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<title>Haaze.com / Richard / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:10:36 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Software firm says e-mails stolen in server breach]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=software-firm-says-e-mails-stolen-in-server-breach</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=software-firm-says-e-mails-stolen-in-server-breach</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:10:36 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>limresufcom</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=software-firm-says-e-mails-stolen-in-server-breach</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Ashampoo, a German maker of Windows utilities and security software, warned this week that customer names and e-mail addresses were stolen and could be used in targeted malware attacks. &quot;Hackers gained access to one of our servers. We discovered the break-in and interrupted it instantly,&quot; Ashampoo Chief Executive Rolf Hilchner wrote in a message on the company Web site earlier this week. Billing information, including credit card and bank account numbers, was not affected, he said, adding that German law enforcement is investigating but &quot;unfortunately, the traces of the well-concealed hackers currently disperse abroad.&quot; Attackers often send e-mails with malware-laden attachments to e-mail addresses found in the databases they breach, pretending to be a confirmation of an order from the company, Hilchner said.  The company did not disclose how many customers were affected.  People should be cautious about opening unsolicited or unexpected e-mails, even from companies they know, and keep antivirus software up to date, he said. The news comes two weeks after dozens of big companies in the United States, including Citibank, Chase, Capital One, Walgreens, Target, Best Buy, and Verizon, warned customers about the potential for targeted phishing attacks in the wake of a data breach at e-mail marketing service provider Epsilon.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iOS 4.3.2 arrives, fixes iPad 3G, FaceTime bugs]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ios-4-3-2-arrives-fixes-ipad-3g-facetime-bugs</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ios-4-3-2-arrives-fixes-ipad-3g-facetime-bugs</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 14 Apr 2011 07:10:19 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>winmatertaj23</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ios-4-3-2-arrives-fixes-ipad-3g-facetime-bugs</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Josh Lowensohn/CNET)This morning Apple released iOS 4.3.2, a build that promises to fix a bug that caused video to go blank or become frozen during FaceTime calls, as well another bug that kept some internationaliPad users with 3G models from connecting to local cellular networks. The new release also contains the latest security updates.The software is compatible with the GSM model of theiPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS, both generations of the iPad, and the third and fourth generations of the iPod Touch. Customers withVerizon iPhone 4s are receiving a different update dubbed 4.2.7, which addresses the same issues but doesn't include features specific to iOS 4.3.x, such as the new JavaScript engine for Safari and AirPlay support in third-party applications.A post by Boy Genius Report this time last week said iOS 4.3.2 was coming &quot;in about two weeks&quot; but was otherwise spot-on about it being just a bug fix update. What's unclear is whether this update addresses a problem that has been affecting users with iPad 2 units on Verizon's network who have had to reboot to re-enable 3G once it had been disabled. Apple said last week that it was investigating the issue. CNET contacted Apple to see if that particular issue had been sorted out as part of the 3G connectivity fix, but we hadn't heard back by publication time. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Energy Dept: Obama's plug-in autos goal on track]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=energy-dept-obamas-plug-in-autos-goal-on-track</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=energy-dept-obamas-plug-in-autos-goal-on-track</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Suzana</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=energy-dept-obamas-plug-in-autos-goal-on-track</guid>
<description><![CDATA[President Barack Obama's goal of having 1 million plug-in vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015 is on its way to being met, a Department of Energy official said today.&quot;It's looking good,&quot; said Assistant Energy Secretary David Sandalow when asked by reporters on the chances of meeting the goal set by Obama.&quot;If you look at the plans of the major automotive manufacturers, there's a clear pathway to a million vehicles,&quot; Sandalow said.Sandalow spoke to reporters after his keynote address to the Society of Automotive Engineers in Detroit.Obama's goal of 1 million plug-in electric and hybridcars by 2015 was a campaign pledge that he has restated since becoming president in January 2009. The goal was widely seen as well beyond optimistic forecasts for expansion of the alternative vehicles at the time, and there is skepticism that it can be met.&quot;The pace of innovation in this industry is extraordinary, and the interest around the world is extraordinary,&quot; he said. &quot;But, partly it depends on American entrepreneurship and innovation. That's always served us very well in the past and I think it will do so in the future.&quot;The DOE will soon announce how it will handle cuts to its energy efficiency and renewable energy program. He said he was not ready to say how much of those cuts will come in the automotive sector.The cuts will not slow the Obama administration's effort on energy efficiency, he said.&quot;We will march forward aggressively to promote clean energy, and we've got the budget to do it,&quot; Sandalow said.Story Copyright (c) 2011 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Speed tests: iPad 2 vs. PlayBook vs. Xoom]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=speed-tests-ipad-2-vs--playbook-vs--xoom</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=speed-tests-ipad-2-vs--playbook-vs--xoom</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Andre77hauser</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=speed-tests-ipad-2-vs--playbook-vs--xoom</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Screenshots allegedly reveal Windows 8 app store]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=screenshots-allegedly-reveal-windows-8-app-store</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=screenshots-allegedly-reveal-windows-8-app-store</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:10:17 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Johnny5401</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=screenshots-allegedly-reveal-windows-8-app-store</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A screenshot that apparently shows the upcoming Windows app store.(Credit:ZDNet)The latest batch of alleged Windows 8 screenshots leaked onto the Web shows that a long-rumored Windows app store will appear in the next version of Microsoft's OS.The new images and information were published yesterday by Chinese tech news site CNBeta.com. Reportedly taken from a current pre-beta build of Windows 8, the screenshots reveal a dedicated window geared toward downloading and managing apps with links to both Microsoft software and third-party programs, such as Internet Explorer, Office 2010,Firefox, Opera, FreeCell, and Angry Birds.Citing information from its sources, CNBeta also is claiming that internal testing of the store has been completed and that Microsoft will soon release it as a beta.Rumors and reports about an upcoming Windows app store have been around for almost a year. Based on a series of Windows 8 documents leaked last June, Microsoft has reportedly been eager to match Apple at its own game by offering its own dedicated app store.CNET sister site ZDNet, which also has published screenshots of the app store, said that Microsoft has been trying to ramp up the store since Apple unveiled its Mac App Store, which opened its virtual doors in January.Here is another screenshot of the alleged Windows app store.(Credit:ZDNet)The screenshots in English point to the name of the store as Windows App Store. If it sticks, that name is likely to upset Apple, which is suing Amazon for trademark violation over its use of the term &quot;app store&quot; for its new Android Appstore. Apple has also been pleading its case to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, asking to be granted an official trademark of the term &quot;app store.&quot; Microsoft and other companies have argued that the term is too generic to be trademarked.But Microsoft may still be playing it on the safe side in naming its Windows app store. An English translation of the Chinese name of the store on the CNBeta.com page displays the name as App Mall and not App Store. Meanwhile, Windows enthusiast site Windows 8 Center said the term can also be translated as App Marketplace.This latest batch of screenshots follow earlier images taken from a Windows 8 pre-beta build pointing to such new features as an expansion of the Ribbon interface, a new welcome screen, a built-in PDF reader, and a revamped version of IE that looks like its Windows Phone counterpart.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Schools supe: iPad more important than a book]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=schools-supe-ipad-more-important-than-a-book</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=schools-supe-ipad-more-important-than-a-book</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 10 Apr 2011 07:10:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bernardvvb</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=schools-supe-ipad-more-important-than-a-book</guid>
<description><![CDATA[TheiPad has enjoyed more than its fair share of hyperbole since its launch.However, perhaps the praise heaped upon it by a school superintendent from Auburn, Maine, might represent the pinnacle (thus far, at least).CNN and WGME reported that every elementary public school student in Auburn, Maine, will be getting a new iPad 2.The iPad will become a permanent tool of learning for these children.But perhaps those who haven't quite kept up with technology's pace will be perturbed at one comment made by Auburn schools Superintendent Tom Morrill. For he declared that the iPad is &quot;even more important than a book.&quot;Of course, the iPad contains within itself plenty of books. Even if those books can be quite hard to read in sunlight.But Morrill's contention seems to be that the days of the book as being held up as some indispensable tool of learning might just be coming to an end.Books have held such endearing power for a long time. So many people have been brought up to bury their noses in books in order to progress in life. It is as if within the world's libraries resided all the secrets of success, if only you could find them.Now it seems that other tools, using such revolutionary (and magical) elements such as pictures, colors, and things that move about and even talk to you with the mere touch of your finger, might become the new tools of education.Naturally, there will be those who will say that Morrill is just elated that he got a deal from Apple, giving him each iPad for a mere $475 a piece. Yes, almost a Groupon offering.There seems also to be those who believe that little kids will never be able to look after sophisticated gadgets like the iPad.But some might be cheered that even the youngest are now being taught using tomorrow's media, rather than those of centuries gone by.However, let's hope the supe keeps them away from any video games. For a recent study at Oxford University showed that gamers are much less likely to go to college.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[This week in Crave: The buck naked edition]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=this-week-in-crave-the-buck-naked-edition</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=this-week-in-crave-the-buck-naked-edition</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 09 Apr 2011 07:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>isauduongi</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=this-week-in-crave-the-buck-naked-edition</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The thing actually works!(Credit:Cary Norton)Too busy stripping down for your new job as a naked Web coder this week to keep up with Crave Here's what happened while you were ditching those uncomfortable business suits.  &amp;149' We sang the CDMA blues.  &amp;149' Scott took on the Nintendo 3DS--three weeks in.  &amp;149' We're leaving, on a jetpack.  &amp;149' Try looking tough sitting on this Swarovski-encrusted Harley.  &amp;149' DIY large-format Lego cam = camera heaven. &amp;149' Does this mean a game version of &quot;The Colbert Report&quot;  &amp;149' A MacBook case for bibliophiles. Word up. &amp;149' Holy joysticks! Old Atari classics getting new life on iOS devices. &amp;149' For still more nostalgia, sit on this. &amp;149' New marketing tool: &quot;Minority Report&quot;-style pitches. &amp;149' Predator camera system teaches itself how to hunt better.  &amp;149' What would you do without the Internet for 12 hours  As for what you'd do without Crave for that long, well, we don't even want to think about it! Got a story idea for us Write to us at crave at cnet dot com. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Gaze at the stars and play the arcade classics: iPhone apps of the week]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gaze-at-the-stars-and-play-the-arcade-classics-iphone-apps-of-the-week</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gaze-at-the-stars-and-play-the-arcade-classics-iphone-apps-of-the-week</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 2011 07:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>mariedelexz</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gaze-at-the-stars-and-play-the-arcade-classics-iphone-apps-of-the-week</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:CNET)In a CNET News story yesterday, our very own Josh Lowensohn explored Apple's recent patent application for an interesting touch-screen concept. The patent details separate smaller displays outside of the regulariPhone touch screen. According to the patent filing, these separate displays could be used in tandem with the main iPhone touch screen or used by developers to show added information in apps and games. Josh is careful to point out that patent applications don't necessarily mean a company will use an idea in a future product, but they are nonetheless interesting to consider.Obviously, adding separate screens would open up all kinds of options for apps, but I wonder if these areas would be used by Apple for showing things like battery life, current time, camera information, or other more generic smartphone-related uses. But if these added touch-screen areas could be used by app developers, it would open up a huge number of possibilities for more interesting on-screen controls and other information widgets related to what's happening on-screen.Even without knowing whether this will come to light, what sort of uses can you envision for extra displays around the main iPhone screen Let me know your ideas in the comments.This week's apps include an app for star gazing that uses augmented-reality technology and an app that lets you play classic arcade and console games from the golden age of gaming.Simply point your iPhone at the sky and you&amp;39'll quickly find planets and stars you recognize.(Credit:Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)SkyView (99 cents) lets you use your iPhone camera view to create an augmented-reality view of the sky complete with constellations, planets, and satellites. Simply launch the app and point your iPhone camera skyward to see constellations and other celestial bodies where they are in real time. You also can touch planets, stars, and constellations to get more info and history at the bottom of the screen.While you can spend plenty of time simply pointing in different directions and viewing celestial bodies, SkyView offers a few more handy features for finding what you want. You can use the search tool to quickly bring up an alphabetized list of celestial bodies, with buttons across the bottom of the interface to narrow your search to planets in our solar system--stars, constellations, or satellites. The search results let you know which celestial bodies are above or below the horizon in your location, making it easy to find things you can actually see.Another extra lets you enter the date and time to see what's in the night sky. This acts as a sort of time machine, letting you view the position of stars and planets on a specific day and determine whether you'll be able to see a planet as it passes closer to Earth, for example. But even just using the current date and time, SkyView lets you &quot;scrub&quot; forward on the moon's path, for instance, to see where it will be positioned later that day.Overall, by using augmented reality, the iPhone accelerometer, and gyroscope technology, SkyView is an excellent way to identify celestial bodies, satellites, and constellations right from your iPhone. If you've ever wanted to know what you're looking at in the night sky, this app is the perfect stargazer's companion.It&amp;39's great to see the sights and hear the sounds of Tempest, but the controls are not perfect.(Credit:Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)Atari's Greatest Hits (free with in-app purchases) lets you relive the early history of video gaming, giving you tons of old-school arcade and Atari 2600 hits on your iPhone. But it's not without flaws. Games like the original Asteroids, Tempest, Gravitar, Crystal Castle, and many more are available via in-app purchases packaged with their associated Atari 2600 games and some extras. In other words, the Atari Greatest Hits app itself is free, but if you want to play Tempest, for example, you'll need to buy the Tempest pack (99 cents), which comes with Tempest, Tempest for Atari 2600, Outlaw (2600), and Video Cube (2600). You also have the option to buy all the packs in one shot for $14.99 giving you more than 100 old-school games.Upon first launch of an old favorite, you're bound to be excited to see the same graphics and hear the same sounds you may remember from the classic days of gaming, but once you start playing, that initial excitement will probably wear off quickly.The problem with playing these old games on the iPhone is the small screen size and limited control schemes for each game. As an example, Tempest, which was originally played with a spinnable knob and a fire button in the stand-up version, is controlled using a vertical slider on the left side of the screen and a fire button on the right. Even after a few plays, I was never able to get the slider to move the way I wanted it to, forcing me to try over and over to move around the board on levels I used to be able to beat easily in the original. Unfortunately, most of these classic games share similar issues.Overall, Atari's Greatest Hits offers somewhat stunted iPhone versions of the old classics, along with several Atari 2600 titles. Sadly, after playing these old greats the new way, you might find your rose-colored nostalgia tainted. Certainly, some of the more popular titles like Adventure, Combat, and other Atari 2600 hits will be fun to play a couple times, but for the most part, the control schemes and dated games seem to be more for nostalgia than for actual lasting entertainment.Around the Web, I've noticed that Atari's Greatest Hits is being reviewed fairly favorably, but for me--a gamer who used to load my quarters and tokens up at the arcade machines of old--this collection is ultimately a disappointment to play, if a cool novelty. I should point out that my CNET colleague, Christopher MacManus agrees in his first take, but suggests that theiPad versions are much more palatable.What's your favorite iPhone app How do you like using augmented reality to see the night sky Am I being too hard on Atari's Greatest Hits Let me know in the comments!<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple wins reversal in Cover Flow patent case]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-wins-reversal-in-cover-flow-patent-case</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-wins-reversal-in-cover-flow-patent-case</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>grydarmon89</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-wins-reversal-in-cover-flow-patent-case</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Apple has come out the victor in a three-year-old patent infringement suit that would have cost the company more than $625 million for infringing on patents held by Mirror Worlds. The case, in which a jury had found Apple liable last October, targeted the Cover Flow, Spotlight search, and Time Machine features found in Apple'sMac OS. The October jury ruling was fought by the Cupertino, Calif.-based technology company with an emergency motion to stay. In that motion, Apple said the damages were too high and urged the court to re-evaluate the evidence. In the court's ruling today, which was picked up by Bloomberg, the case was turned in Apple's favor. In the conclusion section of the court's findings, U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis noted that while the jury's take on the case is important, the group might have been swayed by Mirror Worlds' argument, which the court was not sold on factually:&quot;The jury often relies on the representations of parties, who bear the burden of being accurate and complete and living up to the representations they make to the jury. No matter how attractive a party paints the facade of its case, it is worthless without the requisite foundational support. It is the Court's job to inspect that foundation, and where it has not been properly laid under the law, to set aside the verdict to protect the reliability of our jury system. In this case, Mirror Worlds may have painted an appealing picture for the jury, but it failed to lay a solid foundation sufficient to support important elements it was required to establish under the law. Accordingly, the Court rejects Mirror Worlds' case as to infringement and damages, while affirming it as to validity and inequitable conduct.&quot;Mirror Worlds was founded by Yale University computer-science Professor David Gelernter. In its original claim, the company had accused Apple of infringing on its patents with its Mac OS X operating systems going back to 10.4 &quot;Tiger,&quot; as well as in its iOS devices including theiPhone, iPods andiPad. An Apple representative declined to comment, and legal representatives for Mirror Worlds did not immediately respond to a request for comment.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Time Warner Cable boosts iPad app channel lineup]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=time-warner-cable-boosts-ipad-app-channel-lineup</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=time-warner-cable-boosts-ipad-app-channel-lineup</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:10:42 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>georgewego</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=time-warner-cable-boosts-ipad-app-channel-lineup</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Time Warner Cable&amp;39's iPad app.(Credit:Time Warner Cable)Making good on its promise to fill the void left by yesterday's removal of nearly a dozen channels from itsiPad app, Time Warner Cable has added 24 new ones.Sixteen of the new channels are immediately available to all customers' three local channels are only available to users in the Austin and New York markets, according to the company. Included in the main list are news stations like CNN, C-SPAN, and MSNBC, along with entertainment diversions like the Food Network and Travel Channel. Joining that list by tomorrow morning are five more including Bloomberg, Sprout, Hallmark Movie, Current, and TruTV. Facing mounting legal pressure from News Corp., Viacom, and Discovery, Time Warner Cable yesterday announced the immediate removal of 11 of its channels from those networks. The company vowed it would fight to get the cooperation of those networks, but said that it was removing the offending channels in the interim. Time Warner Cable's iPad app arrived on Apple's App Store a little more than two weeks ago, and has since been download 300,000 times, according to the company. Using the app, people who are subscribers of Time Warner Cable's TV and Internet services can watch live TV while on a Wi-Fi network. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: Amazon exploring mobile payments via NFC]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-amazon-exploring-mobile-payments-via-nfc</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-amazon-exploring-mobile-payments-via-nfc</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:10:26 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>frank10sm</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-amazon-exploring-mobile-payments-via-nfc</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Yet another company looks to be testing the waters of near-field communication for mobile payments. This time it's Amazon.com, who in a report by Bloomberg today, is said to be exploring the possibility of enabling such a service for smartphones. The report cites sources who asked not to be named. The report goes on to say that Amazon will decide whether or not to pursue the project in the next three to five months.Amazon already has a business division that enables mobile payments. But incorporating near-field communications, or NFC, chips would allow users to wave their phone over a terminal or price tag to either pay for an item or find a different size or color of the item on Amazon's own store.If the online retailer does opt to go that route, they'll likely be joining some of the biggest names in tech. Google has already been selling a phone, the Nexus S, with NFC chips installed, and is reportedly testing a service in New York and San Francisco. Microsoft is also said to be planning to include NFC technology in a future phone withWindows Phone 7, and Apple has been rumored for almost a year to have something similar in the works.Samsung and Visa have also said they'll be facilitating mobile payments via NFC on smartphones during the summer Olympics in London next year.Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[My first look at the Kyocera Echo]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=my-first-look-at-the-kyocera-echo</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=my-first-look-at-the-kyocera-echo</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:10:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aedjeex</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=my-first-look-at-the-kyocera-echo</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Get your game in with the Echo's larger player view(Credit:Bonnie Cha/CNET)ORLANDO, Fla.--In addition to delivering lots of new phones, trade shows like CTIA 2011 offer an opportunity to see any recent models that haven't yet to passed through your hands. This year,CTIA was my first chance to handle the Kyocera Echo, the dual-screen Android handset for Sprint. I wasn't able to join Bonnie Cha for last month's launch event in New York City--check out Bonnie's original take on the device--so I had breakfast with Kyocera's PR team to see the smartphone up close.After Sprint's bizarre unveiling event--was a performance by Blaine really necessary--the reaction from tech gadget reviewers and many CNET readers was largely a mixture of &quot;huh&quot; and outright dismissal. Other people were intrigued (see our poll). I didn't talk to anyone that had no opinion at all.From the outside, the Echo looks like a random smartphone with only one 3.5-inch display visible. Yet, the Echo's identity rests on its unique second display that pivots out from behind to form one 4.7-inch screen. A seam runs between them, but they're flush and they snap tightly together. The long-term durability of the hinge worries me a bit, so I'll have to check back after the Echo has been in the field for a few months.Dual screens on the Kyocera Echo Pushing my preconceptions aside, I was struck by just how well the screens work together. In the &quot;tablet mode,&quot; for example, you can stretch one app to span both screens. That's particularly useful for features like the Web browser and Google Maps, where more real estate is beneficial. The seam does block long finger swipes, but it wasn't distracting otherwise. Also, the touch interface on both screens was responsive.I then tried using the &quot;optimized mode,&quot; where one display shows the app and the other shows user controls. It was great, for example, to have separate screens for the virtual keyboard and your message writing area. The mailbox, camera, and photo gallery are three other features that work in optimized mode, and gamers can get two player views at once. &quot;Simultasking,&quot; which will allow you to use different apps side-by-side, is another benefit of the two screens. It won't work with all features, but I liked the idea nonetheless.The Echo's other features are a mixed bag. You get a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, a 5-megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording, and mobile hot-spot capabilities (up to five devices), but the device is stuck on Android 2.2 for now and it doesn't support Sprint's WiMax network.So what's my takeaway I admit that I was pleasantly surprised at how well the concept came together. I was pretty skeptical of the Echo prior to Orlando--forgive me for being a cynic, but that's how I roll--but I left the meeting seeing the device's potential. Like Bonnie said in her original report, the Echo is a handset you have to see in the flesh to really understand. Without a doubt it will be a niche device, and it will need to deliver enough battery life to power the two screens, but I urge you to give it a chance.At CTIA, Kyocera also unveiled a developer's program  for the Echo.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[FCC, not free market, best for spectrum auction]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fcc-not-free-market-best-for-spectrum-auction</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fcc-not-free-market-best-for-spectrum-auction</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Mar 2011 07:10:57 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>agreemJar</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fcc-not-free-market-best-for-spectrum-auction</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Editors' note: This is a guest column. See Steve Largent's bio below.In the last few weeks, I have read a number of op-eds claiming that reallocation of broadcast spectrum for wireless use should be left to the free market. While I am a fervent believer in free markets and limited government, there are rare instances in which government involvement is necessary. I agree with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski on his proposal that managing the incentive process to voluntarily reclaim broadcast licenses and repack the spectrum is an area that absolutely requires FCC leadership and experience.When the FCC assumed responsibility in 1927 to determine the license holders for the nation's spectrum, there were only a few licensees. Today, and largely driven by the wireless industry, spectrum is a scarce commodity that commands billions when auctioned. To ensure that this finite resource is put to its highest and best use, the federal government acts as manager and aggregator of the licenses. For wireless, it identifies spectrum bands that are nationally, and sometimes internationally, harmonized once underused spectrum is identified and license holders are moved (or repackaged). With thousands of license holders across the country, including broadcasters, it's a challenging task but one the government does well to ensure interference-free service. Once the spectrum bands are free,CTIA members will bid against all participants for the right to purchase the spectrum for billions of dollars through federal government auctions. This spurs the &quot;virtuous cycle&quot; of innovation and competition. When spectrum is available, wireless providers develop and upgrade their networks, devices, services, and content. Ultimately, consumers benefit by our continuous offering of the world's best wireless products and services.Since spectrum is a valuable and finite resource, we must evaluate every single license holder to ensure each is efficiently using its bands. In recognition of this column's own finite space, let's look at our members, then the broadcasters. Facts show that the U.S. wireless industry has the most efficient providers in the world. We have three times more mobile subscribers than any one of these countries: Japan, South Korea, Germany, the U.K., France, Italy, Spain, and Canada. Americans talk on mobile devices more than 830 minutes per month, twice as many as in the closest country, yet the average revenue per minute is 4 cents, half that of the closest country. Despite leading these other countries in usage and value, many of these countries' governments are dedicating large bands of spectrum for their wireless industries because they recognize that mobile broadband is a key economic driver. Germany just auctioned 350MHz of new spectrum, Japan has identified 400MHz of spectrum for reallocation, and the U.K. has identified 355MHz. Italy, France, Canada, and Spain have each identified more than 250MHz of new spectrum for reallocation for their respective wireless industries. Right now, the U.S. has less than 50MHz that could be auctioned. This equation doesn't add up if we want to keep leading the world's mobile revolution. Broadcasters, and a few others, suggest that government mechanisms to facilitate the reallocation of spectrum aren't necessary and that reallocation should be left to the free market. This won't work either. If we are to ensure the highest and best use of spectrum, the FCC must play a role in the reallocation and repacking of broadcast spectrum, as it has proposed to do. As part of the FCC's National Broadband Plan, more than 120MHz of spectrum was identified for reallocation from the broadcasters. Currently, the broadcasters have 294MHz in each market, and much of it is unused. In our recent white paper, we conservatively estimated that the auctions of broadcast spectrum reclaimed through a voluntary mechanism would gross at least $36 billion for the federal government. This process would keep free over-the-air broadcast service while the industry would pay billions to the U.S. Treasury and billions more to the U.S. economy to deploy new technologies. Ultimately, consumers continue to get the world's best products and services. Everyone wins. The FCC rightfully plays a critical role in the voluntary broadcast incentive auction process because it works for everyone involved. Let's work with the FCC and move quickly to get this valuable spectrum to auction--the first step will be legislation that authorizes an incentive auction--so that the U.S. wireless industry can remain the world's leader and continue to offer our consumers the best mobile experience.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Japanese quake not the curse of the super moon]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=japanese-quake-not-the-curse-of-the-super-moon</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=japanese-quake-not-the-curse-of-the-super-moon</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 12 Mar 2011 08:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>winpnozi6sm</dc:creator>
<category>Social</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=japanese-quake-not-the-curse-of-the-super-moon</guid>
<description><![CDATA[There are those who believe that a full moon puts them in a strange mood and even causes them to behave in a peculiar manner.Some, though, want to credit the moon with even greater powers. A week before the earthquake in Japan, there was already consternation in some quarters about the so-called super moon. This will occur on March 19 when the moon comes extremely close to the earth. In relative terms, that is 221,567 miles, to be a little more precise.Headlines were already being written featuring the evocative word &quot;Moonageddon&quot; relying on the prognostications of astronomers or, perhaps, astrologists.Some astronomers such as David Reneke wanted to dampen the fears.&quot;If you try hard enough, you can chronologically associate almost any natural disaster/event to anything in the night sky...comet, planet, sun,&quot; he told news.com.au.(Credit:Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)However, Victor Gostin, planetary and environmental geoscientist at Adelaide University, offered the thought that there might be some kind of link between moons and earthquakes.&quot;This is because the Earth-tides (analogous to ocean tides) may be the final trigger that sets off the earthquake,&quot; he told news.com.au.Moreover, 11 days ago, Mark Paquette--on the Accuweather blog--also suggested there might be some connection. He wrote that there were super moons in 1955, 1974, 1992, and 2005 and, in each of these years, there were extreme events of nature--of one kind or another.Within days of the 2005 super moon, for example, a 9.0 earthquake struck Indonesia. Then there was Hurricane Katrina later that year.Last week, just nine days before another super moon, came the Japanese earthquake, killing perhaps thousands of people and triggering a horrific tsunami. It is said to be the fifth largest earthquake ever recorded.The Discover blog Bad Astronomy offers that it is simply impossible for any moon, super or otherwise, to have caused the Japanese earthquake. For the very simple reason that the Earth was last week nowhere near its closest point to the moon, technically called its perigee. Indeed, it was actually further away that average.Yes, the blog says, the moon can affect tides but not in some gargantuan manner.John S. Whalley, geoscience program manager at the University of Portsmouth in the U.K., also suggested an important argument to the Daily Mail: &quot;The real test is to look at the vast numbers of earthquakes of all magnitudes that occur on a daily basis worldwide.&quot;In essence, if you want to believe that the moon caused this earthquake, how do you explain earthquakes in Chile or HaitiNASA astronomer Dave Williams told ABC News that all talk of super moons was obvious nonsense: &quot;It was basically a normal day on Earth as far as the lunar gravity and tidal forces were concerned. Unless the Earth somehow 'knew' the super moon was coming, I can't imagine any scientific connection between the two events.&quot; However, Richard Nolle, who created the term &quot;super moon,&quot; still believes they have a considerable influence on major natural events on Earth.On his Twitter feed, Nolle posted March 9 this--to some, no doubt, ominous tweet: &quot;SuperMoon - the truth, straight from the source - http://www.astropro.com/forecast/predict/2011-all.htmlSuperMoon - get ready for 3/16-3/22.&quot;In the post to which he linked, he offered that precise dates were, in practice, inaccurate. He suggested a certain leeway should always be given.He has not, so far as I can find, tweeted or posted to his blog after the Japanese quake. And I cannot find anyone with any scientific credibility who would support the notion that moons, super or not, caused the Japanese quake.Indeed, some put it even more starkly. Space.com, having spoken to U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist John Bellini offered the opinion that talk of an influential super moon merely proves that astrology is simply not a science.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Facebook beefs up Like button]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-beefs-up-like-button</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-beefs-up-like-button</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 27 Feb 2011 08:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>EffoxDeek</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-beefs-up-like-button</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Facebook&amp;39's new Like presentation, along with the older Recommend presentation.(Credit:Screenshot by Steven Musil/CNET)Is Facebook getting ready to show its Share button the doorThe social-networking giant recently released an update that adds Share button functionality to the Like button, perhaps presaging the phasing out of the Share button. When a Facebook user clicks the Like or Recommend button on a third-party site, a full feed story with headline, blurb, and thumbnail is generated on the user's wall. Users will also have the option of commenting on it.Previously, unless third-party publishers chose the Like with Comment version of the button for their site, users got only a link to the story in their recent activity section on their wall. Now the Like, Share, and Recommend buttons will all generate the full story with headline, blurb, and thumbnail.The change should drive more referral traffic to third-party sites and perhaps reduce user confusion over how the buttons work. But because the content will now be more prominent on user's walls, some may be more reluctant to click the Like button. Facebook is apparently no longer supporting development of the Share button, having removed it from the developers documentation section of the site, and a search for Facebook Share in the developers section redirects to the Like button documentation page. Facebook representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Optimus Prime: Hero, guardian, lousy car parker]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=optimus-prime-hero-guardian-lousy-car-parker</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=optimus-prime-hero-guardian-lousy-car-parker</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:10:42 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>RobertsAccs</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=optimus-prime-hero-guardian-lousy-car-parker</guid>
<description><![CDATA[&amp;34'Autobots! Transform and roll...Ah, crap, really I told you all this was a metered spot.&amp;34'(Credit:@terrordrome)Optimus Prime is maybe the most famous Transformer of all. Nearly every rendition and interpretation of the Autobots has him in charge. He's wise, loyal, heroic, and, apparently, a crappy car parker.Indeed, the truck that occasionally portrays Optmius in Michael Bay's insane Transformers films is in NYC this week to promote the latest at Toy Fair 2011 (which we're all over), and a Twitter user with the awesome handle @terrordrome tweeted a photo of him outside (though the tweet is now missing). And later he noticed something: a parking ticket, as BoingBoing pointed out.We're not sure if the parking attendant didn't realize what he or she was doing, if there was some forgotten permit, or if Prime is just too badass to care about a ticket, but it's funny all the same. We're hoping the leader of the Autobots challenges it in court. Who's going to ask a 65-foot-tall heavily armed alien robot to pay the $110 fine Not any judge I've met.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Rumor: iPhone 5 to feature A5 processor, iPad 2 stays with A4]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rumor-iphone-5-to-feature-a5-processor-ipad-2-stays-with-a4</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rumor-iphone-5-to-feature-a5-processor-ipad-2-stays-with-a4</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:10:36 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bioujungnya</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rumor-iphone-5-to-feature-a5-processor-ipad-2-stays-with-a4</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The oft-quoted DigiTimes, a Taiwanese tech industry favorite publication, has revealed that Apple is outsourcing the production of its A5 processor chip, which many expect will be based on the ARM Cortex A9 design and used in the forthcomingiPhone 5, to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.AppleInsider reports that Apple's A4 chip is currently produced by Samsung Electronics, but the move to Taiwan Semiconductor for production of the A5 chip is because of Samsung's inability to keep up with Apple's supply demands.This rumor follows many regarding Apple's iPhone lineup, including a larger, 4-inch screen and an iPhone Nano.The DigiTimes report also speculates that theiPad 2 will retain use of the current A4 chip, though it will be an enhanced version of it. The iPhone 5 will be the first to sport the new A5 chip.What's on your wish list of hardware features for iPhone 5 and iPad 2 Let me know in the comments!<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Bing now taps user location, history for relevance]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bing-now-taps-user-location-history-for-relevance</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bing-now-taps-user-location-history-for-relevance</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Samya01</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bing-now-taps-user-location-history-for-relevance</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Bing now knows a little bit more about where you are, and where you've been.Earlier today, Microsoft announced that Bing now makes use of user location to change the way search results are ordered. This means if you search for something like a restaurant, it will guess that you're looking for a match nearby where the search is being made and will automatically serve up items that fall into that category.Google added a similar feature to its search tool in February of last year, after having introduced it to its mobile search two months prior. Joining the location feature is a tweak to how the search engine orders results on searches that have been done in the past. If you had clicked on a result lower down from the top, Bing will put it at the top the next time you do that same search. In a blog post outlining some of the changes, Aidan Crook and Sanaz Ahari from Bing's search team said the reason for changing this particular behavior is that when users are searching to find particular sites by name, they tend to do the same thing when they do the search again.&quot;Our research shows that users commonly re-issue such navigational queries and the intent of that user rarely changes,&quot; the post said. &quot;This new personal search feature uses this human behavior as its core premise - if Bing thinks a user is trying to 're-find' a site, the relevant result is promoted to the top position on the page.&quot;Microsoft says both features are currently available only to Bing users in the U.S.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Recyclable school building makes the grade]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=recyclable-school-building-makes-the-grade</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=recyclable-school-building-makes-the-grade</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Feb 2011 08:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Irinaeis</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=recyclable-school-building-makes-the-grade</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A Gen7 School at Bolsa Knolls Middle School in Salinas, Calif.(Credit:American Modular Systems)Could prefab structures be a quick and cost-saving way to get U.S. students out of dilapidated and energy-sucking schoolsA recent award to a Gen7 school building, made by American Modular Systems, seems to signal that modular classrooms have moved beyond being ad hoc building solutions for developing nations.For the first time in California, a prefab building has been awarded national Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) certification for new school construction. CHPS certification is awarded to those schools that meet specific health, comfort, maintenance, and environmental sustainability standards.&quot;The Gen7 classroom proves that a prefab structure can achieve the same desired high performance results as a conventional building,&quot; CHPS Executive Director Bill Orr said in a statement.The Bolsa Knolls Middle School in Salinas, Calif., which has added a Gen7 school building that will house classrooms, met the CHPS requirements. The building will hold six classrooms totaling 5,760 square feet, and it reportedly will exceed the California Title 24 Energy Code by more than 30 percent. The permanent structure was designed and built in about 60 days, according to Gen 7.Features of the building include: smart lighting, Energy Star-rated tubular skylights, thermal ventilation, and interiors made from low- and no-VOC (volatile organic compounds) materials. The building is 100 percent recyclable, and made almost entirely of recycled materials.Whether the idea takes off across the nation remains to be seen, but some California school districts, at least, seem to be interested. In addition to Bolsa Knolls, the Santa Rita Union School District has ordered eight Gen7 classrooms and a restroom facility slated for installation in June 2011, according to American Modular Systems.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA['Green asphalt' layers cool surface on school lot]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=green-asphalt-layers-cool-surface-on-school-lot</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=green-asphalt-layers-cool-surface-on-school-lot</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jan 2011 08:10:53 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Suzana</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=green-asphalt-layers-cool-surface-on-school-lot</guid>
<description><![CDATA[What's light green, sprayed on top of asphalt, and lowers the temperature of parking lots by 30 degrees If you went to school at Robert L. Duffy school in Phoenix, you'd know the answer. Late last month, the charter school became the testing ground for &quot;green asphalt,&quot; a concrete-based reflective covering designed to make asphalt surfaces cooler and more durable.A school 'goes green' with cooler pavement (photos) View the full galleryPhoenix-based Emerald Cities installed the coating at the school to demonstrate the viability of the technology to city leaders and contractors, company CEO Sheri Roese said yesterday.As part of its efforts to be carbon neutral, the school had its parking lot resurfaced to lower the energy needed for cooling adjacent buildings and make the parking lot more comfortable for students during lunch and recess. On very hot days, temperatures of lots can get so hot--sometimes topping 200 degrees Fahrenheit--that the asphalt will begin to soften and offgas, Roese said. The lighter &quot;cool pavement&quot; can reduce temperatures by 30 degrees to 40 degrees, according to Emerald Cities.The idea of using reflective materials to lower temperatures locally and as a tool against global warming is gaining ground. Last month, the Department of Energy installed a &quot;cool roof&quot; on one of its buildings, a white-colored coating that replaced a roof in need of replacing. A cooler roof can mean a 10 percent to 15 percent reduction in the cooling load, DOE under secretary Cathy Zoi said in a blog.In aggregate, cool roofs (PDF) can make a significant difference on energy use and act as a way to reflect heat back into space, according to researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. They estimated that if just over three quarters of commercial buildings were covered with cool roofs, the reduction in air conditioning load would be the equivalent of taking a millionscars off the road, or 6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, Zoi said. Lawrence Berkeley now is working with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and he California Energy Commission on the Cool Colors Project to research and develop cool-colored roofing materials. Nano-engineered concreteEmerald Cities' Roese said she was inspired by the cool roofs' work at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs to make a reflective material for pavements.The company has developed a line of coatings with colors ranging from gray to a sage green that can be used to cover existing asphalt. It is also working to develop a clear, reflective coating that would address concerns over glare on roadways, Roese said &quot;After researching it, we realized [reflective materials] would be a wonderful way to curb CO2 and heat and prevent smog [from offgassing]. It's just that people are not focused on it. They don't realize that color holds the key to some carbon emission and heat reductions,&quot; she said.To make the coating, reflective pigments are dissolved in a special type of concrete engineered to be much stronger than traditional concrete, Roese said. This concrete is nano engineered to create a dense silica structure of tiny crystals that makes concrete stronger. Because it's stronger than regular concrete, a thin layer, just a fraction of an inch thick, can be applied to surfaces and last for five to eight years, Roese said. The cost is one dollar per square foot, plus labor.  The coating can be sprayed on, rolled on with painting rollers, or pressed on with a squeegee-like applicator, depending of the thickness. The installation at the school was done with sprayers similar to those used by swimming pool professionals and house painters.For municipalities, cool pavements can be part of sustainability efforts and address the urban heat island effect, where built-up areas are hotter than rural areas. Colors can be chosen for decorative purposes and put on pavement such as crosswalks or bike paths and even walls, said Roese, a former surface designer who worked with architects. &quot;When I saw you could paint with this and we could stop this march toward destroying the Earth, that was it. This is a calling for me,&quot; she said.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Senate to try again on controversial antipiracy bill]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=senate-to-try-again-on-controversial-antipiracy-bill</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=senate-to-try-again-on-controversial-antipiracy-bill</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rasparuck768</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=senate-to-try-again-on-controversial-antipiracy-bill</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The U.S. Senate judiciary committee will take another crack at arming the government with broad antipiracy powers. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the judiciary committee's chairman, said today that the government must take action against &quot;online criminals&quot; who harm American jobs by obtaining the nation's intellectual property without paying for it. Leahy made the statements as he laid out the committee's agenda for this session of Congress. In September, Leahy introduced legislation called the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act, which could boast bipartisan support and unanimously passed in the judiciary committee, but failed to pass in a full Senate vote. &quot;Online infringement costs our national economy billions of dollars every year,&quot; Leahy said, according to a transcript of his speech. &quot;Our intellectual property-based businesses are among the most productive in our economy and among its best employers. We cannot stand by and see them ravaged, and American consumers subjected to counterfeits. We will renew our effort this year.&quot;Among the bill's supporters are the Motion Picture Association of America, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Recording Industry Association of America. Among the legislation's opponents are the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Distributed Computing Industry Association, and American Civil Liberties Union, who say the bill is little more than censorship.Under the proposed legislation, the Justice Department would file a civil action against accused pirate domain names. If the domain name resides in the U.S., the attorney general could request that the domain name in question be seized. The bill would also authorize the attorney general to order other specified third parties, such as Internet service providers, payment processors, and online ad network providers, to take action against pirate sites. For example, ISPs could be ordered to block access in this country to file-sharing sites based overseas or order Visa to stop taking processing transactions from the sites. The legislation's supporters in the entertainment industry say its introduction has already produced benefits. Last month, CNET reported that Mastercard was willing to stop processing transactions from sites trafficking in pirated music, movies, games, and other digital copyrighted content and would support Leahy's bill. Meanwhile, others have been less than supportive. The major ISPs have yet to weigh in on the issue but some executives from the sector have told me they are skeptical of Leahy's chances at getting his bill passed anytime soon. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Ford unveils the all-electric Focus]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-ford-unveils-the-all-electric-focus</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-ford-unveils-the-all-electric-focus</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:10:49 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>duoutras</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-ford-unveils-the-all-electric-focus</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Alan Mulally shows enthusiasm for the Focus Electric by kissing the hood.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)Ford Focus Electric (photos) LAS VEGAS--Ford choseCES 2011 as the venue to introduce its all-electric Focus. Thecar, based on the 2012 Focus model being introduced this year, is actually Ford's second electric vehicle, as it has already begun delivering electric versions of its Transit Connect utility vehicle.Ford has been reluctant to state a range figure for the electric Focus, as it is still undergoing EPA testing, but a spokesman told us it would go up to 100 miles. The car uses a 23 kilowatt-hour liquid cooled lithium-ion battery pack and has a top speed of 84 mph. What differentiates it from other electric cars on or coming to market is that recharge time from empty to full should take from 3 to 4 hours when plugged into a 240 volt source, half the charge time of the Nissan Leaf. Ford achieved this figure by including a more robust onboard charger.Ford will also make available a 240 volt charging station, with installation through Best Buy. This station is designed with two components, one hard-wired bracket and the charging unit, which plugs into the bracket. This arrangement allows flexibility, letting the Focus Electric owner take the charging unit to a new garage, only needing to purchase a new bracket.Along with a version of Ford's MyFord Touch dashboard interface designed specifically for electric vehicles, there is also an app called MyFord Mobile that lets owners set charging times and remotely unlock the doors, among other functions. The dashboard includes a screen that shows an increasing amount of butterflies as the car is driven more efficiently, much like the tree display in the Nissan Leaf.The Ford Focus Electric becomes available in November of 2011, where it will compete with the Nissan Leaf and the Mitsubishi iMiev.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Green Plug plugs digital, efficient power supply]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-green-plug-plugs-digital-efficient-power-supply</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-green-plug-plugs-digital-efficient-power-supply</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:10:50 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>reuckbugsabah</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-green-plug-plugs-digital-efficient-power-supply</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It's time to digitize power supplies to make them smart enough to work with multiple devices and draw only the power that electronics need, according to start-up Green Plug.Green Plug today at the Consumer Electronics Show introduced its Green Power Processor, which it said will be available in the second quarter.A concept design of a universal power supply that would optimize power delivery to multiple electronic gadgets.(Credit:Green Plug)The Green Power Processor is a chip designed for digital power supplies, which are meant to be more versatile and efficient than existing analog power adapters. When built into a power supply, the processor can detect how much voltage and power a device, such as a PC or TV, needs from the grid. That allows electronics to use less energy overall than analog power supplies and to eliminate stand-by or vampire power. Green Plug, founded in 2006 and based in San Ramon, Calif., is marketing this processor to power supply manufacturers as a way to improve energy efficiency. Power adapters, or supplies, convert alternating current from the grid to the direct current that electronics use.The company's technology also allows for a single power adapter to serve multiple devices, which would more convenient to consumers, according to the company.&quot;Chip makers and power supply manufacturers now have the technology they need to undertake the transition from clunky black bricks and wall warts to sleek, efficient digital power adapter architectures capable of exchanging information between the power source and the load and adjusting power use according to product need,&quot; Green Plug CEO Frank Paniagua said in a statement.In October, Green Plug partner U.K.-based Imagination Technologies said its Pure subsidiary will make a digital radio using Green Plug technology to improve the environmental impact of its products.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Nvidia unveils site for 3D video, photos, sports]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-nvidia-unveils-site-for-3d-video-photos-sports</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-nvidia-unveils-site-for-3d-video-photos-sports</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>AspisaMypsupt</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-nvidia-unveils-site-for-3d-video-photos-sports</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Nvidia&amp;39's new site for showcasing and rating 3D content.(Credit:Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)Graphics chipmaker Nvidia, eager to hasten the arrival of the 3D graphics era and spur demand for new 3D hardware, today unveiled a site for content called 3DVisionLive.At the site, people can share their own 3D photos and see more from professional photographers' watch short videos, trailers, and sports' and rate the content they see. The site supports Nvidia's 3D Vision technology and old-school anaglyph technology with the blue and red glasses.3D is a theme at CES this year--and not for the first time. Moving the industry is a massive undertaking that involves content creation, content distribution, and any number of hardware support and compatibility issues.&quot;The goal of 3DVisionLive.com is to create an online community where users can experience the best applications and content for 3D PCs,&quot; said Phil Eisler, general manager of 3D Vision, in a statement. &quot;Now photo and video professionals and enthusiasts will see the future of their profession or passion in 3D with an easy-to-use Web site.&quot;A quick glance at the site reveals some imagery that one might expect to appeal to the stereotypical gaming nerd who pays for premium graphics technology--photos of scantily clad women and stills from various video games. There also are plenty of landscape and other subjects with potentially broader appeal.Videos cover sporting subjects such as surfing, mountain biking, flying, and racing. Here, too, video game content and &quot;Bikini Carwash&quot; duke it out with nature documentaries for setting the tone.Nvidia announced the site at the Consumer Electronics Show, taking place this week in Las Vegas.Also at the show, Nvidia will demonstrate several new PCs and displays with 3D Vision.One will be the Asus All-in-One PC ET2400XVT, available now for sale online. It has a 23.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, multitouch display, a Blu-ray drive, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M GPU.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Home solar costs falling with industry scale]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=home-solar-costs-falling-with-industry-scale</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=home-solar-costs-falling-with-industry-scale</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Dec 2010 08:11:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Nina01</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=home-solar-costs-falling-with-industry-scale</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study finds that the price of installing residential solar photovoltaic systems has fallen due to cheaper solar panels and improved industry efficiency.The study (PDF) published today finds that system installation costs fell 30 percent from 1998 to 2009. The data, representing 70 percent of grid-tied solar electric installations across the U.S., also noted that &quot;dramatic&quot; cost reductions have been seen in 2010.In the first ten months of 2010, the installed cost of solar PV systems fell by $1 per watt (DC), or a 14 percent drop in California, and by $1.20 per watt in New Jersey, which a 16 percent reduction. California is by far the largest market for solar PV in the U.S. with about three-quarters of installations, followed by New Jersey with 12 percent.A solar photovoltaic array in Massachusetts.(Credit:SunRun)In 1998, the cost to have solar panels installed was $10.80 per watt. The price in the first 10 months of 2010 in California and New Jersey was about $6 per watt, although prices vary significantly in other states, the study found.Consumers in Germany and Japan, where there are large-scale solar manufacturing and government incentives, paid a bit less than U.S. consumers. In 2009, homeowners in Germany paid under $5 per watt installed, while their counterparts in Japan paid about $6 per watt.The costs in Germany and Japan suggest that further near-term cost reductions are possible, according to the Lawrence Berkeley Lab. That is significant because state and utility incentives, notably in California and New Jersey, are being scaled back.The overall downward trend in prices suggests that the solar industry has been successful in introducing more competition to spur efficiencies in delivering product, the study finds. An uncapped 30 percent federal tax credit for solar installations (hot water or photovoltaics) remains in effect until 2016. Rebate and tax credits from state programs vary, as does the money available from selling renewable energy certificates, which are credits for generating energy from renewable sources. (See state incentive program information here.)Another factor making solar PV more accessible is the growing number of financing options. Rather than pay the upfront cost, which can be between $25,000 to $40,000 depending on size, installers now offer an option to lease panels with a monthly fee that is offset by lower electricity bills.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[PlayStations power Air Force supercomputer]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=playstations-power-air-force-supercomputer</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=playstations-power-air-force-supercomputer</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>vacationspot1</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=playstations-power-air-force-supercomputer</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Air Force Research Laboratory)PlayStations have seen plenty of army action with games like Call of Duty: Black Ops. Now they're doing real-life military duty as part of the Condor Cluster, a U.S. Air Force supercomputer whose off-the-shelf components include more than 1,700Sony PS3 processors.  The computer--which will undertake a range of tasks including synthetic aperture radar enhancement, image enhancement, and pattern recognition research--also incorporates 168 separate graphical processing units. It's capable of computing about 500 trillion calculations per second, which makes it some 50,000 times faster than the average laptop. As such, the Condor can read a whopping 20 pages of information per second. Even when 20 percent to 30 percent of the characters on a page are removed, the computer can recover all of the sentences and words with about 99.9 percent accuracy, according to the official Web site of the U.S. Air Force.  Affordability was a key motivator in the decision to use PS3 processors.  &quot;The total cost of the Condor system was approximately $2 million, which is a cost savings of between 10 and 20 times for the equivalent capability,&quot; said Mark Barnell, director of the Air Force Research Laboratory's high-power computing division.  He said the Condor isn't made to compete with the world's largest general-purpose supercomputers, but is meant for highly specific military tasks. &quot;The biggest thing for us was [that] the particular applications and the hardware we chose to build this computer with purposely match those applications well,&quot; he said.Initial projects scheduled for the Department of Defense mega-machine, housed in Rome, N.Y., will include neuromorphic artificial intelligence research, in which programmers will &quot;teach&quot; the computer to read symbols, letters, words, and sentences so it can fill in human gaps and correct human errors.  The military has for several years now turned to video games to recruit and train personnel. The U.S. Army Experience Center in Philadelphia, now shuttered, also incorporated hardware, sporting computers preloaded with military video games, game controllers, and video displays that described military bases and career options.  The Condor Cluster, however, marks an unusual twist in the relationship between the Armed Forces and the game industry.  The Air Force says it believes the Condor Cluster currently holds the spot as the 35th- or 36th-fastest computer in the world, a standing that could improve even more with pending updates. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Study: 'Building IT' to speed energy efficiency]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=study-building-it-to-speed-energy-efficiency</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=study-building-it-to-speed-energy-efficiency</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:10:43 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>marelimcheffe</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=study-building-it-to-speed-energy-efficiency</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Buildings are the next frontier for computerized instrumentation, leading to a collision between building management incumbents and IT companies looking for new markets, according to a report.Lux Research tomorrow is expected to release a report that predicts a wave of acquisitions at the intersection of buildings and IT. One of the best examples of energy efficiency retrofits through green technology is the Empire State Building.(Credit:Empire State Building Company)Building control companies Siemens, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, and Schneider Electric are likely to purchase smaller companies, as they already have. Meanwhile, IT companies IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, and Google will continue to look for a foothold in building energy efficiency. In the past few years, several new and established companies have moved into building control in part because buildings, in general, perform very poorly when it comes to meeting their expected performance on energy efficiency.Adding modern controls to HVAC systems, such as sensors, and introducing energy monitoring systems and efficiency lighting could improve commercial building efficiency by 24 percent and 16 percent in residential homes, Lux said. These types of improvements could save hundreds of billions of dollars a year worldwide, it said.On the business side, building efficiency is ripe for innovation because it fits the venture capital investment model relatively well.In the beginning of the decade, entrepreneurs and investors who moved into green technology often focused on power generation, such as solar or biofuels. Increasingly, green-technology venture capitalists are moving into energy efficiency because it requires less money to develop and commercialize a product.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Six things not to love about the Nexus S]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=six-things-not-to-love-about-the-nexus-s</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=six-things-not-to-love-about-the-nexus-s</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Dec 2010 08:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Suzana</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=six-things-not-to-love-about-the-nexus-s</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Samsung Galaxy S(Credit:Samsung)As promising as the new Samsung Nexus S sounds, there are a few notable issues that might give some potential buyers pause for concern. Yes, the Nexus S could rank as a premier smartphone when it arrives given its new NFC chip, contour display, and Gingerbread, but the advantages over its Nexus One predecessor aren't many. I think it's only fair to point out some of the items that aren't quite what I expected out of Google. I've spent considerable time playing with various iterations of the Galaxy S line of phones and have found them to be some of the best devices Android has to offer. If you ask me, any one of them would be worth your money, and I hoped that the Nexus S will be on par with its Samsung siblings. But after I compiled the below list, I'm not so sure.Here six reasons why I'm disappointed with the unveiling of the Nexus S. While none of these are deal breakers for me personally, they might be for someone else.No microSD expansionLet's face it, 16GB should be more than enough storage for the average smartphone user. Unless you're loading tons of music and full-length films, you're not going to come close to reaching capacity. Even so, the Nexus S doesn't allow for additional customer choice. And there may be people who just need more than 16GB.  Indeed, the capability to add storage is one of the features we've seen consistently since on every Android phone since the G1. As memory card speeds and capacities increased, I was getting comfortable with the idea that storage would never be an issue. Now, however, I'm not so sure. Hopefully, Sammy isn't copying Apple's move of not adding external memory to theiPhone.No LED notificationsMany Android users, myself included, rely on the LED indicator of our handsets to notify us of missed calls, new e-mails, and texts. As silly as it sounds, it feels almost tedious to power on the phone every once in awhile to see if I have a new message. What's more, theNexus One has a cooler option that allows users to trick out their handset with different trackball indicator colors for various notifications. Being that the Nexus S doesn't have that either, one must resort to manually checking for messages. That's just so 2008.5-megapixel cameraYes, today's Galaxy S series of phones offer 5-megapixel cameras that take excellent photos and record terrific video. However, I would have liked to have seen an 8-megapixel camera in the Nexus S. HTC and Motorola have dropped higher-resolution shooters in their high-end phones throughout the year. Even last year's Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 has an 8.1-megapixel camera. But to Samsung's credit, at least this wasn't a 3.2-megapixel camera like Motorola's new Citrus. No HDMI outout/DLNAAnother hardware feature that has become popular over the course of 2010 is the ability to run HD videos out to a television or supported device. Two of the most common ways to do so are HDMI-output and Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). HTC has been integrating HDMI output into its phones such as the Evo 4G and upcoming Merge, while Motorola uses DLNA for the Droid 2 and the recent Bravo. What happens when you want to share those HD videos with a room full of friendsSingle-core processorAsk any Android enthusiast what the buzzword for 2011 will be and you'll hear dual-core processor. As the 1GHz Snapdragon chipset defined 2010's super phone, next year will be all about the dual-core Tegra 2 from Nvidia. Samsung unveiled its Orion processor earlier in the summer, promising it for select devices by the end of this year. Of all handsets to debut this chipset with, the Nexus S should have been the one. On the other hand, that Hummingbird processor is a screamer and still runs circles around the competition.No 4G/HSPA+ supportT-Mobile and its competitors are in a tight race to build out their next-generation data networks, but the Nexus S can't join that party. As we've learned by the slew of press releases and the ad campaign, T-Mobile's recent G2 and myTouch 4G are capable of working on the HSPA+ network, so we don't understand why such a highly anticipated device doesn't have that ability as well. And like the Nexus One, the Nexus S is optimized only for T-Mobile's 3G network even though it's sold unlocked. That means that if you want to use it on AT&amp;T, you'll have to be satisfied with 2G connection speeds. When taken as a whole, and especially when you compare it with the Android handsets expected in early 2011, the Nexus S lacks a few important hardware features. But as I mention above, I don't think they're deal breakers and I still might recommend the Nexus S to new Android customers if it performs well. But in a sector that changes as rapidly as Android, this one could potentially leave you with buyer's remorse.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[No silver lining in Chrome OS delays]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=no-silver-lining-in-chrome-os-delays</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=no-silver-lining-in-chrome-os-delays</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Nov 2010 08:10:12 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>eeTOeT8Oc</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=no-silver-lining-in-chrome-os-delays</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A Chrome OS delay might not be the worst thing in the world if it gives Google time to hone its pitch.(Credit:Google)Google executives like to say they celebrate their failures, reasoning that when something fails, at least they've learned something. Perhaps with Chrome OS, they're learning how to set expectations. It's looking pretty clear that Google is going to miss its fourth-quarter target for the launch of Chrome OS, a lightweight Web-based operating system that is designed for Netbooks. The company hasn't said as much, but Google CEO Eric Schmidt referred to the Chrome OS launch as &quot;a few months&quot; away in mid-November, and Jim Wong, senior vice president for Acer, told reporters last week that Google is planning a consumer launch in 2011. Wong, whose company was among the original Chrome OS hardware partners, also suggested that Google may be planning to duplicate its corporate holiday party gift bag from last year, when attendees received Nexus One phones several weeks before they made their formal debut. Google has long said that it plans to have its employees use Chrome OS internally, and may jump-start the process with a free Netbook as a Christmas gift: a company representative would only say &quot;we are very happy with the progress of Google Chrome OS and we'll have more details to share later this year.&quot; But what to make of Chrome OS The idea is solid: a Web-based operating system that doesn't tax a battery, allows for extremely fast boot times, and provides security with no local data or locally installed applications. Yet smart ideas often fail from a lack of execution as well as shifting tastes among those once willing to jump on board. It's just hard to see exactly where Chrome OS Netbooks fit among the hardware scene of late 2010 and early 2011. It's increasingly clear the tablet device is here to stay, and those companies not named Apple that want to target that category are using Android--not Chrome OS--in order to get going.Schmidt reiterated at the Web 2.0 conference in November that Android is optimized for devices where touch-screen input rules, while Chrome OS is meant more for devices with traditional keyboards. The last time Google provided a significant update about Chrome OS, Sundar Pichai, the leader of the Chrome OS project, said Google was drawing up specific Netbook hardware requirements for partners that were likely to involve larger screens and keyboards than the industry standard Netbook.Acer, a prominent Chrome OS supporter, is investing heavily in tablets (such as the ones showcased last week) and using Android, not Chrome, on those devices (click for larger image).(Credit:Acer)But hardware makers just aren't investing in Netbooks the way they were a few years ago, when they felt compelled to produce a lower-cost product amid a huge economic recession despite the drain on their operating margins. Tablets are more friendly to those margins, and companies thinking about tablets this year and next need to go with the software that is tested and mature--Android--as opposed to the development project that is Chrome OS. One big advantage that Chrome OS has for the cost-conscious hardware maker is, of course, the cost: it's free. But even with that selling point it's obvious that the buzz surrounding the Netbook market a few years ago has dramatically faded with the rise of the tablet, perhaps demonstrated quite well by Acer's massive tablet unveiling last week in New York, where not a Netbook was to be found. Almost since the day Google revealed plans for Chrome OS, a persistent unanswered question has been &quot;why develop another operating system&quot; Google thinks that the answer to such questions is &quot;because we can,&quot; believing that if enough smart people gather to work on big important projects that some truly excellent work will result. It's starting to become clear, however, that this creates confusion both internally and externally. When asked earlier this year about the overlap between Google Wave and Google Buzz, Lars Rasmussen, the co-creator of Google Wave (who has since departed for Facebook), said &quot;If we required every product we launched not to have any overlapping functionality, that would dramatically slow down our innovation. I wish I could tell you there was a grand master plan, but that's not how it works at Google.&quot; Google struggles with the classic big-company problem of how to generate innovation when it takes so much longer for ideas to bubble up from the rank-and-file to the senior management level. And so, it allows overlapping projects to develop as to give talented employees an outlet for their creativity, figuring that even if the project is a bust--like Google Wave--it can at least find uses for that code somewhere. That strategy can backfire, however, when external partners have to depend on your guidance. Netbook makers who have been thinking about working with Google as a hedge against Apple and an alternative to Microsoft have had to navigate quite the maze. Android, in fact, was originally pitched as suitable for Netbooks, until it became clear that smartphones and tablets were the smart hardware bets in 2010. Chrome OS has been discussed as suitable for tablets, but Schmidt's comments indicate that it's not really meant for that kind of device. Andy Rubin, head of Android development, said the two operating systems will follow separate paths, while Google's Sergey Brin suggested that Android and Chrome OS will simply merge over time. So Google's main Chrome OS problem may not be that it's not going to be ready for the holiday season. It's that it may be a product that's both behind the times (too late for the Netbook craze) and ahead of its time (too early for the coming era of HTML5-based Web apps), with no coherent explanation as to why it's necessary now. Google has some time to figure this out, now that the pressure of meeting the holiday season deadline has passed. It's extremely important to the future of the project, because if the industry doesn't understand why it needs Chrome OS, it's hard to imagine how consumers will.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Rescue photos and engage in cartoon battles: iPhone apps of the week]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rescue-photos-and-engage-in-cartoon-battles-iphone-apps-of-the-week</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rescue-photos-and-engage-in-cartoon-battles-iphone-apps-of-the-week</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Nov 2010 08:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>minsirparxd4</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rescue-photos-and-engage-in-cartoon-battles-iphone-apps-of-the-week</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:CNET)The big Apple news this week was the announcement that The Beatles music collection is finally available at the iTunes App Store, but that wasn't the only news to come out of Cupertino, Calif. iOS 4.2 foriPhone andiPad is extremely close to release, and we put together a slideshow of some of the new features across both devices. Check out our hands-on look at the iOS 4.2 Gold Master and the slideshows for each device here.This week's apps include an image-editing app that offers a big list of useful tools and a castle defense game with RPG elements and a surprising amount of depth.Many of the tools let you use onscreen sliders to make precise adjustments to your image.(Credit:Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)Perfect Photo (99 cents for a limited time) has been out for some time, but a recent sale has pushed it up into the top 10 at the iTunes App Store. At first, I was reluctant to review another photo app (and thought maybe the sale was the soul reason for its success), but once I tried some of the features, Perfect Photo changed my mind. This app lets you edit photos using several tools and effects. Simply snap a fresh picture or use one from your library, then hit the button in the upper-right corner of the interface to see a list of tools and effects. Under the tools tab, you'll be able to crop, adjust color balance, tweak brightness and contrast, and do many more things not found in other apps. Each of the tools gives you sliders to manually adjust each effect--a welcome change from other apps that only give auto-effects.Perfect photo is not just limited to its long list of tools. You can also make your images look vintage' turn your images into pencil outlines' add black and white effects' and a few others. When you're finished with an image you can save it to your photo library or quickly send it to Facebook, Twitter, or via e-mail. As one of several photo-editing apps at the iTunes App Store, it's tough to choose the best one of them all. But Perfect Photo has a solid set of tools that will prove useful for &quot;saving&quot; images that didn't turn out the way you wanted.With the right units, you should be able to beat the enemy back to their base.(Credit:Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)Cartoon Wars 2: Heroes (99 cents) is the sequel to Cartoon Wars, featuring castle defense type gameplay with deep RPG elements. The object is to defend against an assault' in the first mode, you defend a castle using attack units and skills, and in the second mode, you need to destroy swarming enemies using your hero.In the castle defense portion of the game, you use a mix of melee and ranged units to beat back attacking forces and make your way to (and ultimately destroy) the enemy castle. Each unit can be upgraded in between battles with money you earn by killing enemy units and destroying the enemy castle. There are several upgrades for units and you can even add more-advanced units once you earn enough cash. Frankly, the number of upgrades and new units is dizzying, and later in the game you're even able to buy air units (also upgradable) to rain down destruction from the sky.Even with just the castle combat portion of the game, Cartoon Wars 2: Heroes would be worth the price of admission, but the game goes much deeper than that. The second mode challenges you to take on multiple forces using only one hero (chosen at the beginning of the game) in a frenetic dual-stick battlefield melee against several enemies. As your hero gains levels, you'll be able to add stat points for more attack power, better speed, and other advantageous options. You'll also be able to upgrade skills to give your hero better weapons and added spell-like abilities for difficult situations.Heroes has been out for a few weeks, but it wasn't until I noticed its lasting popularity on the top apps list that I decided to check it out. At a glance, a game with cartoon in the title and stick figures didn't seem worth my time, but after playing I can say I am definitely impressed. The only issue I have is the infuriating control system for the castle turret, but mostly Cartoon Wars 2: Heroes is very enjoyable with challenging gameplay and surprising depth.What's your favorite iPhone app Do you have a better image-editing app than Perfect Photo How do you like the two-part gameplay in Cartoon Wars 2: Heroes Let me know in the comments!<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Vudu coming to PS3 with updated interface]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=vudu-coming-to-ps3-with-updated-interface</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=vudu-coming-to-ps3-with-updated-interface</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Nov 2010 08:10:12 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Anna01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=vudu-coming-to-ps3-with-updated-interface</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Vudu is coming to the PS3, and bringing an updated user interface.(Credit:Vudu)PlayStation 3 owners are about to get yet another option when it comes to online entertainment.As of November 23, the Vudu pay-per-view movie service will arrive on Sony's gaming console with an updated user interface. (Vudu says the new interface is more friendly for navigating with input devices like mice and thePlayStation Move.) The same &quot;Vudu 2.0&quot; UI will be rolled out on other Vudu-supported devices--including many Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players, the D-Link Boxee Box, Windows PCs and Macs--before the end the year. Vudu offers more than 4,000 HD movies for rental and purchase, and the PS3 will offer Vudu's optimal 1080p HD resolution and 5.1 surround sound on supported titles.For PS3 owners, the announcement constitutes more great news on the home entertainment front. Vudu will join the Netflix, Hulu Plus, MLB.TV, and NHL Gamecenter services on the console, in addition to the native PlayStation Store (which also supports the purchase of movies and TV shows). For Wal-Mart's Vudu service, meanwhile, the new PS3 partnership provides millions of potential new customers in the U.S.To sweeten the deal, Vudu will be offering new customers a $5.99 credit--effectively giving users a free movie to try out the service.Related: Quick guide to Internet TV<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Intellitar avatars a poor substitute for afterlife]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intellitar-avatars-a-poor-substitute-for-afterlife</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intellitar-avatars-a-poor-substitute-for-afterlife</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 08 Nov 2010 08:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>erneesters</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intellitar-avatars-a-poor-substitute-for-afterlife</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Of the products I've seen recently, Intellitar's Virtual Eternity is the most likely to make children cry. It is a service, which recently released its beta, in which you create an AI-based animated avatar from a picture of yourself and the answers to a questionnaire. Why So you can bequeath this cloud-based avatar to your descendants. They can then ask your avatar questions about your life, which it will answer by animating virtual lips on a picture of your real face, with a generic voice (unless you pay extra to have the service create a custom voice library from speech elements you record into the system). The idea is to keep the virtual you alive long after the actual you has powered down for good. And no, I am not copying from the TV Guide description of &quot;Caprica.&quot; The problem: it's creepy. Both for me and the co-workers I showed it to, it elicited a visceral negative reaction. To be fair, I did not actually show it to any children, but that's because I can't imagine doing so. Even CEO Don Davidson acknowledges that his company's avatars reside in an &quot;uncanny valley.&quot; That's the place on the spectrum of animation that lies outside the clearly drawn and clearly alive--and that freaks people out by being neither.The head of my Virtual Eternity avatar bobs gently and realistically while it waits for questions to answer. However, it doesn&amp;39't sound like me, my teeth aren&amp;39't nearly that straight, and the avatar creation module couldn&amp;39't handle my facial hair. It kept putting my teeth in the middle of my upper lip. I had to use this old picture of my clean-shaven self to get the product to work.But, Davidson said, the technology will improve. The creepiness will be fixed.In the meantime, take my virtual wife. Please.Perhaps there is something to the idea of creating an avatar for your loved ones to interact with. Putting aside the crude avatar, though, the way that Virtual Eternity goes about it is far too basic. This product asks you to answer a series of questions--and optionally lets your create your own question/answer sets. From that data, it creates a chatbot that can hold a rudimentary conversation about the facts you've given it. I found the chatbot got tripped up far too easily, though.I asked Davidson if his technology could instead take our already-existing online personalities as we constantly reveal them to Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, blogs, and other online repositories, and extract from them the answers to users' questions. I'm thinking especially questions about relationships and beliefs, which is what I would guess our descendants will want most to know about us. That's not in Virtual Eternity, though. You can't link your avatar to the virtual personality you've already created. Davidson said you can, though, create a little family social network with your avatar, in order to build a basic genealogical system so your descendants will be able to figure out who's who in your family tree.I think the Virtual Eternity product is all wrong--wrong technology, wrong market, wrong idea. But there may yet be some business possibilities at Intellitar that use the avatar technology. As educational technology, it has potential. Already, Davidson said, the technology is being used in museums to animate historical figures. And as an add-on to virtual world games, there might be something here too--maybe you could leave your avatar behind in the virtual world while you continue to live a real life in the real world. Davidson said three additional products based on the Intellitar product are planned for release within six months. Hopefully they're more useful and less disturbing than Virtual Eternity. You can speak with Davidson's own VE Intellitar.See also: Sitepal, Venuegen. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. gov't awards $2.4 billion for high-speed rail]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=u-s--govt-awards-2-4-billion-for-high-speed-rail</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=u-s--govt-awards-2-4-billion-for-high-speed-rail</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>yamirsarin</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=u-s--govt-awards-2-4-billion-for-high-speed-rail</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Shown is a map of high-speed railroads currently under construction in the U.S., as well as corridors under development, and proposed lines under study.(Credit:Federal Railroad Administration)The U.S. government awarded $2.4 billion in funding last week to 54 railroad projects across 23 states in the U.S.This latest round of funding is in addition to the $8 billion that was awarded in January as part of the comprehensive public works project to construct the &quot;first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service.&quot;The funds are going toward new railroad lines and stations, as well as efforts to update and refurbish existing ones to coalesce with the high-speed plan announced in January as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.In this round of funding, Florida received $800 million to build a high-speed railroad connecting Tampa and Orlando with train speeds reaching up to 168 mph at some points along the route, making the trip under an hour compared with 90 minutes bycar. The state's ultimate plan is to extend the line from Orland down to Miami, according to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).Iowa received $230 million to hook into a new intercity passenger service that would connect Iowa City to Chicago and points in between.California, known for its heavy traffic congestion, received $901 million, of which $715 million will be spent on a new high-speed railroad across its Central Valley. The state's ultimate goal is to have a high-speed passenger service reaching speeds of 220 mph at some points between San Francisco and Los Angeles that would run 2 hours 40 minutes compared with 6 hours by car, according to FRA statistics.Michigan received $161 million to build a high-speed railroad from Detroit to Chicago.Projects that received money in the January round of funding included those in North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Washington, D.C.In addition to the tracks being laid, funds have also been allocated to study the feasibility of building high-speed railroads between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Las Vegas and Phoenix, Kansas City and Oklahoma City, and Atlanta and Charlotte, to name a few.Both U.S. and foreign companies have been eligible to apply for the high-speed railroad funds, but to qualify will have to &quot;establish or expand their base of operations in the United States if they are hired to build America's next generation high-speed rail lines.&quot;Jobs expected to grow out of the vast initiative include those in railroad planning, engineering, manufacturing, track-laying, maintenance, and operations.The U.S. has come late to the game of high-speed rail. The FRA's promise of trains that &quot;will reach speeds of&quot; 168 mph or 220 mph at certain points during a single train ride seems timid compared to the high-speed trains with continuous running speeds of 200 mph outside the U.S.Japan and Europe have long been using high-speed railroads to move their people and have achieved much faster speeds. In 2003 Japan's Maglev train did 361 mph, though it's up for debate if it qualifies as the world's fastest train since its electromagnetic technology allows it to hover without actually touching its rails. In 2007, the French-made V150 ran 357 mph and also claimed title to the fastest train in the world.Private industry has also been turning to railroads in recent years with  IBM and Siemens each developing technology that's going to be applied to high-speed railroads under development in China.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[IE9 the best browser Not so fast]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ie9-the-best-browser-not-so-fast</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ie9-the-best-browser-not-so-fast</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:10:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Dakota02</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ie9-the-best-browser-not-so-fast</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It began innocently enough--a promotional blog post about Microsoft's newest version of Internet Explorer 9. But in less than a week, it became an illustration of just how rapidly misinformation moves through a hot and increasingly important corner of the software market.The browser market was already competitive a year ago, but the arrival of IE9, currently in beta testing, has added even more energy to the competition. That's because Microsoft has placed support for a host of modern Web technologies front and center, transforming IE from a drag on the Internet into an ally in developers' efforts to bring everyone a more powerful Web.IE6, nearly a decade old but still widely used, has saddled Microsoft with a reputation for browser neglect. So what could be more eye-catching than the news that IE9 not only is back in the game, but that it leapfrogged the competitorsAlas, as with many good stories, the truth turns out to be less dramatic and but harder to find. The IE9-is-better idea triggered teeth-gnashing on a Web standard mailing list and a hastily published disclaimer by the World Wide Web Consortium that's developing many of those Web standards.The episode shows the difficulties of keeping track of a browser market in the throes of breakneck change. Even those creating the yardsticks to measure the progress struggle to keep up.IE9 and standards supportWhat happened with IE9 Last week, Microsoft released the sixth &quot;platform preview&quot; version of IE9. At the same time, browser makers had begun submitting test results to a new W3C suite of HTML5 standards compliance tests.When Microsoft discussed the new IE9 version on its IEBlog, the company included a link to the tests, calling them &quot;an early version of the W3C's Official HTML5 Test Suite Conformance Results.&quot;Shortly after came the headlines: &quot;W3C Says IE9 Is Currently the Most HTML5-Compatible Browser&quot; from Slashdot. &quot;IE9 Outperforms Other Browsers for HTML5 Compliance&quot; from ReadWriteWeb. &quot;IE 9 Beats Chrome,Firefox, andSafari on Official HTML 5 Test&quot; from Windows IT Pro.Then came the alarmed reaction by those creating the standards. The W3C page, it turned out, was preliminary at best.&quot;This test suite is vastly incomplete. Publishing unverified results of a vastly incomplete test suite without a big fat warning is extremely silly. Why was this done&quot; said Anne van Kesteren, an Opera developer who works on standards issues, in a mailing list posting Tuesday.Added Ian Hickson, the Google employee who's editing the HTML5 specification, &quot;I agree with Anne that it's rather pointless to be publishing results for this test suite. Realistically speaking the test suite isn't even 0.1 percent complete yet.&quot;Shortly after, the disclaimer arrived on the Web page with the results: &quot;The HTML5 test suite is still being developed. The number of tests and the results on these tests will change. The results in this document may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by others documents at any time. It is inappropriate to cite those results as other than work in progress and unstable.&quot;In a presentation this week, leaders of the HTML5 effort said there are 215 tests included in the suite right now, with more than 600 on the way, and that the group needs &quot;a lot more tests!&quot;So declaring IE9 the winner on the test at this stage is something like saying England is better than the United States because it's got lusher lawns. The full range of tests aren't yet available.Even worse, HTML5 is only part of the full range of Web technologies that are arriving. Others include Scalable Vector Graphics and Canvas for 2D graphics, WebGL for 3D graphics, Web Sockets for better live communications between servers and browsers, Web Workers for multithreaded JavaScript programs, and Cascading Style Sheets for increasingly advanced formatting.Benchmark brouhahaAll these technologies are instrumental to transforming browsers from passive receptacles for server content into active engines for running Web-based applications. Accompanying the new standards is ever-faster JavaScript, the language for Web-based programs.Browser makers are scrambling to attract and retain users. As new features emerge, a golden age of Web demos has begun with helicopter games, ruffling curtains, exploding videos, computer aquariums, virtual reality, jiggling balls, and blooming flowers.But what if you want something more authoritative A natural way to get a handle on the chaos, of course, is to measure whose browser can run Web-based programs the fastest, or build Web pages to tally who supports what new features. Such seemingly neutral areas are where the problems are cropping up.Back in the days of yore--say, early 2010--there were two prevailing methods that were useful if not perfect. For measuring JavaScript program speed, one could run the SunSpider benchmark. For checking compliance with new-era standards, one could run the Acid3 test.Now, though, the browser world has begun moving to new tests. The only problem with calling winners in the browser race, though, is that the new tests really aren't settled down yet. The W3C tests are just one illustration.SunSpider stemmed from the WebKit project behind Apple's Safari browser and, more recently, Google's Chrome and any number ofmobile browsers. Dissatisfaction is brewing with what's now a relatively elderly test, however.&quot;Because of...all the progress each browser vendor has made over the last several years, SunSpider is no longer particularly useful as a JS benchmark,&quot; Asa Dotzler in a blog post last week. &quot;This is kind of obvious when you see that all of the top scores are pretty much tied. One one-hundredth of a second (across 26 tests) separates the slow from the fast, and that's just not particularly meaningful.&quot;Google found SunSpider wanting, too, and introduced its own V8 JavaScript benchmark suite. The first version arrived with Chrome, more than two years ago, but it's now up to its sixth revision.And in September, Mozilla released Kraken, a new JavaScript speed test. It was developed to try to be closer to real-world computing challenges.Benchmarking is ever an imperfect science, to be sure. It's hard to measure the full breadth of computing chores, hard to weight tests toward the important components, hard to account for different hardware and network constraints, hard to factor in the latest technology. To draw a parallel from the auto industry, miles-per-gallon ratings for cars are reasonably useful--until electric vehicles come along.And just as cataloging HTML5 feature support is a narrower task than the full panoply of Web standards, clocking JavaScript is only one aspect of browser performance. There's also the time to show a Web page, network performance, scrolling fluidity, and any number of other matters. Microsoft has been releasing a series of tests that exercise several parts of the browser--naturally the IE9 versions shine when it comes to the matter of hardware acceleration.All these tests are useful--as is Find Me By IP's browser support test and the HTML5 test site.Unfortunately, it'll take time for the testing community to converge on new tests, even assuming the standards settle down enough to create meaningfully complete tests in the first place.So for the time being, we'll all have to live with inconvenient ambiguities in browser testing. Sounds like good practice for the real world. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The city that must vote on UFO ballot measure]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-city-that-must-vote-on-ufo-ballot-measure</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-city-that-must-vote-on-ufo-ballot-measure</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Nov 2010 07:10:19 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Adam01</dc:creator>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-city-that-must-vote-on-ufo-ballot-measure</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Somehow, with all the strange, otherworldly people standing for office in American elections Tuesday, one ballot measure has not received quite the enormous importance that it deserves.No, I am not thinking of Proposition 19 in California, the one supported by significant members of the tech world, the one that hopes to legalize the sale of marijuana.This ballot measure, addressed to voters in Denver, is called Initiative 300 and it is adorned by perhaps the most ridiculous question ever asked in a political campaign: &quot;Are you ready for the truth&quot; The truth that proponents of this measure want to access is the one that describes what is already known about people from outer space.The campaign's site declares something rather interesting: &quot;Over 400 government, military, and intelligence community witnesses have testified to their direct, personal, first-hand experience with UFOs, ETs, ET technology, and the cover-up that keeps this information secret.&quot;Yes, imagine being a boxer and availing yourself of extra-terrestrial technology.(Credit:CC (F)oxymoron/Flickr)I can understand why those in power might not wish to immediately reveal encounters with folks from the dark beyond, but why wouldn't they choose to use ET technology in order to, say, eliminate enemies or make perfect lattesAfter all, some retired pilots recently declared that they had witnessed UFOs knocking out nukes.AOL News reported that the progressive Denver initiative, if passed, will commit Denver City Council to setting up a seven-person committee that will be bound to publish on a special Web site everything that is known about them up there and their technology. Equally, Denver folks down here will be able to post their own information and sightings. Jeff Peckman, an entrepreneur who's into clean energy and holistic health, told AOL News: &quot;There could be some good things that come from ET contact and some negatives. We need to figure out if there are possible business opportunities or medical treatments that could come from them.&quot;You might be readily fascinated by the medical opportunities. For myself, if I were residing in Denver, I would naturally be mesmerized by the idea of doing business with little people whose mouths bubble with a strange foam.You might wonder why Denver might be the place that begins to force its leaders to reveal America's contact with outer spatials. Could it be because Denver is a little closer physically to up there Peckman's explanation to AOL News was a charming one: &quot;Denver was the first U.S. city to set up a trade office with China. So there is some vision and independent thinking here as well as a highly educated workforce.&quot;Tuesday will show just how broad Denver's independent thinking might be. Surely every responsible resident of Denver should immediately vote for one of the most progressive initiatives ever placed before the voting public.This is perhaps one of the only &quot;no lose&quot; votes that anyone can cast. If the city of Denver manages to reveal mind-blowing information about space people who actually have the technology to blow minds from millions of miles away and put them back together again, society as a whole can only benefit.I fully expect Coloradans to stand behind this measure. Within weeks, perhaps days, we will all avail ourselves of lightsabers far superior than any we can currently order online.We will also hopefully grasp in two hands the ability to transport ourselves within milliseconds to places thousands of miles away. That way, we can spend days at work, lunchtimes on the beach and evenings at that lovely molecular biology restaurant just south of Pluto. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google chief shows off unannounced Android phone with near-field communication]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-chief-shows-off-unannounced-android-phone-with-near-field-communication</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-chief-shows-off-unannounced-android-phone-with-near-field-communication</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Lillian</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-chief-shows-off-unannounced-android-phone-with-near-field-communication</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google chief executive Eric Schmidt gave gadget fans a rush today when he showed off an uannounced Android phone with a cool new mobile communications technology. Dubbed near-field communications, the technology lets you wave a cell phone over a reader and use your phone to pay for something.Near-field communications chips are built into Japanese cell phones. But the technology has been very slow to take off in the U.S. Part of the reason is that so many merchant locations have traditional credit card readers in place and are loathe to upgrade the 1970s technology without a clear benefit.Schmidt made the announcement in an opening talk with John Battelle and Tim O&amp;'Reilly at the Web 2.0 Summit today in San Francisco.The fact that the upcoming Google Android phone, which will be made and sold by unnamed Google partners, has near-field communications built into it shows that the chicken-and-egg problem may be overcome soon. After all, a phone maker wouldn&amp;'t add the unnecessary cost of the near-field communications chips if it felt there wouldn&amp;'t be any readers around to read them.Schmidt said that the new phone would run the upcoming Gingerbread version of the Android operating system. Asked when Gingerbread would arrive, Schmidt said a few weeks. Various bloggers have wondered if the phone Schmidt held up was the long-awaited Nexus S, the foll0w-up to the Nexus One phone. Schmidt would only say that the company did not plan to do a Nexus Two phone.Next Story: CEO Eric Schmidt: There is a talent war, but Google isn&amp;'t losing Previous Story: ZenRobotics robot recyclers go for green in the CleanTech OpenPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: near field communicationsCompanies: GooglePeople: Eric Schmidt, John Battelle, Tim OReilly          Tags: near field communicationsCompanies: GooglePeople: Eric Schmidt, John Battelle, Tim OReillyDean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[How Facebook plans to make money from deals]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-facebook-plans-to-make-money-from-deals</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-facebook-plans-to-make-money-from-deals</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Mary01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-facebook-plans-to-make-money-from-deals</guid>
<description><![CDATA[UpdatedFacebook confirmed today that it&amp;'s launching a deal service that businesses can use to lure in customers. It sounds like a good way for Facebook to make money, but the social network&amp;'s executives said in a press conference that they won&amp;'t charge businesses for the deals.That&amp;'s pretty surprising, since deals are seen as the main way for check-in services like Facebook Places (which includes the deals service), Foursquare, and Gowalla to make money. In an interview after the press conference at Facebook headquarters, Tim Kendall from the company&amp;'s local products team said the new feature should bring in money eventually. After a business creates deals and lists them on Facebook, it &amp;''will naturally want to increase distribution for those deals,&amp;'' so it&amp;'ll buy ads on Facebook.(Update: A Facebook spokesperson just emailed and said that although the deals are free for the program&amp;'s initial launch partners, the pricing could change in the future.)Facebook chief technology officer Bret Taylor said that Facebook didn&amp;'t create the feature to increase advertising. &amp;''The main thing is to improve the user experience around our Places product,&amp;'' he said.So if you&amp;'re thinking about going to a bar, for example, you could open a  list of nearby Places. Locations that are offering deals will have a  yellow icon next to their names, so you might choose to go to the bar  that&amp;'s offering a &amp;''second beer free&amp;'' bargain to users who check in.AllFacebook reported last week that a Facebook deals service was in the works. The initial article focused on promotions where businesses can offer discounts or free products to users who bring in a certain number of friends. Facebook said it will actually offer four different deal structures. Businesses can also reward users for individual check ins or for loyalty (i.e., multiple check ins), and they can offer to donate to charity whenever someone checks in.During the conference, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg seemed to place a particular emphasis on the friend deals &amp;8212' after all, the ability to tag friends, including friends who don&amp;'t normally use check-in services, helps Facebook Places stand out. When I first heard about the deal tagging system, I was concerned that it might lead to lots of fake check ins, but Zuckerberg noted that users need to present their coupons in-person to claim a reward. So it would be hard to claim that you brought three of your friends to the store if you&amp;'re there by yourself.During our interview, Kendall also emphasized the tagging feature: &amp;''We think it&amp;'s a real digital representation of how people discover local businesses offline.&amp;''The deal service is first going live on the Facebook Touch website and the iPhone application. You can see a list of the initial deal partners in this Facebook blog post. Gap, for example, will give free blue jeans to the first 10,000 customers who check in nationwide, while the Alamo Drafthouse theater chain will offer a free screening at whichever location gets the most check ins.Next Story: Could the new GM be a cleantech play Previous Story: Facebook, Twitter analytics successfully predict 2010 election winnersPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Facebook Deals, Facebook PlacesCompanies: FacebookPeople: Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Kendall          Tags: Facebook Deals, Facebook PlacesCompanies: FacebookPeople: Mark Zuckerberg, Tim KendallAnthony is VentureBeat's assistant editor, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining VentureBeat in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony on Twitter.VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Congrats Amazon, Your Pedophile Book Hits The Top 100 List And Over 2,500 People Join&nbsp'Boycott]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=congrats-amazon-your-pedophile-book-hits-the-top-100-list-and-over-2500-people-joinnbspboycott</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=congrats-amazon-your-pedophile-book-hits-the-top-100-list-and-over-2500-people-joinnbspboycott</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Rosa</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=congrats-amazon-your-pedophile-book-hits-the-top-100-list-and-over-2500-people-joinnbspboycott</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Joining Aesop&amp;'s Fables and the 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People this evening on Amazon&amp;'s Top 100 Bestsellers list is a very unlikely contender, The Pedophile&amp;'s Guide to Love and Pleasure.Earlier today both Mike and MG used their TechCrunch power to rail against the fact that the pedophile guide is on Amazon at all (Devin has a different take). These efforts have had quite an unintended effect, namely a 101,000% sales boost for the book.In testament to how fast something goes from zero to meme these days, the unlikely Kindle best seller has gone from 158,221 to a coveted 96 spot on Amazon&amp;'s Top 100 list.The book has also gone from 50 reviews to 1,525 reviews, most along the lines of &amp;''This is absolutely disgusting and needs to be removed immediately. I will not be buying a single item from your store until it is removed.&amp;'' A newly minted Facebook Protest Fan Page currently has over 2,500a4s&amp;''Likes.&amp;'' Middle America is about to find out about this thing and it&amp;'s not going to be pretty.Amazon has responded to our original post, emphasizing that they will not be taking the book down.&amp;''Let me assure you that Amazon.com does not support or promote hatred or criminal acts' we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions.a4a4AAmazon.com believes it is censorship not to sell certain titles because we believe their message is objectionable.&amp;''Following this censorship logic, Amazon should be keep the book up on the Bestsellers List as well as long as the numbers say it belongs there. Something tells me this isn&amp;'t going to happen. We are minutes away from this hitting mainstream coverage and once the Red States get involved there&amp;'s no turning back.Which brings me to the paradox of media &amp;8212' We first posted on this because some of us weren&amp;'t cool with the fact that a book that made it easier for pedophiles to commit their crimes was so easily accessible via Amazon. Our post drew awareness to how sketchy this was but also attracted thousands of Internet looky loos who thought it might be funny to buy the book. Amazon is now playing a game of chicken with the entire Internet (I wouldn&amp;'t be surprised if 4Chan is involved).Whether Amazon eventually removes the book or not, guess who makes money when you ironically buy The Pedophile&amp;'s Guide to Love and Pleasure Mr. Phillip R Greaves, a guy who wrote an entire book with the endgoal of &amp;''liter sentences&amp;'' for pedophiles. Amazon, please take this book down.CrunchBase InformationAmazonAmazon KindleInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Zynga launches FarmVille in Japan: will the Japanese like purple cows]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=zynga-launches-farmville-in-japan-will-the-japanese-like-purple-cows</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=zynga-launches-farmville-in-japan-will-the-japanese-like-purple-cows</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Collinsmith</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=zynga-launches-farmville-in-japan-will-the-japanese-like-purple-cows</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In a bid to find new markets for its blockbuster social game, Zynga is announcing a localized version of its FarmVille game in Japan today.Called Farm Village, the Japanese version of the world&amp;'s largest game &amp;8212' which has 53.7 million monthly active users on Facebook &amp;8212' will be available in early December on Mixi, Japan&amp;'s largest social network which runs on feature phones.Zynga has made global expansion a big priority as it searches for ways to become less dependent on Facebook. The company has to diversify its risks and expand to new markets. Last week, the company announced that it would launch its newest game, CityVille, in five different languages.Zynga is a privately held San Francisco company with more than 1,300 employees. It has seen extremely fast growth in nearly four years, with more than 215 million monthly active users playing its games. The company has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from major investors such as DST, SoftBank, and Kleiner Perkins Caufield &amp;amp' Byers. Secondary trading on SharesPost (where employees sell their stock to cash out early) pegs Zynga&amp;'s value at $5.6 billion. Revenue for 2010 is expected to surpass $500 million, according to Inside Network. Roughly 10 million Americans play FarmVille every day.But the dependency on Facebook is a big risk for Zynga. In any given week, Zynga can lose 10 million users or gain that many (based on what I&amp;'ve seen eyeballing the numbers over time) That&amp;'s why the Japanese launch is so important.Launched in June, 2009, FarmVille itself is a casual game that users play for minutes a day. The players have been fickle' FarmVille&amp;'s audience has shrunk from 83 million monthly unique visitors earlier this year to 53.7 million. Along the way, Zynga markets its other games to FarmVille players. So even if those players stop playing FarmVille, they may move on to other Zynga games. The game is available for free, but users pay real money for virtual goods such as tractor fuel.Victory in Japan isn&amp;'t guaranteed. There are a lot of big Japanese mobile social game companies, such as DeNA, which have entrenched positions. U.S. rivals such as CrowdStar are also moving into the Japanese market. To ensure success, Zynga raised money from SoftBank and created a joint venture, Zynga Japan, to accelerate its entry into the market.Robert Goldberg, chief executive of Zynga Japan (and a VentureBeat veteran), said that Farm Village will focus on social play where users will play with their real friends, not just virtual friends.Previous Story: FitnessKeeper scoops up $1.1M to build out fitness appPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Farm Village, FarmvilleCompanies: DeNA, DST, Kleiner Perkins Caufield &amp;amp' Byers, Softbank, ZyngaPeople: Robert Goldberg          Tags: Farm Village, FarmvilleCompanies: DeNA, DST, Kleiner Perkins Caufield &amp;amp' Byers, Softbank, ZyngaPeople: Robert GoldbergDean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[China&'s LDK Solar takes $33 million stake in Solar Power]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chinarsquos-ldk-solar-takes-33-million-stake-in-solar-power</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chinarsquos-ldk-solar-takes-33-million-stake-in-solar-power</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ecosavvy</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chinarsquos-ldk-solar-takes-33-million-stake-in-solar-power</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In a move to beef up demand for its product, Chinese solar wafer manufacturer LDK Solar announced today it has acquired a 70 percent stake valued at $33 million in solar project developer Solar Power Inc. (SPI).The deal should create demand for LDK&amp;'s modules by offering up the California-based SPI&amp;'s portfolio of projects, which include utility-scale power plants. It has also developed commercial-scale distributed generation projects at a Costco building and the Staples Center in Los Angeles and also manufactures solar modules and tracking systems. SPI gains in the deal by getting a strengthened balance sheet' it will also sell to LDK some manufacturing equipment and hand over control of its former module manufacturing facility in Shenzhen, China.LDK&amp;'s shares rose this week on news it raised $240 million by selling a minority stake in its polysilicon unit to investors, and the company alsoreported strong order books for 2011. It has a financial support from the government via credit lines at state-run banksdespite having shaky financials, according to the Motley Fool.The deal exemplifies two trends in the solar market right now. Firstly, it showsthe move among manufacturers to buy up projects to ensure demand for its products. One major deal of that vein happened last fall when panel maker Sharp purchased for $305 million solar project developer Recurrent Energy. Top global panel manufacturers SunPower and First Solar have also purchased and developed their own solar projects around the world to lock in continued demand for their products and services. In the case of a recent SunPower deal, it designed and built a solar park in Italy then sold it to a new group of owners, but will continue to supply maintenance and operations.Secondly, the deal showcases another example of cross-pollination between Chinese and U.S. solar companies. While Chinese manufacturers have pushed prices down thanks to government subsidies &amp;8212' to the dismay of some U.S. solar contenders &amp;8212' they have also teamed with American companies for cutting-edge components. For example, Innovalight sells its efficiency-boosting solar panel ink to Chinese manufacturerslike JinkoSolar. Startup Azuray has inked deals to provide its solar harvest optimization technology to Chinese solar panel and parts manufacturers Suntech and Renhe.Next Story: SiBeam leads charge on next-generation wireless home networking Previous Story: Motorola and LG announce 4G tablets running Android 3.0PrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Solar, solar manufacturing, solar project developer, solar waferCompanies: Azuray, First Solar, Innovalight, JinkoSolar, LDK Solar, Renhe, Solar Power Inc., SunPower          Tags: Solar, solar manufacturing, solar project developer, solar waferCompanies: Azuray, First Solar, Innovalight, JinkoSolar, LDK Solar, Renhe, Solar Power Inc., SunPowerIris Kuo is the VentureBeat's lead GreenBeat writer. She has reported for The Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong, Houston Chronicle, the McClatchy Washington Bureau and Dallas public radio. Iris attended the University of Texas at Dallas and lives in Houston. Follow Iris on Twitter @thestatuskuo (and yes, that's how you  pronounce her last name).VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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