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<title>Haaze.com / Priya01 / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[The original flying car, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, goes on sale]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-original-flying-car-chitty-chitty-bang-bang-goes-on-sale</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-original-flying-car-chitty-chitty-bang-bang-goes-on-sale</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>lamonter2011</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-original-flying-car-chitty-chitty-bang-bang-goes-on-sale</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is completely road-worthy.(Credit:Profiles in History)The original flying, amphibiouscar, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, goes up for auction on May 15 in Los Angeles. It is expected to sell at between $1 million and $2 million.Although the dashboard looks vintage, a Ford V-6 and automatic transmission drive the car.(Credit:Profiles in History)Like a movie star, the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang going on sale didn't do its own stunts in its eponymous film. While other cars and models for the film flew and floated, this car merely drove, although the sellers point out it was built tough enough to handle dirt roads, cobblestone streets, and even a drive down a set of stairs.The car was built for the 1968 movie by Alan Mann Racing, which ran Ford's 1960s racing team in Europe. The car's engine is a Ford V-6, and the wooden passenger compartment was crafted by ship builders. Although it was also built with an automatic transmission, instruments and details were added to make it look like an original early 1900s touring car.The 1968 movie was a musical starring Dick Van Dyke, and co-written by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes. It was based on a children's story by &quot;James Bond&quot; creator Ian Fleming.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[ESRB to give download-only titles ratings, too]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=esrb-to-give-download-only-titles-ratings-too</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=esrb-to-give-download-only-titles-ratings-too</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:10:50 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>unfortes</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=esrb-to-give-download-only-titles-ratings-too</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:ESRB)We were thinking the same thing: &quot;What took so long&quot; Why the Entertainment Software Rating Board wasn't rating download-only games all along is anyone's guess, but starting today the ESRB will hand out letter ratings to titles available on storefronts likeXbox Live Arcade,Nintendo Wii Shop, DSi Shop, and thePlayStation Network Store. Up until now, part of a downloadable title's certification process did not involve getting a proper rating. Will the new guidelines delay the overall workflow Probably not, as publishers will be able to complete an online submission form that consists of multiple questions related to a game's content--a completely different process than traditional disc-based console games. The ESRB has been proactive about parental education of the ratings system for video games, and recently released an app for Android and iPhone that will pull up extended ratings information when a game's UPC code is scanned via a smartphone's camera. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: Google nixes new Street Views of Germany]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-google-nixes-new-street-views-of-germany</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-google-nixes-new-street-views-of-germany</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 10 Apr 2011 07:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>HTattoo88</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-google-nixes-new-street-views-of-germany</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google Street View cars being readied for action in Sao Paulo, Brazil.(Credit:CC Racum/Flickr)Despite a recent court victory, it appears Google's Street View is retreating from Germany's streets.In many countries around the world, Google's camera-topped vehicles roam the roadways, capturing street-level images of whatever happens to be in their vision, including staged sword battles, naked men emerging from car trunks, and even dead bodies. But Google now says it has &quot;no plans to launch new imagery on Street View in Germany,&quot; according to a Search Engine Land report.Google did not respond to repeated requests for comment, but a Google representative told the blog that the company's priorities have changed.The images that have already been published will remain online, but the company has no current plans to update or add to the collection, according to the report.The program has proved to be unpopular with many governments, especially in Europe, which view the photos as an invasion of privacy. However, a Berlin court ruled last month that it's legal for Google to take the pictures, striking down a lawsuit brought on by a German woman who sued Google over Street View and cited privacy and property rights.Google Street View launched in Germany last summer with the option for residents to have their homes blurred out, something that was decided upon after extensive negotiations with the German officials who work to enforce the country's tight privacy laws.'Unfortunate' views of Google Street View (photos) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Digital comics come to life on tablets]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=digital-comics-come-to-life-on-tablets</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=digital-comics-come-to-life-on-tablets</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>FralogyParlot</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=digital-comics-come-to-life-on-tablets</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Digital comics have been around for longer than theiPad, but they were previously confined to either the computer or a tiny smartphone screen. The iPad breathed life into this burgeoning field by providing a larger, colorful display that was still portable.How the eye follows the pageIn fact, one of the very first apps to debut on day one of the iPad's release in 2010 was Comixology, an app that allows you to purchase, store, and read comics right on the iPad.  Comixology'siPhone app debuted in late 2009, but it wasn't until the iPad version that the digital comic potential was realized. Comixology boasted a reading experience that's almost cinematic, supposedly mimicking how the eye follows the printed page with a mode called &quot;guided view.&quot; In guided view, you read panel by panel, instead of page by page. David Steinberger, Comixology's CEO, claims that around 50 percent of its users use guided view instead of full-page mode.Content deals soon followed, as Comixology started offering titles by Marvel and DC, the two biggest names in comics. Indeed, Comixology helped the two publishers come up with their own dedicated apps in the iTunes App Store. It has also created title-specific apps like the Scott Pilgrim app that only carries Scott Pilgrim books.  The reason is simple: Specific apps get higher level search-ability in the iTunes App Store. This proved especially useful when the movie of the same name debuted and people wanted to read the books that inspired the film. Audience diversity and growthOne of the more interesting results of digital comics ontablets and smartphones is that they typically draw in more casual consumers who are newer to comics. Steinberger said, for example, that the digital audience tends to favor pop culture hits more than traditional comic book fare. When the zombie-centric Walking Dead series debuted on AMC, digital sales of the comics on Comixology went up dramatically. This might be because casual consumers either don't know about their local comic book store or just don't want to go there. Comixology on the iPad(Credit:Screenshot by Nicole Lee/CNET) &quot;The [traditional] distribution of comics is lame,&quot; Steinberger said. &quot;They're not on newsstands anymore, they're not in the corner stores. They're only available to direct-market retailers and there's less distribution than it used to be. There's great opportunity here to gain a larger market [of comic readers].&quot; He pointed out that the app actually includes a retailer finder. While it might seem odd that Comixology is promoting its brick-and-mortar rivals, Steinberger sees them more as allies. &quot;Everyone expects us to be a disrupter to steal market share,&quot; he said. &quot;We feel that the way the market is shaped in the first place, there's an incredible chance here to enlarge the market. We feel that getting more people to discover comics at all is great for everyone.&quot;  Publishers and pricingPerhaps the most compelling reason to buy digital over print is that you get practically infinite shelf space and inventory. Back catalogs are easier to access without having to go through the disappointment of missing one or two titles in a vast collection.  But to please the true comics fan, Comixology and competitors like Graphic.ly need to deliver new comics on the same day as the print version arrives in stores--this is called day-and-date delivery, and it usually happens on Wednesdays. Some publishers already do this, like Archie, and Marvel and DC do deliver a few of their titles this way. But the numbers aren't nearly where they should be, especially with popular titles and independent releases. The other issue is pricing. While most comics are 99 cents and $1.99 each, current issues can be $2.99 or the same price as the print version. Since the comics are DRM-protected, some readers might not feel the price is justified.  Steinberger admits that DRM might not be palatable, but it's a necessary evil--&quot;otherwise publishers don't do this at all.&quot; However, since Comixology offers its content not only on iOS devices, but also on the Web and on Android, Steinberger says that hopefully the seamless reading and downloading experience will make the DRM less heinous. One way for publishers to lower the price is to go it alone without a third-party distributor. For example, Viz Media and Dark Horse have developed their own apps that you can download on the iTunes App Store. Their books are typically cheaper than their print counterparts--some Viz books are half the price, while Dark Horse charges around $1.49 per issue.  Dark Horse goes a step further to cut costs by trying to avoid Apple's e-commerce system, redirecting users to the mobile Safari app to purchase comics, much like Amazon's Kindle application. Graphic.ly&amp;39's Android app is currently the only app to support Marvel comics on Android.(Credit:Screenshot by Nicole Lee/CNET)Expanding marketEven though Comixology was there first, it's no longer the only player in the game. Graphic.ly is an up-and-coming competitor in the space--the company has apps for the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Even though Graphic.ly's library of titles is not as large, it has worked out a deal where it's the only Android app to deliver Marvel comics--Comixology's Android app blocks Marvel content, at least for now. Graphic.ly also has a social component to its app that lets you clip a panel and share it on Facebook, leave a review on individual issues, and read your friends' reviews. While Comixology is iOS-centric, it has recently been very bullish on Android, and is working out a better in-app purchasing experience with Google. But Steinberger admits that it all started with Apple. &quot;Without Apple, this market would not have happened,&quot; he said. &quot;They created a sense for consumers that they should buy digital content on their devices. They make devices for image-rich content.&quot; Digital futureWhen asked about the future of digital comics, Steinberger said the first step is for publishers to get comfortable with day-and-date releases of digital copies. The risk is understandable--both retailers and publishers are afraid that sales would go down as a result. &quot;But we're getting a lot of data that as we're selling a lot of Walking Dead books, hard-copy sales of Walking Dead keep going up too,&quot; he said. &quot;We're expanding the market, we're not destroying the retailer. We're helping them. It's beneficial for everyone to have all content available everywhere as soon as it can.&quot;  In fact, Comixology recently announced a digital affiliate storefront for retailers so retailers can start selling comics online too. Steinberger claims that it's actually connected to the retailer revenue-wise, and it is in Comixology's interest for the retailer to do well. Comixology also developed a publisher portal for self-publishers and independent creators. You can sign up, submit your books, set up the guided-view system, and use its own in-house software to create the digital comic. The book will then go on sale in the Comixology store. Obviously Comixology will take a percentage of sales and there might be an entrance fee, but it might be the easiest way to get your self-published book distributed. &quot;There's room for growth in the market,&quot; Steinberger said. &quot;We still love print. We have walls of trade paperbacks and hardcovers in the office. &quot;But digital is for people who haven't read comics in 20 years because of too much bulk, or the people who travel who don't want to carry around books,&quot; he continued. &quot;We've heard stories of comic fans who threw away their collections years ago to clear up space in the garage or the basement, and are now back because of us.&quot; If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, there will be a panel about digital comics at WonderCon at Moscone South this Friday, April 1, at 7 p.m. PT. in room 220. Panelists will include David Steinberger, who was interviewed for this article, as well as Micah Baldwin, CEO of Graphic.ly, and Michael Murphey, CEO of iVerse, another distributor of digital comics. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google denies working on facial-recognition app (update)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-denies-working-on-facial-recognition-app-update</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-denies-working-on-facial-recognition-app-update</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Elina</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-denies-working-on-facial-recognition-app-update</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google&amp;39's Goggles app can identify objects.(Credit:Josh Lowensohn/CNET)Update at 12:30 p.m. PT: Google claims CNN's story to be speculative. A company representative said &quot;we are in fact not working on developing an app with these capabilities.&quot; Update at 4:30 p.m. PT: CNN is now countering Google's claims, saying it stands by the original piece. An updated version of our story follows.Google says it's not working on an application that would allow users to identify others by snapping a picture of their face with a cell phone camera, despite a high-profile report that one is on the way.A report posted by CNN earlier today claimed the company is at work on such an application, but faces privacy hurdles in readying it for market. The story contained an interview with Google's engineering director for image recognition development, Harmut Neven. In a statement earlier this afternoon a representative for Google said, &quot;we are in fact not working on developing an app with these capabilities,&quot; and referred to the piece as speculative. Now CNN is fighting Google on the issue, claiming that the company's claims &quot;do not fit the facts of the situation.&quot;&quot;This interview was prearranged--on the record--and staffed by a Google PR rep, who raised no objections at the time and did not deny what the engineer said,&quot; a CNN representative told CNET. &quot;Additionally, we have an audio recording of the interview, as does Google. We stand firmly behind Mark's reporting.&quot;A Google representative declined to comment on CNN's statement.Privacy remains a touchy subject for Google. Earlier this week Google entered a settlement agreement with the Federal Trade Commission over last year's launch of its Buzz service, which has led to the company agreeing to establish a &quot;comprehensive privacy program.&quot; In terms of imaging, Google had also gotten in hot water with privacy groups when it rolled out its Street View technology, which provided raw photos with faces and license plates, two details that were later removed. As for the validity of this idea, Google already provides an image-recognition tool called Goggles, which is available both on the company's Android mobile OS, as well as on Apple's iOS. It can grab text, and identify products, landmarks, works of art, book covers, bar codes, all of which can be searched for on Google. The company has also tied the feature to its translation service to let users read captured text that's in a foreign language.Google has also long been involved with facial-recognition efforts, building the technology into both the software and Web-based versions of its Picasa photo platform. When toggled by users, it can go through a library of photos and identify people who show up in multiple photos. On the Web version of the software, this is handled entirely through Google's servers.Whether it's coming soon or not at all, who wants an app like this<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Bing adds tweets to its news page]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bing-adds-tweets-to-its-news-page</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bing-adds-tweets-to-its-news-page</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Crissy6d6</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bing-adds-tweets-to-its-news-page</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Microsoft's Bing just added Twitter feeds to its news pages, giving readers the ability to quickly scan the latest buzz about the biggest events.When Web surfers search Bing News for a story, tweets now show up in a scrolling column on the right side of the page under the heading &quot;Public updates.&quot; So news links today about Elizabeth Taylor's funeral were accompanied by brief tributes from fans as well as promotions from publications linking to articles about the actress.Bing News Twitter feed, circled(Credit:Screenshot by CNET)The idea behind the new Twitter feed is to give readers yet another source of information. &quot;As we've seen with the tragedy in Japan or political turmoil in the Middle East, real people are relaying timely and compelling items not captured by traditional outlets,&quot; Betsy Aoki, a Bing senior program manager, writes on the Bing blog.The Twitter feed adds a bit of clutter to a page that also includes related video to the news topic as well as links to people in the news related to the search. But it also differentiates Bing News from its much larger rival, Google News.Microsoft also expanded its &quot;Liked Results&quot; feature, highlighting links that Facebook friends have &quot;liked&quot; directly in Bing's search results. Users have to be signed into both Facebook and Bing for the feature to work.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Netflix outage lasted at least two hours]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=netflix-outage-lasted-at-least-two-hours</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=netflix-outage-lasted-at-least-two-hours</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 22 Mar 2011 07:11:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>managally</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=netflix-outage-lasted-at-least-two-hours</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The note that greeted visitors to Netflix.com tonight. (Credit:Screen shot by Steven Musil/CNET)Netflix suffered an outage for at least two hours tonight that left millions of subscribers without access to their queue or the ability to stream movies. In the early evening, visitors to Netflix were greeted by a posting that notified them the site was temporarily unavailable. Netflix spokesman Steven Swasey told CNET the company's technicians were busy trying to get the site operating again, but he did not know the nature of the problem.Those trying to access Netflix from aniPad app received an error message that read, &quot;The requested URL /WiHome was not found on this server.&quot;Online retail is more than a decade old, but site outages are still a nuisance. The stakes, however, have gone up for Netflix. The company is now an entertainment cornerstone in millions of homes. Last year, Netflix grew more than 60 percent and now has more than 20 million subscribers. During the outage, scores of subscribers turned to Twitter to complain, ask questions, or make fun of all the ruckus. &quot;Netflix is down Save us all,&quot; read one Twitter post. One of the side shows was watching to see if all the Twitter action would be enough to get the problem into the social network's Trending Topics, the spot the service reserves for the topics attracting the most attention. It hadn't made it as of 5:40 p.m. PT. Don't look for Netflix to provide details about what caused the outage. Typically, managers there are pretty tight-lipped about glitches. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[T-Mobile G2X blazes with dual core and 4G]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=t-mobile-g2x-blazes-with-dual-core-and-4g</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=t-mobile-g2x-blazes-with-dual-core-and-4g</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Mar 2011 07:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>kabana</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=t-mobile-g2x-blazes-with-dual-core-and-4g</guid>
<description><![CDATA[T-Mobile G2X has the Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core processor plus compatibility with T-Mobile&amp;39's 4G network. (Credit:LG)LG has just announced the T-Mobile G2X, which is the much-awaited U.S. version of the LG Optimus 2X. It appears that T-Mobile and LG are going after a G prefix naming convention with their higher-end devices, the first being the T-Mobile G-Slatetablet. Like the Optimus 2X, the T-Mobile G2X has very impressive features. It has the coveted 1.0 GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, a beautiful 4-inch WVGA display, 8GB of internal memory plus the option of up to 32GB with microSD, HDMI mirroring, DLNA support, an accelerometer, a gyro sensor, 1080p MPEG-4/H.264 playback and recording, an 8-megapixel camera on the back, plus a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front. T-Mobile customers will also be glad to know that the G2X handles T-Mobile's flavor of 4G with support for HSPA+ that has theoretical download speeds of up to 14.4 Mbps. We should note that the G2X ships with Android 2.2 FroYo and not 2.3 Gingerbread, but LG has mentioned it should be upgradable to 2.3 in the future. We don't yet know the price or availability, either, but rest assured that it should be out before the year is over. We'll try to get a closer hands-on impression as soon as we can, but here are a few press photos to tide you over in the meantime. T-Mobile G2X is announced (photos) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[GE invests in storage unit innovation]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-invests-in-storage-unit-innovation</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-invests-in-storage-unit-innovation</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:12:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>overscribbling</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-invests-in-storage-unit-innovation</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Basic overview of how the SustainX system uses hydraulics to create, store, and release compressed air for making electricity.(Credit:SustainX)SustainX announced today it's received $14.4 million in funding from GE subsidiary GE Energy Financial Services, Cadent Energy Partners, Polaris Ventures, and Rockport Capital.The New Hampshire-based company is a start-up that grew out of the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College in 2007, and has been developing a compressed-air energy storage unit intended for integration with smart grids. Simply put, its innovative storage unit uses compressed air to store, then generate electricity. But unlike other compressed-air storage units, which use a compressor to store air underground, SustainX stores the air in a standard tank located above ground and uses a hydraulic piston system and hydraulic motor.Electricity initially runs the hydraulic piston system to create and store high-pressure air in the tanks. Then, when electricity is needed, that high-pressure air is channeled to drive a hydraulic motor that powers an electric generator. The system uses isothermal compression and expansion to keep the air at a consistent temperature to maximize efficiency.&quot;SustainX technology keeps air at a nearly constant temperature during compression and expansion' this significantly improves efficiency and reduces the cost of compressed-air energy storage below that of other above-ground energy storage options,&quot; the company said in a statement.GE wind turbines at an offshore wind farm.(Credit:GE)The grid storage unit is intended for use in place of today's current &quot;peaker plants,&quot; or auxiliary go-to plants for when electric grids reach peak demand and need an extra source of electricity to draw from.The investment is part of GE's Ecomagination program in which the company said it plans to invest $10 billion in green-focused research and development between 2010 and 2015. SustainX's compressed-air grid storage system falls under the Ecomagination &quot;Powering the Grid&quot; program.SustainX had previously been developing the tech with about $5.4 million it had garnered from a combination of public grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as previous private funding from Cadent Energy Partners, Polaris Ventures, and Rockport Capital. With the new round of funding available, the company says it will soon be showcasing a more scalable prototype that it's developing with AES Energy Storage. That prototype will be capable of storing and dispensing enough energy to power the equivalent of 1,000 U.S. homes.GE's interest in a system like the one SustainX is attempting to develop makes sense given GE's huge wind turbine manufacturing business expanding in Europe and winning over wind farms in the U.S. Because of their intermittent nature, wind and solar are less reliable than other energy sources. Energy storage units, like the one being developed by SustainX, would change that because they would allow wind and solar energy excesses to be easily and cheaply stored and retrieved as needed, making their variable natures less problematic.<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[Facebook tests souped-up privacy policy]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-tests-souped-up-privacy-policy</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-tests-souped-up-privacy-policy</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 26 Feb 2011 08:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Redepenning</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-tests-souped-up-privacy-policy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Facebook announced this week that it's seeking user comment on a proposed redesign of its privacy policy that's meant to make the policy easier to understand while bringing the world of legalese-smothered documents into the widget-filled realm of the 21st century.In a post to Facebook's site governance section, the company's privacy team offers a look at its &quot;first attempt&quot; to re-organize, rewrite, and add interactivity to the current policy, which is essentially your standard mass of small black text.Among other potentially interesting re-imaginings, the proposed redesign features an interactive tool intended to demonstrate how profile data is put to use in serving advertisements (click &quot;Personalized ads&quot; and scroll down to &quot;Try this tool&quot;). The tool puts Facebook members into the shoes of someone creating and targeting an ad. It's not clear if users would deem it an educational aid or a nuisance in practice, but that seems to be part of why the potential redesign is being put to public scrutiny in this way.The privacy team says the rough redesign is &quot;outside of even our regular process of notice and comment,&quot; and it continues:&quot;Because we're tackling a challenge that matters to so many people--and doing it in a way that is so different from what we've done before--we're giving you a look even earlier in the process. If people like what we have, we'll put it through our regular notice and comment process at a later date.&quot;Facebook&amp;39's privacy team offers up several illustrations comparing its current, old-school privacy policy with its proposed new approach. This one focuses on interactivity and other such features.(Credit:Facebook)The team also makes it clear that the effort is meant to involve the reorganization and presentation of the privacy policy, not any significant changes to its actual content. &quot;We've tried not to change the substance of the policy but, in our effort to simplify, we have added some new things that were elsewhere on the site (like our help center) and have made some other concepts clearer,&quot; it says.Facebook, of course, has been battered by high-profile complaints from privacy advocates, including a U.S. senator or two. Last year, the company, which hosts the private data of many millions of members around the globe, instituted major changes to user privacy controls in response to such concerns.Still, the company has given some indication that it could continue its &quot;shoot first, ask questions later&quot; approach to privacy-related site changes. It launched a tweak this past January that potentially made users' addresses and phone numbers available to app developers. That change was hastily reconsidered after it touched off yet another kerfuffle about the company's practices.In its post about the redesign, the privacy team speaks proudly of Facebook's &quot;unconventional, innovative spirit.&quot; True, the aforementioned tool for explaining ads could conceivably break new ground in the staid world of &quot;reading the fine print.&quot; (Heck, if you're gonna go interactive, why not get Zynga involved--&quot;MarketingVille&quot; anyone) But the truly visionary move here might just turn out to be the outreach effort itself. Making an extra effort to solicit comment before instituting a privacy-related change For Facebook, that could be the real innovation.You can check out the potential redesign, and leave a comment for the Facebook privacy team, here. And, as always, we encourage you to leave a comment for CNET readers and staff below.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[E-mail innovator pitches self-deleting e-mails]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=e-mail-innovator-pitches-self-deleting-e-mails</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=e-mail-innovator-pitches-self-deleting-e-mails</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:10:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>drug</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=e-mail-innovator-pitches-self-deleting-e-mails</guid>
<description><![CDATA[OtherInBox CEO Joshua Baer wants e-mail messages to carry with them the dates of their own deaths.(Credit:Rafe Needleman/CNET)MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--Joshua Baer, CEO of the e-mail company OtherInBox, agitated for a new addition to e-mail standards at the Inbox Love e-mail conference today. He's proposing a standard that would let e-mail messages carry with them the date of their own irrelevance. E-mails could use the the &quot;x-expires&quot; header to tell the receiving in-box that they become outdated after a certain absolute date, or a certain time relative to when they're sent or received. Baer says this idea has been &quot;bouncing around&quot; for 10 years, but he's learned, &quot;the best way to get a standard adopted is to work with individual companies first, and make it a de facto standard.&quot; That's what he's trying to do here.  This concept could help keep users' e-mail boxes cleaner and more relevant. Offers for discounts on Valentines' Day flowers could automatically vanish on February 15. Companies that blast out time-limited coupons (Groupon, LivingSocial) could serve users better by removing expired offers from in-boxes.  Other messages that become unnecessary after a period of time, such as notifications of activity in groups, shipping notices from online retailers, or system alerts (like mailbox-full alerts, one hopes), that often clutter up in-boxes could clean themselves out.  Baer hopes that the audience members at this conference, all of whom are in the e-mail business, start supporting his proposal. In the meantime, he says, his own e-mail organizing service (which I use and recommend) will start watching for and honoring expiration flags in e-mails it processes.  There's a Google group for the proposal. See also this Reporters' Roundtable with Baer: Does e-mail get the message. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Symbian is here to stay, says Nokia]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=symbian-is-here-to-stay-says-nokia</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=symbian-is-here-to-stay-says-nokia</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:10:54 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Asasssian1982</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=symbian-is-here-to-stay-says-nokia</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Nokia stalwart Symbian isn't quite making its exit yet even though the world's largest phone maker is switching to Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 as its primary smartphone platform. The Nokia E7 smartphone(Credit:Nokia) &quot;Just because we're changing our direction in terms of smartphone platform, it doesn't mean that the existing platform is completely broken,&quot; said Vlasta Berka, general manager for Nokia Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei, at the launch of the E7 smartphone in Singapore today. &quot;We still have obligations to our users, developers, business partners, and customers.&quot;  According to Nokia, there are currently 200 million Symbian users around the world. The Finnish outfit said it expects to sell about 150 million Symbian devices going forward.  &quot;Symbian is here to stay. Symbian will still be around, but it's just going to go somewhere around the corner,&quot; Berka added.  The latest E7 smartphone features a 4-inch AMOLED display, physical QWERTY keyboard, 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, 16GB of onboard memory and a suite of enterprise solutions. It retails at S$989 ($774) in Singapore.  Berka also tried to allay fears that Nokia will cease support for the Symbian platform. He said over 50 improvements, from visual to performance enhancements, will be rolled out for the rest of this year.  Last week, Nokia's Chief Executive Stephen Elop noted that the Qt development environment that is used for Symbian devices would not be usable onWindows Phone 7 applications. He said this was to ensure that differing platforms don't confuse developers or consumers.  According to Gartner, Symbian's market share dropped from 46.9 percent in 2009 to 37.6 percent in 2010.  (Source: Crave Asia)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[SoloPower lands loan guarantee for solar plant]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=solopower-lands-loan-guarantee-for-solar-plant</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=solopower-lands-loan-guarantee-for-solar-plant</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Feb 2011 08:11:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bakeruc</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=solopower-lands-loan-guarantee-for-solar-plant</guid>
<description><![CDATA[SoloPower&amp;39's solar collectors are flexible and can be adhered onto a flat roof.(Credit:SoloPower)SoloPower said yesterday that it has conditional commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy for a $197 million loan guarantee to build a factory in Oregon.The company plans to start construction of a plant in Wilsonville, Ore., in the second quarter of this year. Once operating, it will be able to turn out 400 megawatts worth of solar panels per year.The move gives San Jose, Calif.-based SoloPower the financial wherewithal to expand beyond a smaller demonstration plant in San Jose. The company has also gotten a loan and tax credits from the state of Oregon.The company makes flexible solar collectors using thin-film solar cells made from a combination of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium (CIGS). Rather than the traditional glass-covered rigid panel, it makes thin strips which are designed for quick installation on corporate rooftops.It's the third thin-film solar company to receive a DOE loan guarantee, a program designed to provide relatively low-cost financing to companies seeking to commercialize new technologies. Colorado-based Abound Solar, which makes cadmium telluride thin-film panels, received $400 million in a DOE loan as part of $510 million in financing last December.In an interview earlier this year, DOE Loan Guarantee executive director Jonathan Silver said that thin-film solar is one technology with which U.S. technology companies have an opportunity to edge out global competitors, particularly low-cost Chinese suppliers using traditional polycrystalline silicon solar cells. The loan guarantee program, which could be scaled back as part of budget cuts, has yet to deliver a clear winner in solar. The first recipient of a DOE loan was Solyndra, which also makes a specialized solar collector for corporate rooftops but, like all solar companies, faces ongoing cost competition globally.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft's ecosystem is a tough sell to Verizon]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-ecosystem-is-a-tough-sell-to-verizon</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-ecosystem-is-a-tough-sell-to-verizon</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:10:51 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>varsanyala</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-ecosystem-is-a-tough-sell-to-verizon</guid>
<description><![CDATA[BARCELONA, Spain--Verizon Communications Chief Technology Officer Tony Melone would love to see a third player in the mobile OS market, but Microsoft's Windows Phone platform may not be it.Verizon Wireless CTO Tony Melone.(Credit:Verizon Wireless)Melone said during an interview yesterday at the Mobile World Congress here, that it is important for the mobile industry to have more than two choices in major software platforms for mobile devices. But he is skeptical that Microsoft, which has seemingly had a slow start in the market with itsWindows Phone 7 software, will have a chance to be that third horse. That said, Verizon plans to offer its first Windows Phone 7 product this spring, Microsoft announced yesterday.&quot;I do want a strong third OS out there,&quot; Melone said. &quot;It gives the carriers more flexibility and balances the interests of all the parties. But I still have doubts whether Microsoft will get the traction they are hoping for with Windows Phone 7.&quot;Last week, Nokia and Microsoft announced a close strategic partnership, in which Nokia will focus new product development exclusively on Microsoft's Windows Phone platform in lieu of its own software. But Melone doesn't think the Microsoft-Nokia relationship will help Windows Phone 7 become a dominant force on Verizon's network, since Nokia is not a Verizon handset partner. Nokia got rid of its CDMA business years ago. (CDMA and EV-DO are the technologies that Verizon uses for its voice and 3G data service.) Melone said even if Nokia starts building CDMA devices again, it would be very difficult for Nokia or any new handset player to break into its product line anytime soon.&quot;If you look at our device pipeline for 2011, we have very strong relationships with LG, Samsung, Motorola, HTC, and now Apple,&quot; he said. &quot;So I think it would take a really compelling device from Nokia or any new vendor to break in. It doesn't mean that it can't happen, but it would have to be really good.&quot;In a separate interview at MWC, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop indicated that Nokia may have already begun courting Verizon as part of its new strategy. Elop wouldn't elaborate on any plans to build CDMA phones for Verizon or other carriers, but he noted that he had spoken to Verizon executives the night before the deal with Microsoft was announced last week. The bottom line, Melone said, is that Verizon has what it needs from its current partners.  &quot;I don't think Verizon needs the Nokia and Microsoft relationship,&quot; he said. &quot;Right now the three OS players we see for our network are Android, Apple, and RIM. &quot;Research In Motion, the maker of the BlackBerry, has seen growth slip the past few quarters. It dropped some worldwide market share in the smartphone market in 2010, according to IDC. In 2010, Nokia, which is still the No. 1 smartphone provider in the world, saw its annual market share fall to 33.1 percent, from 39 percent in 2009, while RIM's share dropped to 16.1 percent from almost 20 percent. Meanwhile, third-place Apple saw its market share rise to 15.7 percent from 14.5 percent.&quot;People are still buying BlackBerrys on Verizon's network,&quot; Melone said. &quot;And I do consider RIM a strong third player. I know the momentum is not in their favor right now. But they have been strong in the past and there is potential for them to rebound. So I wouldn't discount them.&quot;Melone also noted that WebOS from Palm, which is now owned by Hewlett-Packard, is a potential wild card in the OS wars.&quot;If HP decides to license WebOS that could also become a third or fourth player that is used by OEMs,&quot; he said. &quot;I'm more optimistic with WebOS developing into a strong player, just based on the strength of the OS. It has some very unique and good characteristics.&quot;Nokia's Elop acknowledged that RIM is a worthy competitor, but he said that the Nokia/Microsoft relationship offers carriers and consumers a more comprehensive offering. He said that RIM is in the same position that Nokia was in before it partnered with Microsoft. It has the hardware, but doesn't have an ecosystem built around it. &quot;They are selling a lot of phones, and there are some innovative designs,&quot; Elop said in an interview. &quot;But I really believe that this is an ecosystem game. We can offer the consumer both innovative hardware and an OS with a good user experience, and an advertising platform with location services, and the list goes on and on.&quot;Microsoft also believes it has a lot to offer carriers. &quot;Of course wireless operators want more alternatives that will [help] them to add value,&quot; CEO Steve Ballmer said yesterday during his keynote speech at MWC. &quot;And Windows Phone will be the most operator-friendly OS on the market.&quot;But Verizon and Microsoft have not had the best relationship in the past. Microsoft's Kin phone, which was introduced on Verizon's network last year and quickly removed a few months later, left a bitter taste in Verizon's mouth. And in an interview with CNET in the fall, COO Lowell McAdam did not seem thrilled to offer future Microsoft products He said that Microsoft was not at the &quot;forefront of our mind.&quot;Greg Sullivan, a senior product manager for Microsoft, said that he couldn't speak specifically to Verizon's hesitation regarding the Microsoft platform, but he said he was looking forward to changing the carrier's perception.&quot;We want to change that opinion,&quot; he said, &quot;There are things we hope to do in terms of responsiveness to get more developer support. And we want to enable mobile operators to do things that bolster their brands and create more opportunities for them.&quot;Verizon has worked closely with Google and handset makers Motorola, Samsung, and HTC to introduce products to compete against theApple iPhone, which until this month had been exclusively available for the AT&amp;T network. And the strategy was a huge success helping Verizon add millions of new smartphone customers. But it's clear that Verizon doesn't want to become too dependent on Google. &quot;We have good and deep strong relationships with Google and Apple,&quot; Melone said. &quot;But it's good to have balance in these relationships. As a carrier we want to make sure there is flexibility. We don't want to be viewed as a dumb pipe. And it's good to have choices for us and our customers.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Rock Band to rock on, Harmonix says]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rock-band-to-rock-on-harmonix-says</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rock-band-to-rock-on-harmonix-says</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:10:41 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>terben96</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rock-band-to-rock-on-harmonix-says</guid>
<description><![CDATA[With the fall of Guitar Hero, is it time for Rock Band to take an extended solo (Credit:GameSpot)It's been a rough month for the former superstars of the rhythm genre.  Rock Band label MTV Games ceased its publishing operations, which was shortly followed by the game's recently sold developer, Harmonix, laying off up to 15 percent of its staff.  The capper came Wednesday, as Activision disbanded its Guitar Hero business unit, confirming that there would be no 2011 installment in the franchise and the company will stop making new downloadable songs for the Hero franchise of games. In a posting on the official Rock Band forums yesterday, Harmonix's John Drake offered condolences for his competition and reassurance for fans worried that the developer's rhythm game series would be similarly scuttled.Read more of &quot;Rock Band to rock on, says Harmonix&quot; at GameSpot. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[INQ unveils Facebook-focused Android phones]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=inq-unveils-facebook-focused-android-phones</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=inq-unveils-facebook-focused-android-phones</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:10:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>chrissygr22</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=inq-unveils-facebook-focused-android-phones</guid>
<description><![CDATA[INQ Mobile today took the wraps off two new Android smartphones, headed first for the U.K. market, that are designed for people who depend on Facebook.The INQ Cloud Touch(Credit:INQ)The INQ Cloud Touch and INQ Cloud Q both heavily integrate the popular social network into their overall operation. Working closely with people at Facebook, INQ has outfitted the home screen with a visual feed that lets users quickly access updates, pictures, videos, and other Facebook content. The phones also provide quick links to various Facebook features, including chats, messages, wall postings, and notifications, according to London-based INQ.Facebook Places is accessible directly from the homescreen, giving people the ability to use the feature to check in at stores, restaurants, clubs, and other spots. Facebook's Events feature is also available to let people schedule events and sync them with Google Calendar. And instead of requiring users to log onto each feature separately, the phones offer a single sign-on to access all of the Facebook features available, INQ said.For entertainment, both phones provide the Spotify music player with all of its features available to subscribers.&quot;The INQ Cloud Touch and INQ Cloud Q bring Facebook to people with a single touch while they are mobile and demonstrate the power of socially aware devices,&quot; Henri Moissinac, head of mobile business for Facebook, said in a statement. &quot;INQ has built an innovative and easy to use set of features that enable people to use common Facebook interactions such as viewing photos and videos, chat, message, and check-in to their favorite businesses all from the home screen.&quot;Few specs were available on the Cloud Q, with INQ saying only that it runs Android Froyo 2.2 and offers a 2.6-inch touchscreen. But the company provided an array of details on the Cloud Touch.Like its sibling, the Touch runs Android 2.2, but ING says it's easily upgradable to Android 2.3, aka Gingerbread. Beyond Facebook Chat, the phone includes Windows Live Messenger and Google Talk for instant messaging.Hardware-wise, the Cloud Touch is powered by a Qualcomm 600MHz 7227 chipset and offers a 3.5-inch HGVA touch screen, 4MB of memory with an option to add more, and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera. Also built into the phone are Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, GPS, an FM radio, an accelerometer, and a compass.The company didn't reveal the cost of the new phones, saying only that they would sell at &quot;affordable prices for the mass market.&quot; But speculation says that as a midlevel phone geared toward teens, the Cloud Touch could sell for as low as $50 when bought with a contract.The Cloud Touch will reach consumers during the second quarter, specifically reaching users in the U.K. in April, while the Cloud Q will show up sometime in the third quarter. Both phones will sell only at Best Buy and the U.K-based Carphone Warehouse, according to INQ.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Nikon Coolpix S6100, S4100, S3100, L24 announced]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nikon-coolpix-s6100-s4100-s3100-l24-announced</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nikon-coolpix-s6100-s4100-s3100-l24-announced</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:10:30 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>limaparx232</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nikon-coolpix-s6100-s4100-s3100-l24-announced</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Coolpix S6100(Credit:Nikon)Nikon didn't do too much to change the sub-$200 end of its S-series cameras from 2010, but just enough to keep them interesting. For example, the S6100 gets more marketing-pixels megapixels, but gets a 3-inch touch-screen LCD, too. Add in the 7x optical zoom, wide-angle lens, and Nikon's Expeed C2 image processing engine, and you've got a pretty decent-sounding pocket camera for the money.The S4100 and S3100 also get megapixel bumps and slightly wider, longer lenses, but are otherwise seemingly on par with their predecessors. Lastly, Nikon refreshed its entry-level, AA-battery-powered L22 series compact by, of course, adding more megapixels. Here's hoping they improved quality control, too. Here's how the models breakdown:(Credit:Nikon)Nikon Coolpix S6100Replaces S600016 megapixels7x 28mm-equivalent wide-angle lens3-inch high-resolution (460K dot) touch screen720p HD video captureAvailable in March for $199.95Silver, black, red, and violet versions(Credit:Nikon)Nikon Coolpix S4100Replaces S400014 megapixels5x 26mm-equivalent wide-angle lens3-inch high-resolution (460K dot) touch screen720p HD video captureAvailable in late February for $179.95Plum, silver, red, and black versions(Credit:Nikon)Nikon Coolpix S3100Replaces S300014 megapixels5x 26mm-equivalent wide-angle lens2.7-inch LCDAvailable in late February for $139.95Silver, red, blue, purple, pink, yellow, and black versions(Credit:Nikon)Nikon Coolpix L24Replaces L2214 megapixels3.6x optical zoom3-inch LCDAvailable in late February for $119.95Red, silver, and black versions<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google drops $5 million on D.C. lobbying in 2010]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-drops-5-million-on-d-c--lobbying-in-2010</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-drops-5-million-on-d-c--lobbying-in-2010</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:10:57 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>elishassah</dc:creator>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-drops-5-million-on-d-c--lobbying-in-2010</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google spent more money in Washington in 2010 as it tried to make its case while fending off federal regulators. Doing business in the nation's capital requires some expenses, and this year's lobbying efforts set Google back $5.16 million, a 28 percent increase from last year's total of $4.03 million, according to the Lobbying Disclosure Act Database. Google's interests on Capitol Hill won't surprise many: the company lobbied Congress on issues such as the Internet freedom push from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, cloud computing, intellectual property, data privacy, and Google's pending acquisition of ITA Software. That last item will require some additional expenditure in 2011, as Google works to get its purchase approved before the Department of Justice decides to level a formal challenge to the deal. After a slow start, Google has ramped up its presence in D.C. over the last couple of years in response to a growing number of interests as well as increased government scrutiny.Techcrunch notes that Facebook spent $351,390 on lobbying in 2010, perhaps recognizing that it has to start representing itself before wary members of Congress. Other tech company expenditures in 2010 include Microsoft at $6.91 million, Apple at $1.61 million, AT&amp;T at $15.39 million, Verizon at $16.75 million, and Intel at $3.68 million.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Sony to mSpot: Get off of my cloud]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sony-to-mspot-get-off-of-my-cloud</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sony-to-mspot-get-off-of-my-cloud</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 23 Jan 2011 08:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>mamapapa2010</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sony-to-mspot-get-off-of-my-cloud</guid>
<description><![CDATA[One of the chief concerns that some in the music industry have about digital-locker services is that at least a couple of them allow all songs, even pirated tunes, to be stored in the cloud. Before music owners store their songs in the cloud, do they need to pay the music labels (Credit:Greg Sandoval/CNET)Thomas Hesse, digital chief for Sony Music Entertainment, said as much at the Midem conference in France on Saturday, according to Billboard. &quot;We are very uncomfortable with a model where you can just throw anything into the cloud and stream it, if what you threw into the cloud was not legitimately purchased,&quot; Hesse said during a panel session. &quot;It's not the right thing to do to launch a service under these kinds of shady legal situations. We will do everything in our power to enforce our rights in those kinds of situations.&quot;Cloud music services, such as mSpot and MP3tunes.com, enable digital music owners to store songs on their servers and access them via Web-enabled devices. Cloud music is the wave of the future, or at least that's what many predict. Apple and Google spoke to the labels last year about the possibility of building their own offerings. Nobody knows for sure if consumers will take to the cloud services. On the periphery of all the hype is a controversy over whether these services must acquire licenses from the major labels to operate legally. If the services aren't obligated to seek permission, then the labels could find themselves cut out of cloud music. Participating on the same panel with Hesse was Daren Tsui, CEO of mSpot, a locker service that launched without the labels' blessing. So, Hesse wasn't just blowing off steam. He was sending a message. (Centuries ago, men would slap each other in the face with empty gloves to signal they were ready to fight. The modern equivalent is to issue thinly veiled legal threats during a conference panel.)According to Billboard, Tsui responded to Hesse's throwing down of the gauntlet with a terse: &quot;It's not our job to police how [consumers] get their music.&quot; As for the law, it's unclear whether cloud services need the labels' permission to operate. There's not yet a legal precedent, as Billboard writer Anthony Bruno correctly pointed out. But we could have one soon. EMI, the smallest of the four largest record companies, filed a copyright lawsuit in 2007 against MP3tunes.com, the locker service launched by Michael Robertson, founder of pioneering locker service MP3.com (now owned by CBS, parent company of CNET). EMI said its suit has nothing to do with protecting cloud turf and everything to do with simple copyright violations. EMI alleges that MP3tunes.com encourages people to pirate music via a search engine owned by Robertson, Sideload.com. EMI claims that Robertson then offers his customers a place to stash their illegally obtained songs: MP3tunes.com. Robertson said that his lawsuit is part of an attempt by EMI and the other top labels to charge people to store previously purchased songs' a double dip. In response to Hesse's comments, Robertson told CNET: &quot;I'm uncomfortable with a model in which record labels demand payments forever from consumers who want to listen to their personal collections online and on any device they own. I'd also remind Mr. Hesse and others in the music business that storing music collections online is specifically allowed by the DMCA.&quot;A federal court judge in New York is supposed to decide the case between EMI and Robertson sometime this year. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Hackers target carbon emissions trading market]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hackers-target-carbon-emissions-trading-market</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hackers-target-carbon-emissions-trading-market</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:10:41 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>feofanovv</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hackers-target-carbon-emissions-trading-market</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In a digital heist reminiscent of a John le Carr&amp;233' novel, more than $9 million worth of greenhouse-gas emissions permits were stolen from the Czech Republic electricity and carbon trading registry this week and transferred to accounts in other countries, at the same time as the Prague-based registry office was evacuated due to a bomb threat. That electronic theft, the latest in a series of security breaches affecting the market for carbon emissions, led the European Commission to suspend transactions in national European Union registries on Wednesday for a week. &quot;Three attacks have taken place since the beginning of the year and other registries are known to be vulnerable to similar attacks,&quot; the European Commission said in a statement today. &quot;The Commission's best estimate is that roughly 2 million allowances, representing a total of less than 0.02 percent of allowances in circulation, have been illegally transferred out of certain accounts.&quot; The much-larger carbon futures market was not affected, the agency said. Valued at 14.48 euros each, those 2 million allowances would be worth about $39.4 million based on today's trading.  Carbon emissions allowances, or permits, are not your typical computer hacker target. Similar to other commodities that are traded on spot and futures markets, European Union Allowances permit energy companies and industrial factories to trade their pollution permits by buying and selling allowances allocated by their government. For instance, a Romanian energy company that expects to emit less carbon dioxide for a particular year can sell its extra government-issued emissions allowances to a utility in Germany that expects to emit more carbon dioxide than its government permits.  Ostensibly, the trading system should be highly secure and trades carefully accounted for to prevent fraud and theft. But lax security at some of the registries and the fact that transactions can be completed quickly on the spot market are likely what is appealing to thieves, sources told CNET.  &quot;It seems it is relatively easy to access the registries in this country and other countries,&quot; said Nikos Tornikidis, carbon portfolio manager at Blackstone Global Ventures, from whose account 475,000 allowances were stolen.  &quot;Once you get your hands on the allowances, it is quite easy to sell them and the settlement is almost instantaneous,&quot; he told CNET in an interview today. &quot;In a matter of hours you can get money out of the system. This doesn't happen when you trade other things.&quot; The bomb threat coinciding with the theft of the allowances is just &quot;too coincidental,&quot; said a trader close to the matter who asked to remain anonymous. &quot;The registries have lax security,&quot; he said. &quot;They don't have mechanisms to filter the accounts&quot; by serial number to prevent theft. Some people suspect that an insider was involved, the trader said, adding that he believes it was computer hacking instead.  The market was operating normally until around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday when Prague police received a tip of a bomb threat and the offices of the Czech registry, OTE, which stands for Electricity Market Operator, had to be evacuated, according to Reuters.  Early the next morning, employees at Blackstone Global Ventures went to check their carbon permissions account and noticed that it had been nearly emptied out. In addition, the contact information on the account had been changed, something that should only be accomplished by someone with administrator privileges at the registry, said Tornikidis.  Blackstone reported the matter immediately to the Czech Republic registry and was able to find out the unique serial numbers for the missing allowances, he said. &quot;I hope that we managed to stop the trading at a point where our allowances are with the first buyers after the hacker sold them,&quot; he added.  The Czech Republic registry said a total of 1.3 million permits were missing from six accounts and that the digital assets were transferred to accounts in Poland, Italy, Estonia, Lichtenstein, and Germany, and possibly other countries, according to Reuters.  As custodian of the carbon emissions permissions, the OTE has a fiduciary obligation to account holders and should replace any that are missing, Tornikidis said.  &quot;I don't know how it is possible in today's IT world that someone is able to hack into an account where someone's assets are and transfer them out,&quot; he said. &quot;Why can't they follow the money trail&quot;  Jiri Stastny, chief executive officer at the OTE in Prague, could not be reached for comment and other employees at the government-run registry directed all calls to him. The Czech Republic is not the only country to have security problems crop up in the relatively new carbon emissions trading market. The Austrian registry reported theft of allowances due to hackers last week and 1.6 million allowances belonging to cement maker Holcim in Romania were reported stolen from that country's registry in November. A year ago, 250,000 allowances were stolen in Germany after companies there were targeted by phishing attacks, according to reports.  The European Commission is likely to require additional security procedures at the national registries, such as passwords being sent to mobile phones or other two-factor authentication methods, according to a Bloomberg report. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CEO shake-up at Google: Page replaces Schmidt]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ceo-shake-up-at-google-page-replaces-schmidt</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ceo-shake-up-at-google-page-replaces-schmidt</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:10:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sandrabui</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ceo-shake-up-at-google-page-replaces-schmidt</guid>
<description><![CDATA[From left (Eric Schmidt, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin)(Credit:Google)Google shook up its ruling triumvirate today, announcing that CEO Eric Schmidt would be taking the role of executive chairman, while co-founder Larry Page will become CEO. Sergey Brin, who has also shared power with the two others, will work on &quot;strategic projects,&quot; Google said. Schmidt, who was hired by the co-founders to be Google's CEO in 2001, will focus on external partnerships and business deals starting on April 4, when Page will take over the day-to-day management role. Schmidt said in a blog post that Page, &quot;in my clear opinion, is ready to lead.&quot;On a conference call originally scheduled to discuss Google's fourth-quarter results, Schmidt said &quot;I'm going to get a chance to work on the things I'm most interested in,&quot; which will include talking to customers, partners, and the government regulators breathing down his company's neck.Page, 38, will actually become Google's third CEO, though he held the role during the first few years of the company's efforts. He'll be tasked with making sure Google toes the line internally and said several times during the call that he's excited to lead Google at a time when computing is still a relatively new way of life for many people.Brin will continue to focus on technology products, assuming the title of co-founder, as opposed to his current role of president of technology. &quot;He's an innovator and entrepreneur to the core, and this role suits him perfectly,&quot; Schmidt wrote in his post. Brin is currently working on several new products that he didn't want to discuss, citing criticism that Google has been prone to launching &quot;vaporware&quot; in the past: Google Wave comes most prominently to mind. Schmidt deferred a question about Google's social strategy to Brin, suggesting that social technologies make up one big area of his focus. The shake-up comes at a time when Google's search dominance is unquestioned, and its efforts to expand its business into display advertising and mobile technologies has given it a few more sources of funding for its dreams. However, the company has struggled to confront a new way of obtaining information on the Web--that curated by your friends in social networks--and also must deal with the wandering eyes of several Googlers wondering where the next big stock market payout can be found in Silicon Valley. Departing employees have also complained that as Google has grown--now with 24,400 employees--it has gotten harder and harder for good ideas to make it up the corporate ladder. Schmidt alluded to that in his statement, suggesting that Google is hoping to become a bit more nimble. &quot;As Google has grown, managing the business has become more complicated. So Larry, Sergey, and I have been talking for a long time about how best to simplify our management structure and speed up decision making--and over the holidays, we decided now was the right moment to make some changes to the way we are structured,&quot; Schmidt wrote in his post. In announcing fourth-quarter earnings results alongside the management news, Google said revenue minus traffic acquisition costs amounted to $6.37 billion, ahead of analyst estimates. Net income for the quarter was $2.54 billion, or $2.85 billion, excluding onetime charges. Analysts were expecting earnings per share, excluding charges of $8.09, and they got $8.75 from Google. Investors seemed pleased with the numbers, and they didn't seem freaked out enough by the management shake-up to react in after-hours trading. Google's stock rose $14.63, or 2.33 percent, in trading, after the bell after closing down for the day.Google management over the yearsJANUARY 1996Two Stanford University Ph.D. students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, begin to collaborate on a search engine using a newly devised algorithm called PageRank. They originally call the search engine BackRub, but the following year change its name to Google.JANUARY 1998Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim becomes Google's first investor, offering $100,000 to Page and Brin even though Google has not even been registered as a company and the domain name google.com was registered just months earlier.SEPTEMBER 1998Google files for incorporation in California. Larry Page serves as CEO' Sergey Brin as president and chairman of the board.SEPTEMBER 1998Housed in Page and Brin's friend Susan Wojcicki's garage in Menlo Park, Calif., Google hires another Stanford Ph.D student, Craig Silverstein, as its first employee. To this day Silverstein retains the title &quot;Director of Technology&quot; at Google, though he has relocated to its New York office.JUNE 1999Google announces a $25 million funding round from Sequoia Capital and Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers, whose respective partners Michael Moritz and John Doerr join Google's board of directors.NOVEMBER 1999Google hires Charlie Ayers, a former caterer to the Grateful Dead, as its first chef, after he wins the job in a cook-off judged by Google's 40 employees.JUNE 2000Portal pioneer Yahoo selects Google as the provider for its search engine technology, ditching Inktomi in the process.MARCH 2001Google names Eric Schmidt, on the cusp of leaving his post as chairman and CEO of Novell, to be the chairman of its board of directors. He replaces Brin, who remains president of the company. It's a crucial time in Google's short history as the tech bubble has just burst.AUGUST 2001Schmidt is named CEO of Google, leaving his post at Novell, where he had been chairman and CEO since 1997. Page steps down as CEO and takes on the title &quot;president of product&quot;' Brin becomes &quot;president of technology.&quot;JUNE 2004Eric Schmidt is named to a four-year term on the board of trustees at his alma mater, Princeton University. A year later, Princeton president Shirley M. Tilghman is named to Google's board of directors.AUGUST 2004Google goes public with an opening price of $85 per share in a rare auction-style IPO.SEPTEMBER 2005Google hires Vinton Cerf, widely considered a &quot;father of the Internet,&quot; as vice president and chief Internet evangelist.FEBRUARY 2006Google hires Dr. Larry Brilliant as the executive director of Google.org, its philanthropic arm.AUGUST 2006In what will prove to be a fateful move, Eric Schmidt joins Apple's board of directors.OCTOBER 2006Google makes its first billion-dollar acquisition when it purchases YouTube for $1.6 billion, a price tag that Eric Schmidt later admits was overvalued.APRIL 2007Google plans to make its biggest acquisition yet, the $3.1 billion purchase of ad firm DoubleClick. The FTC puts up some red tape.OCTOBER 2007Google share prices soar past $700 for the first time on Oct. 31.MARCH 2008Google's acquisition of DoubleClick is complete.OCTOBER 2008Google backs out of a proposed agreement to supply Yahoo with search advertisements due to regulator scrutiny.NOVEMBER 2008Amid rumors that Eric Schmidt, a prominent supporter of Barack Obama, may be at the top of the president-elect's list of potential chief technology officers, the Google CEO says that he prefers to stay where he is.APRIL 2009Schmidt takes a spot on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).AUGUST 2009Few are surprised when Schmidt announces his resignation from Apple's board of directors. Conflicts of interest between the two companies have been escalating for months.DECEMBER 2010Google is reported to be mulling an acquisition even bigger than YouTube and DoubleClick, offering as much as $6 billion for online deals-broker Groupon. Groupon turns it down and reportedly plans an IPO of its own instead.JANUARY 2011Eric Schmidt announces in Google's 2010 fourth-quarter earnings call that he is handing over the CEO title at Google to co-founder Page. He will remain chairman of the board.Source: CNET researchSee also: &amp;149' Paging Larry: Google's new CEO has lots to do&amp;149' Schmidt: 'Adult supervision' at Google no longer needed&amp;149' Eric Schmidt's letter on stepping down as CEO<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Everything you need to know about the Verizon iPhone (FAQ)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-verizon-iphone-faq</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-verizon-iphone-faq</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:10:19 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>instantempo2axociabbittah</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-verizon-iphone-faq</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Verizon iPhone will go on sale starting February 10.(Credit:Screenshot by CNET)It feels like we've been talking and writing about the potential of Verizon selling aniPhone forever. And now that it's finally here we know you have questions. Here's everything we know so far about the iPhone 4 from Verizon's press conference this morning. Add any other burning questions you have in the comments below.How is Verizon's iPhone 4 different from AT&amp;T's In terms of hardware, Verizon will have almost the exact same device. The major difference is the CDMA chips inside the Verizon iPhone that will allow it to run on Verizon's network. On the outside, the most eagle-eyed observers will notice that the Verizon iPhone 4's ringer/mute switch on the top left side has been moved slightly downward. Apple says it was done to accommodate the CDMA chips on the inside, and consequently iPhone 4 cases and bumpers currently on the market will not fit correctly.The Verizon iPhone's software is slightly more advanced too: it's running iOS 4.2.5, while the most current release for all other iPhones is iOS 4.2.1.Verizon iPhone hands-on (photos) In terms of wireless service, CDMA technology currently does not allow voice and data to be sent over the network simultaneously, which means you can't, for example, make a phone call while checking e-mail or using the maps app. The CDMA Development Group has said this capability will be available to all CDMA operators sometime this spring. One feature Verizon will offer that AT&amp;T does not, though, is the ability to use the iPhone as a Wi-Fi hot spot. Verizon says up to five Wi-Fi devices can connect to the iPhone's Internet connection at the same time.How much will the Verizon iPhone cost Verizon is offering the iPhone 4 for the same price as Apple, AT&amp;T, and others: $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB. Both include a two-year contract.We don't know much about pricing on plans just yet. Verizon COO Lowell McAdam said at Monday's press event that he wasn't ready to give details. When can I buy it If you're a current Verizon customer, congrats, you get first crack at it. You can pre-order it starting February 3. The rest of us have to wait until February 10 for the official launch.Will I finally be able to buy a white iPhone 4 then The answer is no, for now. A Verizon representative told CNET a white iPhone 4 will not be available next month. The official line from Apple remains in effect: the white model will be available sometime this spring. (Here's additional background on the saga of the white iPhone 4.) Do I get a free bumper case with this iPhone 4 Sorry, no. Apple ended its guarantee of a free bumper for all iPhone 4 customers at the end of September. What's the Verizon iPhone's SARThe iPhone 4 on Verizon has a SAR (specific absorption rate) of 1.18. The iPhone 4 on AT&amp;T has a SAR of 1.17. Since the difference is so small, it's basically the same.A cell phone's SAR is a measure of the amount of radio frequency (RF) energy absorbed by the body when using the handset. All cell phones emit RF energy, and the SAR varies by handset model, even if it's the same phone across different carriers.Is Verizon the only one who can sell a CDMA iPhone Nope. Apple COO Tim Cook told reporters today that while Apple and Verizon have a &quot;multiyear&quot; contract, it is not exclusive. That means other CDMA carriers like Sprint could potentially be next to sell the iPhone.Verizon&amp;39's Lowell McAdam (left) and Apple&amp;39's Tim Cook seal the deal on the first iPhone to be offered by Verizon.(Credit:Sarah Tew)If Verizon is pushing its LTE network so hard, why is the iPhone still on CDMAApple's Tim Cook said there were two main reasons that the iPhone isn't on LTE: the first generation of LTE chipsets &quot;forced design compromises,&quot; and &quot;Verizon customers want the iPhone now.&quot;Can I use my existing AT&amp;T iPhone 4 on Verizon's network Unfortunately, the iPhone 4 that is designed for and sold by AT&amp;T will not work on Verizon Wireless' network. The reason is that the AT&amp;T iPhone is based on a technology standard known as GSM, while Verizon Wireless uses a technology standard called CDMA. These are different technologies, and they are not interchangeable. So if you want to use the iPhone on Verizon, you'll have to purchase the new CDMA iPhone 4 designed specifically for Verizon Wireless. If I want to switch carriers, should I cancel my current contract  Don't even think about it! The best way to lose your cell phone number forever is to cancel your contract with your current carrier (AT&amp;T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or others) before signing on to a new one. Instead, walk into any Verizon retail store with your current phone in hand and sign up for a new contract. Verizon reps will do all the heavy lifting for you.Will I need to sign a new contract  Yes, unless you wish to buy the iPhone 4 at the no-contract price, which typically costs much more up front. Again, the 16GB model will cost $199 with a two-year contract' the 32GB model will sell for $299.How long will it take to port my number  The timing varies, but you could get use of your number on your new phone in as few as three hours, or up to a day. If the volume of requests is too high, the port could take as many as four days. Patience is a must.What do I do to activate the porting  You won't have to do a thing. When the porting is complete, you'll receive a text to your new phone. The porting process is identical from all carriers.Will I be charged extra fees to switch from AT&amp;T to Verizon There is typically an activation fee for new two-year contracts. In addition, you're responsible for paying your previous carrier for the final service charge before you canceled. If you duck out of a contract, you'll also face an early termination fee (ETF). If you bought your iPhone after June 1, 2010 you will be subject to at most a $325 early termination fee. AT&amp;T prorates its ETFs, so that penalty is reduced by $10 for each full month you complete of your service. Do you think that there will be a mass exodus from AT&amp;T's network to Verizon's network for the iPhone 4I have no way to predict the future, but I don't think that there will be a mass exodus from AT&amp;T to Verizon Wireless. While there is significant pent-up demand for the Verizon iPhone, I think that most of the initial customers will be existing Verizon customers. These are likely people who are loyal Verizon subscribers. There are also lots of subscribers who abandoned Verizon for AT&amp;T to get the iPhone. There is a good chance that Verizon will win some of these customers back. And Verizon could also win customers from Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA--those who wanted the iPhone but were unwilling to go to AT&amp;T because of the network issues. But given the fact that the Verizon iPhone is essentially the same phone that has been offered by AT&amp;T since June 2010, I don't think that existing AT&amp;T customers who are moderately satisfied with the AT&amp;T service will jump ship yet. For one, a good portion of these customers, especially those who just bought the iPhone 4, are still under contract.What do you think AT&amp;T will do to compete with Verizon Will it reduce data service pricesIt's too early to say if AT&amp;T will launch a price war to retain customers and to win new ones. Verizon hasn't announced its data plan pricing yet for the iPhone, but if it chooses to price the service more aggressively, AT&amp;T may be forced to respond. This means that AT&amp;T may offer a cheaper service plan to compete. Or AT&amp;T may end up reinstating an unlimited-data plan, if Verizon decides to keep its own for iPhones. AT&amp;T eliminated its unlimited-data plan in June for new customers, replacing it with a tiered-service offering.A price war between AT&amp;T and Verizon would be great news for consumers. The new competition for the iPhone is also likely to put even more pressure on AT&amp;T to improve its network. Now that the iPhone is also on Verizon, AT&amp;T's biggest rival, AT&amp;T will need to find new ways to compete more aggressively with Verizon. AT&amp;T is improving its network, but just how quickly it can add capacity and improve reliability is crucial, as it competes head to head with Verizon. Again, this level of competition is great news for consumers because they will likely see continued improvement in AT&amp;T's network performance.Do you think that Verizon's network will be able to handle all the new iPhone subscribers Verizon's executives say they are ready for the iPhone. Verizon Wireless CEO Daniel Mead said during the presentation Tuesday that Verizon has been working with Apple since 2008 to develop an iPhone for its network. He said the network has been tested, and he is confident that consumers will continue to have the same reliable service with the Verizon iPhone that they have come to expect with other Verizon devices.Verizon Wireless Chief Technology Officer Tony Melone also said in an interview with CNET at CES last week that the network is ready.&quot;I feel very confident about our 3G and 4G networks,&quot; he said. &quot;We have seen tremendous growth over the past 18 months on our network with the Android devices and other smartphones. We are adding more capacity to the 3G network in 2011 to meet whatever demands customers put on us.&quot;What will this mean forGoogle Android phone manufacturers Are they screwed There is no doubt that the Verizon iPhone will be stiff competition for Google Android phones. Verizon is the strongest sales channel in the United States for Android devices. And it has especially close ties to Motorola, which launched its Droid exclusively on Verizon's network. Android phones at Verizon were marketed as alternatives to the iPhone. But now that the iPhone is on Verizon, these manufacturers and Verizon will have to find new ways to differentiate the Android products and position them with respect to the iPhone. This could be a big challenge, given the strong brand recognition and loyalty to the iPhone.That said, Verizon showed last week atCES that it is still very much behind the Android platform. It launched 10 new products at the trade show, all of which are based on Google Android software. These new devices will be the flagship products for the new 4G LTE network that Verizon launched in December. Apple has introduced a new iPhone in the summer every year since 2007. Do you think that it will announce another iPhone this June And will the GSM iPhone for AT&amp;T offer anything the CDMA iPhone on Verizon won't have In the past, Apple has released a new iPhone every year. So I would imagine that it will also be releasing a new version of the product in early summer, as usual. Again, I don't have a crystal ball, so I don't know for certain what the company will do. But my guess is that Apple will release an HSPA+ version of the iPhone for AT&amp;T. This version, which AT&amp;T will likely market as 4G, will be faster than the current AT&amp;T or Verizon iPhone 4 phones. HSPA+ is the next evolution in the 3G standard for GSM networks. It has the potential to offer much faster download speeds, but it may not be as fast as LTE. When will a 4G LTE version of the iPhone be on the market That's a good question. Again, this is just a guess. But based on what Apple has done in the past, I think that it will be at least a year before Apple puts LTE chips in any iPhones, regardless of whether they are made for AT&amp;T or Verizon. (AT&amp;T is launching its LTE network this summer. And Verizon launched its LTE network in December.) I think that Apple will wait until the LTE chip market is more mature before it puts them in iPhones. There are two reasons for this. First, the cost of those chips will drop considerably over time and will reduce the cost of producing the devices. And second, I think that Apple also wants to wait until all the kinks on LTE devices have been worked out. I expect LTE smartphones to have some battery life challenges. Apple is all about creating the best overall experience for consumers, and that requires a satisfactory battery life. As you may recall, the very first iPhone worked on AT&amp;T's 2.5G EDGE network, even though there were already plenty of 3G handsets on the market. It took Apple another year before it introduced the iPhone 3G.CNET's Jessica Dolcourt and Nicole Lee contributed to this story. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: AOC shows 0.3-inch thick monitor]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-aoc-shows-0-3-inch-thick-monitor</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-aoc-shows-0-3-inch-thick-monitor</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 09 Jan 2011 08:10:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>parwinrestalk</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-aoc-shows-0-3-inch-thick-monitor</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Thin.(Credit:AOC)LAS VEGAS--It appears the ultrathin monitor wars have begun. AtCES this week, LG showed off its 0.28-inch thick E2290V monitor. And not to be outdone, or at least in an attempt to not be outdone, AOC revealed its i2352Fh monitor with a 0.37 profile length. Not quite as thin as LG's offering, but still thinner than anything else we've yet seen in monitors.The 23.6-inch AOC monitor is, however, wall-mountable--unlike, as far as we could tell, the E2290V. Also, the AOC comes with two HDMI ports.No pricing or release date info has been confirmed yet by AOC.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[AT&T Windows Phones on Amazon get 1-cent sale]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=att-windows-phones-on-amazon-get-1-cent-sale</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=att-windows-phones-on-amazon-get-1-cent-sale</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:10:18 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>iropobepranny</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=att-windows-phones-on-amazon-get-1-cent-sale</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Josh Lowensohn/CNET)If upfront cost had been a barrier to entry for potentialWindows Phone 7 customers, that problem seems to have been solved by Amazon. As part of a limited-time sale, the Web retail giant is offering a smattering of Windows Phone 7 devices on AT&amp;T's network for 1 cent each.Included in the sale is LG's Quantum, the Samsung Focus, and HTC's Surround. Of course, buying one of these requires a two-year contract, but previously most of these devices had cost $100, even with price cuts from earlier this week on the Quantum and Focus. Amazon's 1-cent sale ends on January 17. (Via Boy Genius Report)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Sony debuts touch-screen Wi-Fi universal remote]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-sony-debuts-touch-screen-wi-fi-universal-remote</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-sony-debuts-touch-screen-wi-fi-universal-remote</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Tara01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-sony-debuts-touch-screen-wi-fi-universal-remote</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Sony RMN-U1 universal remote(Credit:Sony)LAS VEGAS--Sony introduced its new HomeShare audio streaming platform with wirelessiPod docks and wireless speakers, and it also rolled out a new touchscreen Wi-Fi universal remote to control them: the RMN-U1.The RMN-U1 is capable of controlling new Sony HDTVs and home theater products over Wi-Fi, using their built-in DLNA compatibility. Of course the catch is that all your other gadgets will still need to be controlled via infrared, which the RMN-U1 can handle as well.Sony is also promising a slick user interface, using activity-based commands (think: Harmony), plus eye candy like album art showing up on the remote screen.Sony says the RMN-U1 will be available in March with a list price of about $300. That's a lot to ask, especially when the outstanding and established Logitech Harmony 900 is available for about the same price.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google's 2010 report card and 3 new resolutions]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-2010-report-card-and-3-new-resolutions</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-2010-report-card-and-3-new-resolutions</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 03 Jan 2011 08:10:03 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>paulsmith385</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-2010-report-card-and-3-new-resolutions</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As another year dawns, life is still pretty good for Google but ever more complicated. With that, let's reexamine the five New Year's resolutions we outlined for Google at the start of 2010 to see how the company lived up to that unsolicited advice, and offer more of the same for 2011.Google&amp;39's search team kept the gravy train rolling in 2010 with products like Google Instant, introduced in September by Marissa Mayer.(Credit:James Martin/CNET) First, last year's report card:1. Don't forget where you came from: This resolution involved priority No. 1 at Google: remain the world's leading provider of Internet searches by a comfortable margin. It passed this test with ease: despite significant investment on Microsoft's part into Bing, and Yahoo's declaration that its back-end outsourcing strategy would lead to front-end breakthroughs, Google ended 2010 pretty much where it started, actually gaining a slight amount of market share according to ComScore's November 2009 to November 2010 comparison.2. Get control of the engineers: Google probably wishes it had paid a little more attention to this one. Two 2010 incidents involving Google engineers gone wild--the now-infamous Wi-Fi Street View case and the quieter (and creepier) firing of David Barksdale--showed that Google's power to amass and organize vast amounts of data can be seductive to those with poor oversight or ulterior motives. Google also stepped on its foot in launching Google Buzz with the assumption that users always wanted their most-frequently e-mailed contacts to also be their friends in a social-networking setting. Privacy training has been increased and Alma Whitten was tapped to put a public face on Google's commitment to privacy, making it fair to say that keeping the trust of an increasing wary public in 2011 is essential to Google's well-being.3. Get HTML5 standards finalized: This one isn't really Google's fault, but its vision of the Web as the premier development platform of our time is still a ways off. Standards bodies are famously contemplative, but Google also struggled to prove its own case that the Web can be king by missing a deadline to ship a productive version of Chrome OS.4. Live up to the promise of Google Books: Amazingly, the Google Books saga will drag on into yet another year as Google's settlement with authors and publishers remains in legal limbo. By the end of the year Google did manage to launch its e-book store and release an interesting project on word usage over centuries, but is no closer to lifting the cloud of uncertainty over Google Books at the end of 2010 than it was at the beginning of the year.5. Clarify your mobile strategy: Google definitely got the message on this one, scaling back its ambitiousNexus One project after it proved unpopular with both phone buyers and its business partners alike. Freed from such distractions, Android is now poised to grow even more in 2011 than it did over the past year as theiPhone alternative, and Google is about to make nearly $1 billion a year on mobile advertising through Android and mobile search, it revealed toward the end of the year. Here are three more things Google might want to think about in 2011.Fight the government--and win Google is at the point in its story arc where nearly everything it will do in 2011 will be scrutinized by some branch of the U.S. government, although it's arguable it has already been there for years. Still, there's little doubt the supervision is taking a toll and these concerns are already on the table in Europe. The main problem--beyond the outcome of any potential regulation--is that larger start-ups aren't going to be as interested in joining Google if they have to put their life on hold for six months while the government dithers over whether or not the deal is kosher. A great deal of Google's success in 2010 came from larger acquisitions that might not have been approved if they were proposed in 2011, such as DoubleClick, AdMob, or YouTube. Groupon, the darling of the daily deals department, was said to harbor such concerns as acquisition talks broke down between it and Google. AdMob was also reported to have sought an enormous &quot;breakup fee&quot; should its acquisition by Google have been squashed by federal regulators. At some point, doing business with those larger start-ups will stop making economic sense. The hassle and distraction that a public government trial could present for Google executives is not exactly something to be welcomed. But at the same time, the uncertainty over what Google might and might not be allowed to do isn't good for business either, and it also makes regulators look silly: either put your cards on the table and prove an unchecked Google is bad for the country or stop listening to whining from its competitors. Google and the U.S. government are going to clash in a big way at some point: might as well break that ice in 2011.Find your soul--and your scheduler For many years, it was pretty simple to understand Google: it operated the best Internet search engine the world had yet seen, able to match quickly queries on virtually anything conceivable with relevant Web pages.Google and its partners have come a long way since the G1, but Google still needs to work on making software for everyone, not just geeks.(Credit:CNET) Google is so much more than that now. Search hasn't gone away, but Google is increasingly a consumer software company, with products that are used in mobile phones, televisions, offices, and an ever-increasing array of gadgets. One challenge highlighted by that growth is that Google needs to make prettier things. Google's products in these markets tend to come off to average consumers as geeky and over-complicated, as even Google's Andy Rubin, leader of the Android project, admitted late in 2010. For some reason, Google's Web design aesthetic--simple, uncluttered, and usable--doesn't always surface in its consumer software products. It's a little unfair to compare Google directly to Apple in this regard, since Apple has so much more control over how iOS software is presented to the end user, but fairly or unfairly, that's the benchmark for mobile consumer software at the moment and Google doesn't always measure up to that standard. Also, while &quot;launch and iterate&quot; is a fabulous product development strategy for the Web--where subtle changes can be made extremely quickly and your customers pay nothing for the experience--it doesn't always work in consumer electronics. The initial experience needs to be right--or at least not awful--the first time the buyer uses the product or negative associations start to set in no matter how quickly a patch is released. Google therefore needs to release beefier versions of its software more consistently to give users and partners a chance to catch their breath. For example, the dizzying pace of Android development has been great for consumers and phone makers in one sense but can also cause confusion regarding which version of Android runs the fancy whiz-bang app that was just advertised by Verizon, and when their phone maker might approve that version for their device. Likewise, a more fully baked Google TV might have prevented some of early criticism of the software.Be social or change the playing field Few companies are really trying to compete against Google in Internet search these days. Instead, those bent on capturing eyeballs and advertising dollars on the Web are organizing their users in social groups, building Web versions of coffee shops and night clubs where people enjoy spending time and learning about new things from their friends as opposed to building the libraries people need for research purposes but would rather not wind up on a Saturday night. Google is clearly aware of this trend but has little to show for efforts in 2010 to be more social. The Web is not a zero-sum game: people will always turn to the search box for things they can't or would rather not ask their friends, but they'll also ask their group of Web contacts for information about a lot of things that Google's bots can't quite duplicate, like whether or not the boutique on the corner has something that matches the colors in my living room, or that the one bar on the corner has a bartender who went to college with my sister and can totally hook us up with free drinks. Google needs to figure out a way to get people to share that kind of information on its domain or convince Facebook and its users to open much of that information to its search bots. It might be easier to do just enough in social to keep Facebook on its toes while getting busy developing the next Web organization matrix. Just as social networking has started to reshape how information is collected and stored on the Internet, something will come along to reshape how social networking operates. If Google wants to be a Web influencer for decades it can't miss out on that next development.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Friday Poll: Most divisive tech battle of 2010]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=friday-poll-most-divisive-tech-battle-of-2010</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=friday-poll-most-divisive-tech-battle-of-2010</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 24 Dec 2010 08:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>pnomabeqw</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=friday-poll-most-divisive-tech-battle-of-2010</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Motion control systems were just one battleground in 2010. (Credit:CNET)So here we are, looking at the end of 2010, a year that's been fairly exciting in the personal-technology world. Led by theiPad, tablets became a common sight, sounding a warning call to the Netbook business. E-readers got more affordable and more widespread, and many phone makers stepped up to take on theiPhone 4, which was leaked in the spring, dramatically, after an Apple tech left a prototype in a bar.  But where there's innovation there's often conflict. Companies like Apple and Google and Microsoft are again going head-to-head in many markets. Motion control gaming systems, digital TV, and even e-books were competitive battlegrounds. The comments on Crave have at times been like combat zones, too, with our wonderfully engaged readers going back and forth over which tech is best, worst, most promising, dumbest, and so on. It's said that you pick your battles, and this is your chance to do just that. Which of these tech battles of 2010 got you most riled up Or maybe there's one we missed. If so, let us know in the comments section. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Net neutrality settled (week in review)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=net-neutrality-settled-week-in-review</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=net-neutrality-settled-week-in-review</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 23 Dec 2010 08:10:27 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bimsufwan23434sfsdfedf</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=net-neutrality-settled-week-in-review</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Federal Communications Commission officially adopted Net neutrality rules this week, but the agency's authority to enforce the controversial rules may still be in question.With the support of Democratic FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, as well as the two other Democratic commissioners, the agency passed the rules in a 3-to-2 vote. The new Net neutrality rules essentially create two classes of service subject to different rules: one that applies to fixed broadband networks and one for wireless networks. The FCC says this is necessary because wireless networks are technologically different from fixed broadband networks.The first rule requires both wireless and wireline providers to be transparent in how they manage and operate their networks. The second Net neutrality rule prohibits the blocking of traffic on the Internet. The rule applies to fixed wireline broadband network operators, as well as to wireless providers. However, Genachowski did not address the question of legal authority in his comments.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' FCC's Net neutrality ruling: Misplaced nostalgiaThe brilliant orange glow of a total lunar eclipse (photos) More headlinesReport: Microsoft bringing Windows to ARM chipsMicrosoft will reportedly soon unveil a full-fledged version of Windows that runs on ARM chips, a drastic departure from the x86 architecture.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Windows 8 on ARM, but don't hold your breath&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Rumor: Windows 8 to get gaming focus&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Windows on ARM chips: Intel impactBank of America cuts off WikiLeaksAnnouncement comes as the embattled document-sharing site is reportedly readying a release that targets the banking giant.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' WikiLeaks app yanked from Apple's App StoreSweden's case against WikiLeaks' Julian AssangeIn an interview with CNET, the Swedish attorney for two women who accuse Julian Assange of sexual misconduct lays out the case against WikiLeaks editor.Why Netflix has content and Google TV doesn'tGoogle TV continues to stumble, and one of the problems is that the software can't access top content. When it comes to schmoozing Hollywood types, Google hasn't been very good, industry executives say.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Report: Google requests delay of new Google TVsWhy solar start-ups need Uncle SamWith public offerings unlikely and private finance suffering, if a solar-tech upstart wants to get big, it's likely to need government assistance in order to ramp up manufacturing.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Solar plant with molten-salt storage gets green lightAlso of note&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Best Buy ends (most) restocking fees&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' 'SNL' pits Assange against Zuckerberg&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' New Google doodle rings in the holidays.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[CES: Mobile handsets of CES 2010: Where are they now]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-mobile-handsets-of-ces-2010-where-are-they-now</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-mobile-handsets-of-ces-2010-where-are-they-now</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Dec 2010 08:10:50 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>feadseteoma</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-mobile-handsets-of-ces-2010-where-are-they-now</guid>
<description><![CDATA[CES 2010 was a lightweight show when it came to cell phones and smartphones. That's often the case with CES, as mobile devices have to share the stage with bigger products like 3D televisions and futuristic robots. That's set to change at CES 2011 of course, but we wanted to take some time and take a look back at the phones of CES 2010.Mobile handsets of CES 2010: Where are they now (photos) We awarded the Best of CES 2010 in the mobile category to the LG Lotus Elite, because that was the most innovative handset we saw at the show. Even though it was really a sequel to the LG Lotus of the previous year, the Lotus Elite had a great wow factor with its fashion-forward looks, innovative external touch screen, and overall features. Even if it's &quot;just&quot; a simple messaging phone, it was one we liked. This is true even when we ended up reviewing it later on.Other Best of CES nominees included the Motorola Backflip and the Sonim XP3.2 Quest Pro. We thought the Backflip had an interesting design, but we had questions about the usability of the back touch pad and the durability of the oddly placed keyboard. We ended up liking it a bit more than we anticipated when we reviewed it later on, but we still weren't too pleased with its sluggish performance. The Sonim XP3.2 Quest Pro, while newly updated with Gorilla Glass and GPS features, was really an update of a previous product. A couple of other products that debuted at CES 2010 were the Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus, both of which were sequels of the previous year's Palm products. One thing we should note is that even though we saw Google'sNexus One in Las Vegas, it didn't technically debut at CES, which is why it didn't get nominated. Otherwise, I think we can agree it would have been a shoo-in.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Dell acquires Compellent for $960 million]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=dell-acquires-compellent-for-960-million</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=dell-acquires-compellent-for-960-million</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Marek</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=dell-acquires-compellent-for-960-million</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Dell finally got its storage acquisition. On Monday, Dell said it is officially buying Compellent Technologies in a deal valued at $960 million, or $27.75 a share.According to Dell, the Compellent acquisition will allow it to better focus on data management, thin provisioning and storage for cloud computing shops.After a failed bid to acquire 3Par--Dell lost out to Hewlett-Packard--the company needed to do something to bolster its storage line-up and remain a top 5 player. EMC is the storage leader and then the field is bunched with the likes of HP, NetApp, and IBM. Dell was at risk of being on the outside of the storage pack.Read more of &quot; Dell acquires Compellent for $960 million, lands its storage consolation prize&quot; at ZDNet's Between the Lines.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[TV on the fritz You may need a firmware upgrade]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tv-on-the-fritz-you-may-need-a-firmware-upgrade</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tv-on-the-fritz-you-may-need-a-firmware-upgrade</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>wanjujukksab</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tv-on-the-fritz-you-may-need-a-firmware-upgrade</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Manual firmware upgrades are done via the USB port on the back of your TV.(Credit:David Carnoy/CNET)About a year ago I picked up a fairly entry-level 52-inch Sony LCD TV, the KDL-52V5100, as a second TV for a playroom. For a year, the set worked fine, then a few days ago a babysitter asked me to please fix it because it wasn't working.At first, I figured someone had simply set the cable box to the wrong input. But a quick input assessment ruled that out as the possible culprit. I moved onto the next likely source of the problem: the cable box, which I unplugged, then waited for it to cycle through its painfully long rebooting process.Still, nothing. No picture. Not even a menu. Conclusion: the cable box had crapped out. It had happened before, it would happen again. I packed the thing up and the next day set off for a Time Warner Cable service center that happened to be about six blocks away from the CNET offices in Manhattan. My old cable box, a Samsung non-DVR model, was promptly chucked in a bin and I was handed a newer model Samsung box that was black instead of silver. I was happy. It matched the TV. But upon returning home and hooking it up, the same thing happened. Nothing. Actually, for a brief second, a message flashed on the screen that said something about how the HDMI connection wasn't working and that I should switch to component video. Troubleshooting, I switched to HDMI 2 and fired up myPS3. Still nothing. So I plugged my PS3's HDMI cable into HDMI 3. Nada. I figured, That's it, Carnoy, your HDMI connectivity is shot. You're about to enter a world of pain.I had visions of dumping the TV, selling it cheap. I'd thrown the box out, I was probably a month out of the warranty period, and I was stuck with no HDMI. Component That was like going back to the Stone Age. My TV was almost worthless. So I did what any CNET editor would do. I called Sony PR and said I was David Pogue of the New York Times and told them I was mad as hell.OK, I didn't. But I thought about it. Kind of as a joke. But before I got too worked up I keyed the words &quot;KDL-52V5100 HDMI issue&quot; into Google. And the first search result at the top of the page had a link to this:Sony eSupport - KDL-52V5100 - Software Updates &amp; DriversLoading available downloads for the KDL-52V5100, please be patient. ... Resolves an issue that may intermittently cause the TV to freeze and stop ... issue where the audio may infrequently be lost while connected via an HDMI connection...Sony eSupport - KDL-52V5100 - Software Updates &amp; Drivers Loading available downloads for the KDL-52V5100, please be patient. ... Resolves an issue that may intermittently cause the TV to freeze and stop ... issue where the audio may infrequently be lost while connected via an HDMI connection...My problem didn't quite seem to fit the bill, but it was close enough. The magic words were &quot;lost&quot; and &quot;HDMI.&quot; So what if it just said audio. I knew I was on to something. And sure enough, clicking through on the link I learned that there was a firmware upgrade available for my TV. While I'd never upgraded a TV's firmware before, I'd manually upgraded the firmware on plenty of other devices, including a Blu-ray player or two.Truth be told, it's not all that difficult for someone who knows what they're doing, but I could certainly see how it might baffle the average consumer. Here's how it went:I downloaded a ZIP file, which unpacked itself on myMac. I then had to copy the files out of the folder onto a USB thumbdrive, which I stuck into the USB port on the back of my TV. About 7 tension-filled minutes later, my TV's firmware was upgraded and lo and behold, I had picture and sound again from my cable box. Why had the HDMI given out suddenly I had no idea, but I was sure happy that my TV woes had been resolved via a software patch, not something much more tedious and time-consuming.After the whole episode, I spoke with our resident video guru David Katzmaier about the TV firmware upgrade situation because I'd heard him discuss it before. Here are a few observations and tips we came up with:Check to see whether your TV has a firmware upgrade available by simply keying in your model number and &quot;firmware&quot; into Google.Some higher-end TVs offer Internet connections via an Ethernet port or Wi-Fi. You can upgrade your firmware over the Internet. However...Unlike a PS3,XBox, or PC, which automatically let you know when it's time to upgrade your system software, many Internet-connected TVs don't notify you when there's a firmware upgrade available' you have to manually check.Most firmware upgrades are designed to fix glitches like the one that happened to me or to tweak performance (usually for the better). Here's something you may not know: sometimes after David Katzmaier posts a review of a TV, the company will post a firmware upgrade that corrects (or attempts to correct) a problem he described in his review. Sometimes posters at AVS Forum also point out flaws that lead to firmware upgrades.Rarely do firmware upgrades add additional features. As noted, they tend to be about bug fixes and slight performance improvementsUpgrading your firmware is different from upgrading an Internet service that's built into your TV, such as Samsung Apps, Panasonic's VieraCast, or LG's Netcast (see a full round-up of services here). Those services notify you when upgrades are available that add new features or apps.You need to be very careful when you are upgrading your TV's firmware. This means following instructions to a T and making sure your TV doesn't lose power while it's being upgraded. Perhaps you've heard about someone messing up and &quot;bricking&quot; their PSP or iPhone while adding custom firmware. Well, you can brick your TV, too.Sometimes manufacturers have a couple of options for downloading firmware. Katzmaier says he's run into situations where he compares the &quot;Download via the Internet&quot; to the &quot;Download manually&quot; (to thumbdrive) option and the two firmware versions will be different (usually the manual download is more current). So check the firmware versions if more than one is available.Alas, sometimes firmware upgrades fix one problem but cause another. If this happens, report the problem, and wait for the company to issue another firmware upgrade.If you're happy with your TV and don't have an issue, think twice before upgrading your firmware. Most experts tend to argue that if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. Finally, before you upgrade, write down your customized picture settings. They will get erased when you upgrade your firmware. The person who wrote this article forgot to do that. If you have any suggestions or anecdotes, as always, feel free to comment. In the end, the bottom line is that TVs are a lot more advanced than they once used to be and have chips and software inside that isn't always perfect. Luckily, in some cases, companies issue fixes. You just may have to do a little digging to find them.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: Apple drops jailbreak detection API from iOS 4.2.1]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-apple-drops-jailbreak-detection-api-from-ios-4-2-1</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-apple-drops-jailbreak-detection-api-from-ios-4-2-1</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>oillymint</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-apple-drops-jailbreak-detection-api-from-ios-4-2-1</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Apple)After introducing an API that allowed developers to check on an iOS device to see if its operating system had been compromised (read: jailbroken) less than six months ago, Apple has now unexpectedly dropped the functionality from iOS 4.2.1.The jailbreak detection API was part of the mobile device management (MDM) API which was introduced with iOS 4 in June this year, according to NetworkWorld. Now, device management vendors say Apple has dropped the API while also saying that there are alternatives to checking on whether an iOS device has been jailbroken.So, it remains a mystery as to why Apple would no longer provide the ability to check for jailbroken software on their devices. Perhaps its a peace offering to the jailbreak community that has often been at odds with Apple, continually having to recode exploits to keep iOS devices jailbroken after updates.One major player in the jailbreak community isn't buying that though. MuscleNerd tweets: &quot;Apple removed their &quot;jailbreak detection API&quot; in 4.2...we didn't even attempt to fool it (honestly!)&quot;MDM engineers do not seem to have much to add: &quot;We used it when it was available, but as an adjunct,&quot; says Joe Owen, vice president of engineering at Sybase, which offers the Afaria device management software. &quot;I'm not sure what motivated their removing that....I've not had anyone [at enterprise customer sites] talk to me about this API being present or being removed.&quot;Most likely, Apple discovered that while allowing developers access to iOS information for the purposes of detecting if a jailbrokeniPhone,iPod Touch, oriPad was being used on their network could be helpful, it might also lead to devastating circumventions from the hacking community.  Since MDM professionals have other methods of detection without the API, Apple probably decided it would be best to leave it to third-party engineers to detect jailbroken devices.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[GM working on battery switch for U.K. Volt]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gm-working-on-battery-switch-for-u-k--volt</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gm-working-on-battery-switch-for-u-k--volt</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Dec 2010 08:10:43 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Rixbralia</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gm-working-on-battery-switch-for-u-k--volt</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The 2012 Vauxhall Ampera will get a switch that lets drivers decide when to drive in EV-only mode and when to drive in extended-range mode.(Credit:Vauxhall)The first 40 miles you drive in a fully charged 2011 Chevrolet Volt uses energy stored in the 16kWh battery to propel the vehicle, with the 1.4-liter gas engine kicking in only when the battery is drained and needs to be recharged. But GM engineers are working on a switch for the British version of the Volt, the Vauxhall Ampera slated for 2012, that will let U.K. drivers decide when to drive in electric-only mode and when to use the gas engine, according to an article in TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk.The tweak is designed to suit the driving needs of British customers, who may want to travel on highways in extended-range mode and save the 40 or so miles of electric range for in-city driving, which may or may not come at the beginning of their commute. The move would be similar to the EV mode button that existed on early Japanese and European Toyota Prius models, but was absent in the U.S.That EV switch won't be an option for U.S. customers when the Volt goes on sale next year, but it could make it onto future versions of the plug-in. It took a few years, but Toyota finally introduced the EV mode button on several U.S. model hybrid vehicles, including the Prius.(Source: TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Seagate to remain a public company after all]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=seagate-to-remain-a-public-company-after-all</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=seagate-to-remain-a-public-company-after-all</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Nov 2010 08:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Lynda</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=seagate-to-remain-a-public-company-after-all</guid>
<description><![CDATA[After considering its options, Seagate has decided to stick it out as a public company.The Scotts Valley, Calif.-based hard-drive maker said today that after taking a look at what private equity firms were offering, it will not take the company private, and will instead buy back $2 billion worth of stock from shareholders.&quot;We appreciate the interest shown by the private equity firms and our dialogues with them were extensive and thoughtful,&quot; Seagate CEO Stephen Luczo said in a statement. &quot;However, management and the board have chosen to cease discussions concerning a private equity-led leveraged buyout. Given the strong debt markets, improving business conditions and other financing options, Seagate has initiated a plan to further optimize its capital structure to maximize shareholder returns.&quot;Luczo announced in October that the company was exploring a sale to a private equity firm. It was reported that at least two firms were interested. Seagate has taken the private equity option before. Back in 2000, the hard-drive maker was bought out for $20 billion by Silver Lake Partners, only to step back into the public markets just two years later.In the last few years, as one of the largest hard-drive makers in the world, Seagate has seen its business take a hit from the drop in consumer and corporate PC sales. This time, however, it appears it plans to ride out this rough patch with its books in the public eye. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft job posting points to Silverlight on Xbox]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-job-posting-points-to-silverlight-on-xbox</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-job-posting-points-to-silverlight-on-xbox</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Abiabeo</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-job-posting-points-to-silverlight-on-xbox</guid>
<description><![CDATA[More good news for Silverlight it seems, as based on two new job postings on Microsoft's site (1, 2), the company is looking to hire additional Silverlight engineers, as well as bring the technology to more of its devices--including theXbox.Blog TechTrends discovered and reposted the positions earlier today, before Microsoft removed the reference to the Xbox, which was referred to as &quot;Silverlight on the Xbox as part of the next wave.&quot; The posting has since been changed to refer to &quot;various devices we plan to enable over the coming years.&quot; The news comes less than two weeks from Microsoft's Silverlight-focused developer event, where the company plans to detail &quot;the future of Silverlight&quot; in a keynote address by Scott Gutherie, corporate VP of Microsoft's developer division. This is also after much brouhaha about the technology's role as part of Microsoft's ongoing strategy and how it will play into the development of future products and services. The idea of Silverlight coming to the Xbox is not so far-fetched, though. It would serve many goals, notably making development for the platform more cohesive with some of Microsoft's other developer tools--including the ones used for makingWindows Phone 7 applications. If Microsoft is positioning the next Xbox to play within its app ecosystem, as the inclusion of a Zune Marketplace suggests, getting Silverlight on there is a necessary first step. Silverlight on the Xbox would also bode well for Microsoft finally including a Web browser as part of the Xbox's system software, which it has not yet offered. In all truth, this did not crop up as a necessity for the device until Microsoft began adding third-party applications like Facebook and Twitter, where if you came across a URL someone had posted, you would be unable to follow it forward. There's also that not-so-secret meeting that took place between Adobe Systems' and Microsoft's CEOs last month, where getting something like Flash onto the Xbox, and the Windows Phone 7 could have been among the topics of discussion. Another outlier in the case for Silverlight befitting the Xbox is Netflix, which makes use of the technology for its movie streaming service on the PC andMac. While it got off to a bumpy start, it's since gone on to have many of its kinks ironed out, enough to the point where the company is now offering the streaming portion of its service a la carte. If there are benefits--either in performance, or faster compatibility with Netflix's feature updates, Silverlight could help make a big difference in giving Microsoft an edge over the myriad devices that can now hook up with the video service.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Taking an electric drive in the Volvo C30]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=taking-an-electric-drive-in-the-volvo-c30</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=taking-an-electric-drive-in-the-volvo-c30</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Nov 2010 08:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Geumdius</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=taking-an-electric-drive-in-the-volvo-c30</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Volvo C30 Drive Electric, plugged in between drives.(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)Volvo C30 Drive Electric (photos) The Los Angeles Auto Show maintains a green focus, with alternative drivetrains and electriccars dominating. So it is here that Volvo let us drive the electric version of its C30 model, known as the C30 Drive Electric.The car was waiting for us in a parking garage of the Los Angeles Convention Center, plugged in to an AC outlet through an extension cord. Volvo chose the C30 model for an electric drivetrain because it is the smallest and lightest car in the lineup, although by European standards this car is on the large side. It is an attractive design and offers the practicality of a hatchback. The cabin of the C30 Drive Electric showed the same premium quality we've come to expect from Volvo, with some rough bits hacked on for this electric version.CNET editor Wayne Cunningham drives the streets of LA in the electric Volvo C30.(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)Turning the key, we saw the instrument cluster light up and go through the same kind of boot process we've experienced in both the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt. The charge level read nearly full, not bad for a car that had been taken out all day on drives around downtown Los Angeles.Our Volvo minder told us to push the drive mode lever, a curving piece of metal that fit easily into our palm, back one time, putting the car into Drive. Unlike a standard shift lever, this drive selector had no gate, always popping back to its center position. With the car in Drive we pushed the accelerator, and in typical electric car fashion it moved smoothly and quietly forward, the feeling of instantaneous torque obvious. Letting off the accelerator caused the car to slow a little more than accounted for by friction, as the car's generator used the car's motion to regenerate electricity for the batteries. Pressing the brakes did not increase regeneration, but merely engaged the friction brakes. We would expect that Volvo could cause the brake pedal to initially activate strong regeneration, to maximize battery recharge, before engaging the friction brakes.The drive selector returns to its center position after each push or pull.(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)While in Drive mode, we pushed the lever back once more, which put the car into what Volvo calls sailing mode. Intended for freeway and highway driving, this mode decouples regeneration, so lifting off the accelerator lets the car coast freely.As we drove, we found opportunity to push the accelerator to the floor, but on city streets only getting up to about 45 mph. The acceleration held up well to that point, but felt like it would drop off as speed increased.Taking it around corners, the low and centrally located weight of the battery packs became evident, making for good stability. Volvo says that the C30 Drive Electric has a 57/43 percent weight split between front and back. Although no perfectly balanced sports car, this C30 felt fine in the turns.With its 24kWh Enerdel battery pack, the C30 Drive Electric has a range of 94 miles. As with most electric cars today, recharge time is measured in hours, with the car intended for urban commuting rather than long hauls.Volvo is currently building versions of the car for fleet use by utilities and government agencies in Europe, and it looking to bring a small test fleet to California. No date has been determined for mass production at this time.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Chicken manure to help power U.K. homes]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chicken-manure-to-help-power-u-k--homes</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chicken-manure-to-help-power-u-k--homes</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:10:33 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>poojaagarwal91</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chicken-manure-to-help-power-u-k--homes</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Alfagy)The picturesque Cotswolds of England will soon be using those lovely animals dotting its hillsides to provide power to some of its homes.A turnkey biogas station made by Alfagy plans to convert agricultural waste, including both feedstock and manure, into electricity.The plant, which is scheduled to open November 1, is located on the southern outskirts of Cirencester, an ancient Cotswolds town famous for being a thriving mercantile city during the Roman Empire. But Alfagy says the station could reduce at least two of the area's current imports by using what its people have on hand.While there have been several projects over the years looking at cow manure as an energy source, this Alfagy plant will use the manure of smaller farm animals, as well as agricultural feedstock.Participating farmers will deliver corn, wheat, agricultural-plant waste, chicken litter, and pig manure to the station. The farmers will be paid for the biomass and also receive heat for their animal barns, grain-drying bins, and homes.The agricultural waste is converted into biogas in an anaerobic digester. The station will use a combined heat and power (CHP) system in which one 260-kilowatt CHP unit can perform at a 42.9 percent electrical efficiency, according to Alfagy.The station is expected to produce about 1 megawatt of electricity per year, enough to power about 350 Cotswolds homes (Cirencester's population is about 19,000). The station will also create digestate fertilizer.&quot;This 'digestate' is a powerful fertilizer that decreases the average fertilizer costs by up to 100 percent, which is a major cost to farmers and the environment. Normal fertilizer production uses large amounts of fossil fuel [and emits] significant quantities of carbon dioxide, and the finished product is transported over great distances to farmers. Whereas [if] the fertilizer is produced locally at the power plant, there is no necessity in importing it from the U.S.,&quot; Alfagy said in a statement.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iPad's newest retailers: Verizon, AT&T]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipads-newest-retailers-verizon-att</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipads-newest-retailers-verizon-att</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Arvinda</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipads-newest-retailers-verizon-att</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The iPad(Credit:Apple)Apple'siPad is available through Verizon Wireless and AT&amp;T as of today.Verizon is selling the Wi-Fi-only version of the iPad bundled with a MiFi Mobile Hotspot that lets people connect to the carrier's 3G network on the tablet computer. Verizon is offering the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB iPad models for $629.99, $729.99, and $829.99, respectively. Verizon is also selling the iPad without the MiFi bundle for $499, $599, and $699, depending on the desired capacity.According to Verizon, the carrier is offering four data plans. The cheapest option offers 1GB of monthly data for $20. The prices go up to $35, $50, and $80 per month for 3GB, 5GB, and 10GB of monthly usage, respectively. Verizon said that its plans are month-to-month, so people are not required to sign a contract to access its 3G network.Although AT&amp;T has been the carrier for iPads with 3G access, it hadn't directly sold the tablet computers until today. Unlike Verizon, AT&amp;T is offering the iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G, which means customers won't need an additional device to access 3G. AT&amp;T is offering the iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G for $629, $729, and $829, depending on the customer's desired capacity. AT&amp;T is offering two data plans: a 250MB option for $15 per month and a 2GB plan for $25 per month. Like with Verizon, AT&amp;T customers do not need to sign a contract to access the carrier's 3G network.More significant than the fact that Apple is getting the iPad into more retail stores before the holiday-shopping season is the speculation created by Verizon selling the iPad. For years, people have been speculating about when Verizon will break AT&amp;T's exclusive hold as the iPhone carrier. Verizon actually selling the iPad gives consumers some hope that aniPhone running on Verizon's network isn't so far off.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[SunRun bags money to finance residential solar]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sunrun-bags-money-to-finance-residential-solar</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sunrun-bags-money-to-finance-residential-solar</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jeny01</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sunrun-bags-money-to-finance-residential-solar</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Solar company SunRun said today it has secured enough money to finance 1,900 residential solar electric installations, helping fuel its growth.The San Francisco-based company said that US Bancorp has made tens of millions of dollars available to SunRun, representing the fourth time it has closed a round with the bank.A SunRun installation in Massachusetts.(Credit:SunRun)SunRun is one of a few companies offering homeowners the option to get third-party financing for solar rooftop photovoltaic panels. In this model, people pay a small upfront fee and a monthly payment for the installation and ongoing service, rather than pay the anywhere between $25,000 and $40,000 to purchase panels.In SunRun's case, its customers buy the electrical energy produced by the panels, typically for a fixed fee. SunRun owns and maintains the panels. In general, people can lower electricity bills by 10 percent or 15 percent through this power purchase agreement model, which is often used by corporations.Solar, in general, is most cost-effective for people who pay high electricity rates and live in states with renewable energy incentives, said SunRun CEO Ed Fenster. But the company, which has more than 6,000 customers, has found that it's no longer just hard-core environmentalists going solar, he said. Instead, people are often attracted to the idea of locking into electricity costs for the foreseeable future.&quot;Peace of mind is reasonably valuable to people. In addition, you save a little money each month and you can feel good because it helps the economy,&quot; he said.SunRun, which tripled its revenue last year, offers its financing and solar monitoring service through solar installers. Consumers can check a Web site to track the production of panels and SunRun will contact them if there is a problem with the system, Fenster said.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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