide in 40 days.The  Optimus One is currently available in the US as the Optimus T on T-Mobile for $29.99 (after a mail-in rebate and two-year contract), and the Optimus S on Sprint for $49.99 (with contract). Ita4a4s heading to  Verizon soon as the a4AVortexa4.  The phone certainly isna4a4t a powerhouse &amp;8212' it has a smaller screen and  slower CPU than typical Android smartphones. But ita4a4s running the recent  Android 2.2 release, which many Android owners are still waiting for,  and reviewers have generally been very kind to the phone.Not that it needed much confirmation, but LGa4a4s success with the Optimus is a  clear sign of how Android will eventually become the dominant mobile  platform. Since ita4a4s free, manufacturers can easily implement on both  high and low-end phones, which means that it will definitely pose a  threat to Nokiaa4a4s dominance among cheap a4Adumbphones.a4While  LG is seeing success with the Optimus One, it also hasna4a4t given up on  the high-end Android market, where it has yet to make a major impact.  The company is apparently working on a super powerful Android phone that  will be the first to pack in a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, and  it can also record 1080p high-definition video, Engadget reports.The phone, which is being called the a4AStara4 internally, doesna4a4t look  like much design-wise. But ita4a4s clearly worth paying attention to, if  only because LG managed to deliver high-end specs like this in a phone  before the likes of HTC or Motorola.Next Story: Can Coda steal sales from the backlogged Nissan Leaf Previous Story: Layar lands another $14M to turn augmented reality into a discovery toolPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Android, dumbphones, Optimus One, smartphones, TegraCompanies: Google, Lg, Nvidia          Tags: Android, dumbphones, Optimus One, smartphones, TegraCompanies: Google, Lg, NvidiaDevindra Hardawar is VentureBeat's lead mobile writer and East Coast correspondent. He studied philosophy at Amherst College, worked in IT support for several years, and has been writing about technology since 2004. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can reach him at devindra@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @Devindra.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[Fancy &''iOne&'' camera chips will enable Android photo-sharing devices]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fancy-8220ione8221-camera-chips-will-enable-android-photo-sharing-devices</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fancy-8220ione8221-camera-chips-will-enable-android-photo-sharing-devices</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rejubug2</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fancy-8220ione8221-camera-chips-will-enable-android-photo-sharing-devices</guid>
<description><![CDATA[You probably haven&amp;'t heard of Ambarella. But the quality of your hybrid digital camera and video camcorder is far better than it used to be because of the company&amp;'s chips.Today, the company is announcing a new generation of iOne camera chips that will become the brains of next year&amp;'s batch of cool cameras and video recorders. And thanks to the triple-core processors that Ambarella is cooking up for Android devices, those new gadgets will have the ability to wirelessly transfer videos and photos to photo-sharing sites on the internet. And by making imagery easier to share, Ambarella could make those photos and videos far more useful to people.The iOne is a system-on-a-chip (SoC), or a master chip that integrates all sorts of functions. It is aimed at being the best image processor available, able to process and record high-quality still images as well as 1080p high-resolution video. The SoC also includes other functions such as built-in 3D graphics, connections to separate wireless radio chips, and 3D TV imagery.Ambarella has been making camera chips for five generations, using the expertise of co-founder Les Kohn and Didier LeGall, both of whom where instrumental chip architects at video processing pioneer C-Cube Microsystems. (LeGall, executive vice president, is pictured, left, next to marketing chief Chris Day, right).LeGall said in an interview that the designs have advanced so far that a single chip can serve as the brains of a hybrid camera that can produce both outstanding still images and great video. It can also operate on low power and transfer data wirelessly. Usually there is some kind of trade-off between these various functions.a4AThe iOne will fundamentally change the way consumers capture, create and share visual content,&amp;'' said Fermi Wang, chief executive of Ambarella.The iOne has three ARM processor cores, including a dual-core 1-gigahertz ARM Cortex A9 processor that has the horsepower to run Android applications. A third 533-megahertz ARM 11 processor handles real-time camera tasks and allows the camera to turn on in less than second. It also has a 3D graphics core from Imagination Technologies.The chip can process still images up to 32 megapixels and can capture 5 megapixel images at a rate of 30 frames per second, or as fast as a movie. The cameras with Ambarella chips will also work great in low light and have minimal motion blur. With dual-stream encoding, the chips will be able to record HD video and upload a second stream at the same time over Wi-Fi. And the chips are also very good at image stabilization, or keeping the image steady and clear while the photographer is moving.Samples of the chips are ready now, but cameras with the chips will likely appear in the second half of 2011. Ambarella has 350 employees. Current Ambarella chips are used in devices such as the Sony Bloggie video camera and a host of others.Rivals include camera makers who create their own chips, such as Canon or Nikon, as well as other makers of image processors.Next Story: 5 ways an Internet sales tax will impact your business Previous Story: Ex-Voodoo PC chief Rahul Sood joins Microsoft to design cool stuffPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: digital cameras, iOne, video camcorderCompanies: AmbarellaPeople: Chris Day, Didier LeGall          Tags: digital cameras, iOne, video camcorderCompanies: AmbarellaPeople: Chris Day, Didier LeGallDean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Where will the location superstars check in this New Year&'s]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=where-will-the-location-superstars-check-in-this-new-yearrsquos</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=where-will-the-location-superstars-check-in-this-new-yearrsquos</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ziriaab9</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=where-will-the-location-superstars-check-in-this-new-yearrsquos</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Wondering how to tell your friends where you are for New Year&amp;'s There are a host of hot location-based startups which let you check in to a venue and broadcast your whereabouts to friends. Since I write about these services regularly, I decided to ask the founders of these companies where they&amp;'d be for New Year&amp;'s. The coolest choice of place meant that service got the honor my check-in.You may remember these guys from VentureBeata4a4slocal heroes series, where we asked them how they use their services in their daily lives and how that drives the design of their products. Consider this a timely update.Dennis Crowley, Foursquare &amp;8212' In an email, the co-founder said, &amp;''JFK Airport, Atlanta airport, Ritz Carlton Atlanta(for his buddy&amp;'s wedding), The Georgia Aquarium (cause his girlfriend really wants to go), Atlanta airport, JFK airport.&amp;''Crowley also noted that he purposely didn&amp;'t research anything else to do in Atlanta as he plans on relying on Foursquare&amp;'s &amp;''tips&amp;'' feature for suggestions.Sam Altman, Loopt &amp;8212' Altman plans on heading home to St. Louis to visit his family. Past that, he plans on meet up with friends from high school and heading out on a good old-fashioned bar crawl. Altman notes that he will definitely be checking in but has no idea exactly where yet.Seth Priebatsch, Scvngr &amp;8212' For New Years, Priebatsch plans on heading to Times Square in New York City to support his company&amp;'s partnership with American Eagle to support the Big Brothers and Sisters of America charity. American Eagle is donating $5 for every check-in/challenge done and Scvngr plans onmatching it. Hopefully people will be able to battle the snow drifts and still make it to Timesqaure.Josh Williams, Gowalla &amp;8211'Straight from Williams himself, &amp;''A few days ago, I checked in at a fireworks &amp;'superstore&amp;'somewhere in north Texas. Without elaborating too much, tomorrow night&amp;'s check in may or may not be within Austin city limits. And by the way, do you know how difficult it is to search the web for &amp;8216'Austin City Limits&amp;' What I want are legal boundaries for the use of small and colorful explosives. What I get is some PBS show that is evidently moving to a new venue in 2011.&amp;''It would appear that Williams is going to be checking in to his own fireworks show, city limits permitting.Only one otherfounder fromthe Local Heroes series, Keith Lee of Booyah, did not get back to me yet. We may just have to wait for his check in to see exactly where he isthis New Year&amp;'s. I&amp;'ll be sure to update the post when I hear from him.So, who&amp;'s the winner I&amp;'m going with Foursquare for the sole reason that aquariums are cool and Crowley will be at one. If I was giving a second place, it would go to Scvngr because it&amp;'s always good to give to charity.Next Story: The Cartographer app brings gorgeous custom and offline maps to your iPhone Previous Story: Will Trion World&amp;'s Rift online game kill World of WarCraft (interview)PrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: charity, check-in, location, location based services, location-based, New YearsCompanies: Booyah, Foursquare, Gowalla, loopt, ScvngrPeople: Dennis Crowley, Josh Williams, Keith Lee, Sam Altman, Seth Priebatsch          Tags: charity, check-in, location, location based services, location-based, New YearsCompanies: Booyah, Foursquare, Gowalla, loopt, ScvngrPeople: Dennis Crowley, Josh Williams, Keith Lee, Sam Altman, Seth PriebatschCody 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[Opinionaided declares Instagram and Foodspotting the best-loved apps of SXSW]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=opinionaided-declares-instagram-and-foodspotting-the-best-loved-apps-of-sxsw</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=opinionaided-declares-instagram-and-foodspotting-the-best-loved-apps-of-sxsw</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Nisha</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=opinionaided-declares-instagram-and-foodspotting-the-best-loved-apps-of-sxsw</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Plenty of writers have weighed in on who was the true winner at the South by Southwest Interactive conference, which wrapped up in Austin last week. Now the team behind a mobile question-and-answer app called Opinionaided is joining the debate.How did Opinionaided choose the most popular apps at SXSW It asked its users about their impressions of each service. Now, this methodology may seem a little weird to you (it does to me), because this was not a survey of SXSW attendees. Instead, the Opinionaided team looked at the apps that seemed to be getting the most buzz at the event and asked its own user base their opinion of each app. A company spokesman told me the goal was to see a4Awhich apps at SXSW resonated with app users not necessarily part of SXSWi&amp;'s demographica4.Is that actually valuable to gauge an appa4a4s success Maybe not (download numbers at the conference, and information about how many of those downloads converted to regular users, would be more useful) but hey, ita4a4s interesting. And according to the Opinionaided community, photo-sharing app Instagram and food-recommendation app Foodspotting stood head-and-shoulders above the rest, as you can see in the image above.Opinionaideda4a4s parent company Kurani Interactive has raised $1.2 million in funding from $1.2 million in seed funding from venture capitalists General Catalyst, SoftBank Capital, Draper Fisher Jurveston, and various angels.Next Story: Amazon launches Android Appstore with 3,800 apps Previous Story: Top 10 Reasons not to miss Web 2.0 Expo this yearPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: sxswCompanies: Foodspotting, Instagram, Opinionaided          Tags: sxswCompanies: Foodspotting, Instagram, OpinionaidedAnthony is a senior editor at VentureBeat, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining the site in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony on Twitter. 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[Week in review: Amazon takes down Wikileaks]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=week-in-review-amazon-takes-down-wikileaks</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=week-in-review-amazon-takes-down-wikileaks</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>kabuuto95</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=week-in-review-amazon-takes-down-wikileaks</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Here&amp;'s our review of the week&amp;'s tech business news. First, the most popular stories VentureBeat published in the last seven days:Amazon continues tight-lipped policy with WikiLeaks takedown &amp;8212' WikiLeaks, the nonprofit site that publishes leaked government documents, was booted off Amazon.coma4a4s cloud computing services on Wednesday, and initially, Amazon refused to explain why. Later, it claimed the move was not a response to political pressure.Will OnLive squash game retailers with $9.99-a-month online games &amp;8212' Online gaming service firm OnLive announced this week that it will offer an all-you-can eat $9.99-a-month subscription plan for gamers to access a library of video games.Google acquires Groupon for $2.5B &amp;8212' Rumors of a Google/Groupon deal have been swirling for weeks, and that continued Monday with a report that Google bought the daily deal company for $2.5 billion. A later report said Groupon spurned Google&amp;'s offer.Googlea4a4s Chrome OS netbook coming Dec. 7th &amp;8212' Ita4a4s been a long stretch, but Google is nearing the finish line with its Chrome OS netbook operating system.The TSA has become Goda4a4s gift to YouTube &amp;8212' The Transportation Security Administration has provider plenty of fodder from the video site ever since it introduced new body scanners and, for those who opt out, full-body pat-downs in an attempt to prevent future Underwear Bombers.And here are five more stories we think are important, thought-provoking, fun, or all of the above:Facebooka4a4s big move to Madison Avenue &amp;8212' The worlda4a4s largest social network could soon be opening up shop on Madison Avenue, the iconic address long linked to New York Citya4a4s advertising industry.Enterprise social network Yammer raises a whopping $25M to triple its team &amp;8212' Yammer, which develops and distributes an enterprise-focused social network similar to Facebook, announced Tuesday it has raised an additional $25 million in funding to help expand globally and triple its engineering team.Arianna Huffington criticizes the media worlda4a4s swinging dicks &amp;8212' Arianna Huffington, who created the massively popular news site Huffington Post, closed out the first day of Business Insidera4a4s Ignition conference by complaining, &amp;''You guys are all about who has the biggest swinging dick.&amp;''Will Translattice transform enterprise computing with truly distributed applications &amp;8212' Translattice is one of those rare companies that could turn the computing world upside down.Group-buying startup LivingSocial starts living large with $175M from Amazon &amp;8212' Googlea4a4s not the only one trying to get into the increasingly lucrative online group buying business.Previous Story: Entrepreneur Corner: Debunking recruiting myths and advertising pitfallsPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Chrome OS, netbooksCompanies: Amazon.com, Facebook, Google, Groupon, Livingsocial, OnLive, Translattice, Transportation Security Administration, WikiLeaks, YammerPeople: Arianna Huffington          Tags: Chrome OS, netbooksCompanies: Amazon.com, Facebook, Google, Groupon, Livingsocial, OnLive, Translattice, Transportation Security Administration, WikiLeaks, YammerPeople: Arianna HuffingtonAnthony is VentureBeat's assistant editor, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining VentureBeat in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony 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[Square confirms Sequoia funding at $240M valuation]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=square-confirms-sequoia-funding-at-240m-valuation</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=square-confirms-sequoia-funding-at-240m-valuation</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zainab01</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=square-confirms-sequoia-funding-at-240m-valuation</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Square, the mobile payments startup founded by Twitter creator Jack Dorsey, announced today that it has raised $27.5 million in a round led by Sequoia Capital. The Wall Street Journal reported that the funding valued the San Francisco startup at $240 million, which I confirmed with chief operating officer Keith Rabois.TechCrunch previously reported that Square was closing a round from Sequoia at a $200 million valuation.Becoming a truly mass-market company will be a4Aa big challenge,a4 Rabois acknowledged, but he pointed out that Square is already achieving impressive growth without paying for traditional advertising or other promotions. He said Square is processing millions of dollars in transactions every week, and that ita4a4s signing up 30,000 to 50,000 new merchants every month. Rabois said many of those merchants were previously cash-only, but they were attracted by Squarea4a4s ease-of-use (the card-reading device plugs into iPhones, iPads, and Android phones) and low financial risk (Square takes a small percentage of each payment, but the device is free, there are no upfront costs, and no long-term commitments) to start taking credit card payments for the first time.Beyond the extra cash and impressive valuation, the funding also creates another connection between Square and the group of original PayPal executives who are known as the PayPal Mafia. Rabois joined Square from social startup Slide (which was itself led by PayPal co-founder Max Lecvhin), and he previously held executive roles at PayPal. Now Sequoia Capital partner Roelof Botha, who was PayPala4a4s chief financial officer, is joining Squarea4a4s board of directors. (Sequoia reportedly beat out Kleiner Perkins Caufield &amp;amp' Byers and Benchmark Capital to lead the deal.)Bringing those connections to Square seems particularly important, given the company ambitious plans for upending the payments industry. (Building out the financial infrastructure has already caused the company some delays.) Rabois compared the complications involved in building a service that works with existing financial institutions and regulations to building a spaceship.Rabois acknowledged that he and Boetha are connected through PayPal, but he also said that Sequoia has a long history of investing in financial service companies. Sequoia&amp;'s partners are also a4Aproduct and design connoisseursa4, he said, which makes them a good fit for Squarea4a4s goal of making payments seem a4Amagicala4.Khosla Ventures, which led Square&amp;'s $10 million first round of financing, also invested in the new round.Next Story: Cisco security exec cheers on Android&amp;'s security flaws Previous Story: In an industry sea change, Intel to pay Nvidia $1.5B in patent license agreementPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: mobile paymentsCompanies: Khosla Ventures, Sequoia Capital, SquarePeople: Jack Dorsey, Keith Rabois, Roelof Botha          Tags: mobile paymentsCompanies: Khosla Ventures, Sequoia Capital, SquarePeople: Jack Dorsey, Keith Rabois, Roelof BothaAnthony is a senior editor at VentureBeat, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining the site in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony 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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