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<title>Haaze.com / Rosa / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 07:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[After Android, Squeezebox app comes to iOS]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=after-android-squeezebox-app-comes-to-ios</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=after-android-squeezebox-app-comes-to-ios</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 07:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>naticx</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=after-android-squeezebox-app-comes-to-ios</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Squeezebox Controller running on the iPhone.(Credit:Logitech)Logitech has finally launched its Squeezebox Controller app for iOS-based devices, it announced in a blog post yesterday.The Squeezebox Controller for theiPad,iPhone, andiPod Touch connects to users' Squeezebox player over their home wireless network. Users can choose music, customize tracks, and search for content from the app. According to Logitech, all the features available to users in their players are included in the app. The launch of the Squeezebox Controller app for iOS-based devices comes a month after the company launched the program in the Android Market. Like the iOS option, Logitech's Android app gives users total control over the company's line of Squeezebox devices. Logitech offers a range of Squeezebox players, including the Radio and Duet, which allow users to stream music content throughout the home. They also include access to Pandora, Slacker, and other music-streaming services. The Squeezebox Radio is a favorite of the CNET Reviews team. In 2009, the device earned four of five stars, receiving high marks for the amount of content available and user-friendliness. It retails for $179.99, though savvy shoppers can get it for less online. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: Smart-grid apps to revolutionize electricity use]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-smart-grid-apps-to-revolutionize-electricity-use</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-smart-grid-apps-to-revolutionize-electricity-use</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:11:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>gilbertmon</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-smart-grid-apps-to-revolutionize-electricity-use</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Get ready for reliable electricity, and an automated world of electronics, appliances, and buildings, to become the new normal.That's the main message in a report released today by GigaOm Pro and Pike Research.Smart-grid applications in six key areas will change the way people use, buy, manage, and think about electricity, according to the report &quot;Smart Grid Apps: Six Trends That Will Shape Grid Evolution&quot; led by Clint Wheelock, Pike Research founder and managing director.Those electricity-related applications focus on home energy management systems, electric vehicles, distribution automation, smart-grid analytics, building energy management systems (BEMS), and carbon management.Checking the home energy dashboard will become a common household chore.All those home energy management (HEM) and energy information display (EID) tools that are popping up via web-based apps, smartphones, networked TVs, andcar dashboards are not a fad. Most everyone is eventually going to have smart electronics, smart appliances, and smart homes that will communicate energy use and receive instruction remotely, according to Pike Research.It will be normal for people to check what their home is doing in real time in terms of consuming energy, as well as take a long-term view. People will manually change or set long-term preferences for how and when they want their appliances, electronics, and home to consume electricity. While home energy management will become de rigueur, which tools people choose to use to do that, whether it be a wall dashboard in the home or one's smartphone, remains to be seen.For those who buy them, electric vehicles will become the biggest electricity guzzler in a home. That doesn't mean, however, that it will necessarily be the appliance that racks up the electricity bill. Owners will have the ability to set their EVs to charge during off-peak hours, and their home energy system will automatically tell the EV or its charger when it's time to charge. Companies are already making these integrations possible: for instance, Ford EVs and Microsoft Hohm' Ecotality's Blink charger and Cisco's home energy controller' and GE's Watt station charger and the Nucleus home energy management system.&quot;The bulk consumption of EVs is also the greatest potential benefit (and threat) to utilities,&quot; according to the report.The predicted mass adoption of EVs and resultant charging of EVs at home can help explain why governments and utilities are investing in and escalating the adoption of smart grids and the long overdue upgrade to the electric grid.Long-term blackouts due to things like storms causing trees to fall on power lines will become a quaint memory of old technology. Electricity will be generated, distributed, and consumed with more transparency.Distribution automation will give utilities the ability to automatically and remotely detect the location of circuit faults and implement work-arounds or fixes, dramatically increasing the speed and ease with which electricity is restored in the event of disruption. It will also allow electricity grids to supplement a local load with an intermittent local power source like wind or solar in real-time as it becomes available. It will do so in conjunction with the peak and off-peaks loads of its upper-layer grid source as well, giving the extended grid even more reliability, according to Pike Research.Brown-outs, which often stem from things like mass air conditioner use in summer, will simply just not happen because utilities will have the data to be prepared and manage electricity distribution. Smart-grid analytics will play a major role in managing the massive amount of electricity generation and usage data collected at both the lowest and highest levels, and then used to optimize service. That application is the key to making distribution management of loads and demand response possible. But expect turf wars between engineering, billing, and operations since presently there are many different systems at different levels that &quot;own&quot; the information from smart meters to distribution network management.Commercial customers will have more control over their electricity needs, and be able to track their carbon emissions as part of that management. Large companies will partner with utilities on projects to accommodate their energy needs rather than simply be at their mercy as clients. Large commercial and industrial buildings will begin to take more responsibility and management of energy use and needs. Demand response, essentially the integration of IT and energy management, will not solely remain the domain of utilities as building energy and management systems become the norm. Expect these companies to use a BEMS service provided to them by their existing building services provider like Johnson Controls, Honeywell, or Siemens. IT services giants like Cisco Systems and IBM could also become large players, according to the report.Gone are the days when companies had no idea about the volume of carbon emissions they and their partners spewed.Carbon management systems are mastering the complicated analysis of a company's carbon emissions output and efforts at curtailment, and will stick as a tool despite political disagreement over how carbon emissions in the U.S. should be managed. Carbon analysis and management will become just another type of business process data system offered by IT service companies as part of a company's overall energy management portfolio, according to the report.The six central smart-grid applications represent an inevitable lurch forward toward a more transparent and controlled use of electricity overall. The changes will benefit residential consumers, industrial energy consumers, utilities, enterprises, service providers, and even automotive companies, according to Pike Research.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Cyberbully of teen cancer survivor was best friend]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cyberbully-of-teen-cancer-survivor-was-best-friend</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cyberbully-of-teen-cancer-survivor-was-best-friend</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:10:53 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>karocruora</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cyberbully-of-teen-cancer-survivor-was-best-friend</guid>
<description><![CDATA[How should you punish a cyberbully Are there guidelines to follow Are there gradations of discipline that, say, 13-year-olds should fearI ask because of the story of Justine Willliams. Williams, an eighth-grader from North Andover, Mass., survived cancer when she was 10. She survived, but she lost a leg.A couple of months ago, according to CBS Boston, for reasons she couldn't understand, Willliams began receiving texts that threatened, among other things, that her house would be bombed and her animals would be killed. Threats of rape also reportedly featured in some of the texts.After an investigation, a 13-year-old girl reportedly confessed to sending more than 90 nasty texts. That girl was Williams' best friend at school.She reportedly used to talk to Williams via Skype, looking to see Williams' reaction as she received the texts, and she tried to mask her phone number by using a Web site to send the texts.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google, DOE building definitive electric-car map]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-doe-building-definitive-electric-car-map</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-doe-building-definitive-electric-car-map</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:10:56 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>coinchlt</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-doe-building-definitive-electric-car-map</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:U.S. Department of Energy)Google and more than 80 other companies are collaborating with the Department of Energy to make it simple for drivers of electric vehicles to find parts and charging sites.Via a partnership called the GeoEVSE Forum, the organizations are pooling their data to build a definitive database of all available EV charging stations in the U.S. regardless of the manufacturer or network, the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory said yesterday.The GPS and mapping system database will also include all available electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) stations.While the data will be organized using Google mapping tools, it will be kept and managed by the DOE Clean Cities Initiative and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. It will be open to the public via the DOE's online Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center.The online center, which already lists 600 stations, is available to the public as a database via the Alternative Fueling Station Locator tool, as well as to third parties looking to download the data source for use in other systems. The tool includes a way to find other alternative fuel stations like compressed natural gas or hydrogen, as well as electric-vehicle charging stations broken out by charging speed. One can use the Google mapping tool, or look up total station counts for a given fuel source by state.Electronics retailer Best Buy will offer charging stations at some Texas locations via the eVgo Network.(Credit:eVgo)Partners on the project include charging station manufacturers like Coulomb and retailers like Best Buy, which now host stations in some of its parking lots.&quot;This goal of this new collaboration is to establish a primary data source for GPS and mapping services tracking electric vehicle supply equipment locations--or charging stations,&quot; the National Renewable Energy Laboratory said in a statement.While the map seems like a logical step in the evolution of the electric-vehicle industry in the U.S., it may also serve to boost public trust in such vehicles as a reliable mode of transportation.A comprehensive cross-cultural study of electric-vehicle pilot programs released by Accenture in February found that public charging stations around the world have not yet been getting enough use to pay for themselves.The study surmised that this could simply be a case of governments and industry leaders managing to get infrastructure in place before demand. But it warned of several issues if people become attached to home charging. Mass home-charging at night could put a strain on the electric grid. Companies might stop investing in charging stations if they think they're underused and thus create a shortage of available public stations as electric-vehicle adoption increases. Finally, if people believe they must always charge at home, it could inhibit the adoption of electriccars. The general public might see them as insufficient for their needs, particularly if they're unaware that public charging stations exist in sufficient number to supply them for an extended car trip or take them beyond their home range.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Kyocera Echo review: Double the fun or double trouble]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=kyocera-echo-review-double-the-fun-or-double-trouble</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=kyocera-echo-review-double-the-fun-or-double-trouble</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>elisadiiis</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=kyocera-echo-review-double-the-fun-or-double-trouble</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The breach felt 'round the Web (week in review)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-breach-felt-round-the-web-week-in-review</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-breach-felt-round-the-web-week-in-review</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 2011 07:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>jlaysonoll</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-breach-felt-round-the-web-week-in-review</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Last week, Epsilon was a little-known e-mail marketing firm, a behind-the-scenes player in the Web-marketing world. This week, it's held a prominent place in the headlines as the target of a massive data breach that exposed names and e-mail addresses for a broad swath of customers at dozens of prominent companies.E-mails from the likes of Citibank, Chase, Capital One, American Express, Walgreens, Target, Best Buy, TiVo, TD Ameritrade, Verizon, and Ritz Carlton--have been flooding in-boxes since Epsilon announced its system had been breached. Some people (this writer included) have reported receiving as many as four of these warnings.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple investigating Verizon iPad 2 3G issue]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-investigating-verizon-ipad-2-3g-issue</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-investigating-verizon-ipad-2-3g-issue</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 2011 07:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ernieppnpe</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-investigating-verizon-ipad-2-3g-issue</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:CNET)Apple says it's looking into an issue that requires someiPad 2 owners with built-in Verizon 3G to reboot their devices to re-enable 3G after turning it off.In a statement by an Apple representative released to All Things Digital today, the company said it is aware that some iPad 2 owners with the Verizon 3G model are having connectivity issues and is investigating it. The number of those affected is &quot;small,&quot; the company said. Complaints began mounting on an Apple Support Discussions board in the days following the release of the iPad 2 with some users finding that the software switch to turn the 3G antenna on and off was not reactivating without first powering down the unit.The Verizon version of the iPad 2 is the first iPad to ship with CDMA service. Verizon's 3G service is also offered on the CDMA version of theiPhone 4, which went on sale earlier this year. Both devices use the same software mechanism to turn the 3G modem on and off.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft works to woo advertisers with technology]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-works-to-woo-advertisers-with-technology</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-works-to-woo-advertisers-with-technology</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>jasonmichael004</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-works-to-woo-advertisers-with-technology</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer made a pitch to a collection of the world's top advertisers that his company is in the best position to bring together the different marketing opportunities offered by the Web, mobile phones, video gaming, and television.&quot;All of our marketing customers kind of wish there was one thing you could promote on called the Internet,&quot; Ballmer told about 200 agency and brand advertising executives today at Microsoft's Imagine2011 conference on the company's campus. The way it works now, advertisers have to gin up different approaches for different mediums, buying ad spots in a disjointed set of ways. &quot;We have to make the Internet better in order to have it grow to be the standard platform for marketing,&quot; Ballmer said.Microsoft, which generates $3 billion in ad revenue annually, is working on &quot;the commercial glue&quot; to buy advertising for campaigns easily across multiple devices, Ballmer said. To that end, Microsoft rolled out the latest version of Microsoft Advertising Exchange, that's now been integrated with the real-time bidding system of AppNexus.Though Microsoft remains far behind Google in online advertising sales, the business generates $3 billion in annual revenue for the software giant. &quot;It's the most rapidly growing part of our business. It's superimportant to us,&quot; Ballmer said.That's why Microsoft holds the annual advertising gathering and trots out Ballmer to pitch the company's advertising business. It will show off not just its advertising tools, but technology such asWindows Phone 7,Xbox, and Bing, where advertisers can sell their message. And it's brought to Redmond big thinkers, such as Rhode Island School of Design President John Maeda and Academy Award-winning filmmakers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, to lure ad executives to the meeting and get them to think broadly about new opportunities.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[BMW hybrid takes car tech to new levels]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bmw-hybrid-takes-car-tech-to-new-levels</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bmw-hybrid-takes-car-tech-to-new-levels</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Mar 2011 07:11:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>dvoracekde</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bmw-hybrid-takes-car-tech-to-new-levels</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Josh Miller/CNET)BMW established its 7-series as a tech powerhouse, so adding a hybrid system is like sprinkling a little extra crazy on top of Charlie Sheen. The 7-series already features a strong array of driver assistance features, such as a night vision system, a navigation system with lush topographic maps, and an audio system that produces superb sound and includes onboard music storage on thecar's hard drive.But with the ActiveHybrid 7, BMW also demonstrates that it can do a gas electric hybrid powertrain. Although the car gets the best fuel economy of the 7-series model line, it is hardly a fuel sipper. Rather, the hybrid powertrain makes it the second most powerful of BMW's 7-series models, right below the V-12 760i. More power and better fuel economy That seems like a worthwhile addition.Read our full review of the 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Android beats iPhone on browser speed--or not]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=android-beats-iphone-on-browser-speed-or-not</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=android-beats-iphone-on-browser-speed-or-not</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ingwinwintae</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=android-beats-iphone-on-browser-speed-or-not</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Blaze Software found a Samsung Android phone faster at loading Web pages than an iPhone 4. But Apple said test was flawed.(Credit:Blaze Software)A Web performance company has concluded that a high-end Android smartphone, Samsung's Nexus S, is faster at Web browsing than aniPhone 4. Apple, though, says the company's methodology has a significant problem.Blaze Software concluded after loading 45,000 Web pages from Fortune 1000 companies over 3G and Wi-Fi that the Android phone is faster than the iPhone. The test concluded the Nexus S was 52 percent faster on average, beating out the iPhone 84 percent of the time.Nonsense, said Apple.&quot;Their testing is flawed. They didn't actually test theSafari browser on the iPhone. Instead they only tested their own proprietary app, which uses an embedded Web viewer that doesn't actually take advantage of Safari's Web performance optimizations,&quot; said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. &quot;Despite this fundamental testing flaw, they still only found an average of a second difference in loading Web pages.&quot;The problem arises because of Blaze didn't use Safari, but rather a programming mechanism that's a close relative. The company said it tested the Web sites with a custom application it created using an Apple technology called UIWebView that lets programmers embed Web content into an app. UIWebView, though, doesn't benefit from some improvements that came to the standalone browser, Safari, with iOS 4.3.Among those benefits are the new Nitro engine for running Web-based JavaScript programs, according to mobile Web programming book author Maximiliano Firtman, and asynchronous loading of Web page elements to keep one item from blocking another, according to Ars Technica. Also in Safari but not UIWebView are some caching techniques.Blaze backed away from its conclusion in light of the new data. Chief Technology Officer Guy Podjarny told CNET in a statement:This test leveraged the embedded browser which is the only available option for iPhone applications. Blaze was under the assumption that Apple would apply the same updates to their embedded browser as they would their regular browser. If this is not the case and according to Apple's response, it's certainly possible the embedded browser might produce different results. If Apple decides to apply their optimizations across their embedded browser as well, then we would be more than willing to create a new report with the new performance results.While it appears that Blaze's methods may not reflect the way most iPhone users surf the Web, they do raise a valid point about UIWebView. Application developers might want to use it to create their own apps that are essentially conveniently packaged Web applications that don't come wrapped up in the Safari user interface. But those apps would run slower.And third-party browsers such as Skyfire, which by Apple's App Store rules must use Apple's browser engine, also are affected, Firtman said.Performance of non-Safari browser apps got attention two days ago, a report in The Register raised the possibility that Apple deliberately is exploiting the inferior performance as a way to drive application developers to use Apple's App Store, where the company keeps 30 percent of revenue.That concern revolves around yet another way to handle Web apps: creating one out of a Web page. It's an action users can take from within Safari, letting them put an icon on the iPhone home screen, but running that application doesn't actually use either regular Safari or UIWebView.The conspiracy theory seems pretty silly to me. Perhaps if there were no other smartphone operating systems on the market, a company might resort to shenanigans like that, but it looks to me more likely that Apple simply hasn't yet properly wired up the Web apps to iOS 4.3's new browser features. No doubt there are security checks and quality assurance hoops to jump through, but it looks to me like the kind of thing that'll likely happen at some point.After all, Apple, while certainly a company with its fair share of control issues, must know that a lot of the success of the iPhone has been because of developers. With Android a strong force and Microsoft'sWindows Phone 7, Hewlett-Packard's WebOS, Research in Motion's BlackBerry OS, and Samsung's Bada vying to be contenders, developers have plenty of choices for where to devote their time. And while Web applications have some developer appeal by virtue of the fact that they aren't locked to the iPhone the way native apps are, Apple itself is working on standards such as CSS that make Web apps more useful and powerful.Even when customers snap up your hardware as fast as you can make it, software is crucial, too, and developers hold many of the keys to the kingdom.Updated 11:08 a.m. PT with updated comment from Blaze Software. Corrected 12:35 p.m. PT to note that the mobile Safari caching techniques don't involve HTML5. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Netflix for Android leaks onto Net but won't stream]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=netflix-for-android-leaks-onto-net-but-wont-stream</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=netflix-for-android-leaks-onto-net-but-wont-stream</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:10:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>paultupppu</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=netflix-for-android-leaks-onto-net-but-wont-stream</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A leaked version of Netflix for Android has been uncovered on the Net, but so far it doesn't seem able to actually stream any content.Reportedly stripped off a prototype of LG's Revolution Android phone, according to Business Insider, the APK (Android package) for Netflix found its way onto the Internet this week for anyone to download.The Revolution was spotted running Netflix at CES in January. According to Engadget and other sources, people who've actually tried the app are able to launch it and browse the various titles easily enough. They just can't watch anything. Though Android Police said it heard of one user able to watch movies on a Samsung Fascinate Android Phone, that bit of information was based just on a single tweet.Netflix streaming has been available for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch crowd since last year. A version is also available forWindows Phone 7 users.But Android users are still waiting for the app to reach their devices. Greg Peters of Netflix product development said last November that a Netflix app for Android would be launched early this year but that it would not be available for all Android devices.The very fragmentation of the Android platform has created challenges for Netflix in creating a mobile app. According to Peters, there's no one common way to set up security and digital rights management for all Android devices in one shot. As a result, the company has been forced to work with each individual Android device maker to build in the necessary DRM technology. That means only certain Android users will be the first in line to get Netflix, though one recent development may also help speed things up a bit.Last month, Qualcomm announced that its new Snapdragon platform will include both the hardware and the DRM protection needed to stream content from Netflix. That won't help owners of older Android devices but should ensure that newer handsets, such as the Revolution, are capable of delivering Netflix to their users.<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[FCC approves Kyocera Echo, BlackBerry PlayBook]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fcc-approves-kyocera-echo-blackberry-playbook</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fcc-approves-kyocera-echo-blackberry-playbook</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Cliettifift</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fcc-approves-kyocera-echo-blackberry-playbook</guid>
<description><![CDATA[LG Revolution(Credit:Nicole Lee/CNET)Just like it did last week the Federal Communications Commission gave the nod to a lot of new cell phones andtablets this week. Among the highlights were Sprint's quirky new Kyocera Echo, the LG Revolution and the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook.Because the FCC has to certify every phone sold in the United States, not to mention test its SAR rating, the agency's online database offers a lot of sneak peeks to those who dig. And to save you the trouble, Crave has combed through the database for you. Here are a selection of filings from the past week on new and upcoming cell phones. Click through to read the full report.HTC Desire Huawei G7205Huawei U3220Kyocera EchoLG RevolutionLG VS760Motorola WX345Nokia C7Pantech P6010RIM BlackBerry PlayBookSamsung Galaxy S IISamsung GT-5660Samsung GT-BT7510Samsung GT-E3213KSamsung SGH-i7078Samsung SGH-T839<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Analyst: iPad 2 could lead to glut of rival tablets]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=analyst-ipad-2-could-lead-to-glut-of-rival-tablets</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=analyst-ipad-2-could-lead-to-glut-of-rival-tablets</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:10:34 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Tiresandco</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=analyst-ipad-2-could-lead-to-glut-of-rival-tablets</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Could the iPad 2 trigger an oversupply of competing tablets(Credit:James Martin/CNET)Demand for theiPad 2, which goes on sale tomorrow, could hurt rivaltablet makers by sticking them with an oversupply of products they may not be able to sell.That's the outlook of J.P. Morgan Research analyst Mark Moskowitz, who yesterday voiced his opinions in an investors report, which was sent to CNET.In a race to catch up with the iPad 2 and gain ground in the tablet market, other manufacturers will rev up the launches of their own devices. But they could hit an oversupply bubble during the second half of this year, says the analyst.Apple and its rivals will collectively build around 81 million tablets for 2011, according to projections by J.P. Morgan. But Moskowitz's forecast calls for only 47.9 million tablets to actually ship this year, leaving many companies with a glut of products stuck in their warehouses. Even accounting for a potential 20 percent dip in the estimate of 81 million would still leave 65.1 million tablets looking for buyers. Overall, the analyst believes that supply could outstrip demand by 17.2 million tablets.&quot;In our view, the technical and form factor improvements of the iPad 2 stand to make it tougher for the first generation of competitive offerings to play catch-up, meaning actual shipments could fall well short of plan,&quot; Moskowitz wrote in the report.Beyond the tablet makers, manufacturers of individual hardware components also stand to lose by building too many parts for vendors eager to secure them in case the tablet market really jumps.&quot;Based on our research inputs, tablet makers eager to emulate Apple's meteoric start are trying to secure components with inflated build plans,&quot; Moskowitz wrote. &quot;There appears to be a concern among makers that certain components will not be available if tablets take off. Of note, glass displays, processors, and, to a lesser extent, NAND Flash are the components that could be most at risk.&quot;Worries about a market oversupply of tablets and components have hurt semiconductor company ARM, which designs chips for the iPad and other devices, according to Bloomberg. Its shares today took their biggest tumble over the past five months based on fears that the stock may be overpriced and that sales of tablets may not meet expectations.With the iPad 2 about to land in consumers' hands, competing tablet makers are still plotting their next moves.Samsung, which released its 7-inch Galaxy Tab late last year, is reportedly set to unveil an 8.9-inch model to join the 10-inch tablet it demoed at Mobile World Congress last month. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is readying its new PlayBook tablet, with some reports saying the device will launch next month. RIM also is planning to release two more tablets before the year is over. And HP has gotten into the act, with its new TouchPad reportedly reaching consumers in April.Those and many other tablets will join Motorola's new Xoom, which went on sale just two weeks ago.But Moskowitz believes most of the Apple rivals will face a rough market, especially from consumers who'll be looking for a lot from any iPad rival.&quot;We have a favorable view of Apple's products and operating model, but given the extraordinary success of the company over the last decade, there are holdouts just as there were with Microsoft before Linux,&quot; wrote the analyst. &quot;We think these holdouts will be underwhelmed by the tablet alternatives. Aside from Motorola's Xoom and HP's TouchPad (which does not have a price tag yet), the competitive offerings appear to be light on attraction, in our view.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[To cut LED lighting costs, Bridgelux rides silicon]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=to-cut-led-lighting-costs-bridgelux-rides-silicon</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=to-cut-led-lighting-costs-bridgelux-rides-silicon</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:11:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>manziter4</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=to-cut-led-lighting-costs-bridgelux-rides-silicon</guid>
<description><![CDATA[To get the same economics of the computer semiconductor industry, the LED lighting world needs to start manufacturing on the same equipment, says Bridgelux CEO Bill Watkins.The LED light source maker said today that it demonstrated the production of LED light chips on silicon, a transition that will cut production costs by 75 percent and ultimately result in cheaper, energy-efficient light fixtures. Bridgelux intends to start making LEDs, which will be fitted into bulbs made by other companies, with the process in two or three years.An 8-inch gallium nitride on silicon wafer.(Credit:Bridgelux)Light fixtures with LEDs use semiconductors made by growing Gallium nitride (GaN) on a substrate of sapphire or silicon carbide. Using GaN on silicon, Bridgelux engineers have been able to get the same light quality and comparable efficiency to today's commercial products, the company said. Silicon Valley-based Bridgelux is now making its LEDs on 2-inch and 4-inch wafers. But the silicon process technology will allow it to get higher yields by contracting with silicon chip makers, which will lower production costs. &quot;We can partner with a semiconductor company to take advantage of their fully depreciated fab and manufacture at 8-inch scale, which you probably can't do on sapphire, with very minor tweaking to existing machines,&quot; Watkins said. &quot;That's why the semi companies are all over this space--they want to put this on silicon.&quot;Bridgelux has been able to get about 135 lumens per watt, which is about what the efficiency of GaN was on sapphire two to three years ago. For a light bulb with the color temperature of a typical halogen, that translates to about 85 lumens per watt, said Jason Posselt, the vice president of marketing.General lighting playResearchers for years have tried to put GaN on silicon, but there are challenges in making the two materials work together, notably the differences in thermal expansion. One of the common problems is defects or cracks that occur on the chip. Rather than a single breakthrough, Bridgelux engineers have made a few changes to the manufacturing process, Posselt said. There still are engineering challenges, but the company is confident it can make the transition to GaN on silicon. The move to silicon, which other companies are pursuing, could significantly knock down the price of LEDs for general lighting, since the LED light sources are about half the cost of a consumer bulb, said Posselt.Because they are efficient and controllable, LEDs are already being adopted by retail outlets and other commercial customers. In the past year, LED bulbs designed for home use have come out as well, but at significantly higher prices than traditional bulbs.There are 40-watt and 60-watt equivalent LED bulbs sold at large retail outlets, such as Home Depot and Lowes, with prices in the range of $18 to about $40. Lighting manufacturers expect prices to go down steadily for the LED bulbs, some of which are rated to last 25 years and are far more efficient than incandescent bulbs. But in the near term, the purchase price will still be higher than existing technologies.Moving to a cheaper manufacturing process, coupled with ongoing efficiency improvements of GaN, will help push LED lighting into general lighting based on purchase cost, Posselt said. Watkins, the former CEO of disk driver maker Seagate, said the manufacturing technology means LED companies can lower prices faster. &quot;The quantity and quality of light you can now get out of an LED source has really dramatically improved,&quot; Watkins said. &quot;Now the issue is cost and how to get the cost lower.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Air Force launches second mysterious space plane]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=air-force-launches-second-mysterious-space-plane</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=air-force-launches-second-mysterious-space-plane</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 05 Mar 2011 08:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>mepeveb</dc:creator>
<category>Social</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=air-force-launches-second-mysterious-space-plane</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle taxis on the flight line in 2010.(Credit:U.S. Air Force)A second mysterious, robotic space plane was launched into orbit by the U.S. Air Force today, after the first craft safely returned to Earth late last year following a secretive months-long mission and speculation about its potential military or intelligence uses.The second Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, or OTV, left Cape Canaveral, Fla., at 2:46 p.m. PT, atop an Atlas V rocket, Boeing said.&quot;History was made in December when the X-37B became the United States' first unmanned vehicle to return from space and land on its own,&quot; Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems, said in a statement today. &quot;The success of that mission validated this reusable and effective way to test new technologies in space and return them for examination.&quot;The &amp;34'OTV-2,&amp;34' the second X-37B space plane, launches atop an Atlas V rocket.(Credit:Patrick H. Corkery/Boeing)The X-37B, which was originally a NASA project, has the potential to pick up where the space shuttle program will leave off when it winds down. And Boeing's statement suggested as much.But an Air Force statement at the time of the first craft's launch that a successful project could &quot;make our access to space more responsive...and push us in the vector toward being able to react to warfighter needs more quickly,&quot; has, for some, lent the X-37B program an air of intrigue.Some observers think the project is designed to facilitate the development of combat and weapons systems' others have suggested that the unmanned craft could be used as an orbital spy vehicle.The Air Force said in its statement today that the program &quot;has the potential to make space experiments more affordable, which would allow future experiment designers to focus resources and dollars on technology and innovation rather than on basic services, layers of redundancy, or ground operations.&quot;The present mission is scheduled to last about 270 days, but the Air Force said that might be extended. The first craft stayed in orbit 224 days.The X-37B is about 29 feet long with a wingspan of about 15 feet and looks something like a smaller, eyeless relative of the space shuttle.The extreme history of X-Planes (photos) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Ultrathin ThinkPad squeezes in Sandy Bridge chip]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ultrathin-thinkpad-squeezes-in-sandy-bridge-chip</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ultrathin-thinkpad-squeezes-in-sandy-bridge-chip</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zujexota</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ultrathin-thinkpad-squeezes-in-sandy-bridge-chip</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Presaging laptops to come from Apple and Dell, Lenovo announced an ultrathin ThinkPad today that houses Intel's newest Sandy Bridge chip. The 14-inch Lenovo ThinkPad T420s is only 0.83 inches thick but integrates an optical drive and packs a Sandy Bridge processor. It is also offered with an option for Nvidia graphics. (Credit:Lenovo)The 14-inch Lenovo T420s is svelte for a 14-inch business laptop at 0.83-inches thick--reminiscent of the ultrathin X300 and X301. It weighs in at 3.94 pounds with a six-cell battery. Battery life can be extended up to 10 hours by adding an additional battery that goes into the optical drive bay, Ross Compton, a market manager at Lenovo's ThinkPad laptop group, told CNET today. &quot;We're getting 30 percent better battery life when users are watching video, listening to music, and browsing the Web,&quot; Compton said. &quot;So, for instance when somebody's watching a movie. We've come up with technology to reduce the power draw on the e-SATA port or SD (Secure Digital) card, or different places on the system board [where power isn't needed].&quot; Lenovo has also out-turboed Intel's standard Turbo Boost 2.0 technology, which throttles the processor speed up and down, according to performance and power savings needs, respectively. &quot;With Lenovo's Turbo Boost+ we enable our system to boost longer, allowing [users] to be more productive,&quot; Compton said, adding that Lenovo has integrated dual exhaust pipes and dual vents on opposing corners of the notebook to reduce heat. The T420s starts at $1,329 and is expected to ship at the end of March, Compton said. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Netflix's shares soar on Android, Nielsen news]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=netflixs-shares-soar-on-android-nielsen-news</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=netflixs-shares-soar-on-android-nielsen-news</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>maxx8888</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=netflixs-shares-soar-on-android-nielsen-news</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Today is one of those days when investors who sensed Netflix's potential years ago but didn't buy in may be kicking themselves. The Web's top movie-rental service today saw its shares soar 7 percent to $247.55, and set a new all-time high for the company. Netflix shares have steadily risen since January 26, when the company posted fourth-quarter earnings that featured big gains in profits and subscribers. Since then, Netflix shares have climbed more than 30 percent. Sure, the news today about how Qualcomm will help enable Android handsets to playback Netflix's streaming video had something to do with the stock spike. But that's just one of the company's gold stars recently. Netflix is riding a wave of positive headlines during the past two weeks. &amp;149'&amp;nbsp'On Friday, Nielsen reported that Netflix became the first paid Internet video service to break into the top 10 list of most visited Web sites.  &amp;149'&amp;nbsp'In December, Whitney Tilson, of hedge fund T2 partners, slammed Netflix's management and the company's prospects for competing for viewers but last week said surveys showing Netflix's high customer satisfaction helped change his view and he has now stopped shorting the stock. &amp;149'&amp;nbsp'In fourth quarter, Netflix added more than 3 million subscribers and surpassed the 20 million total-subscriber mark earlier than many on Wall Street had anticipated.  But investors should pay careful attention to how successful Netflix is at acquiring movies and TV shows for the company's burgeoning streaming service. Some executives from film studios and TV networks argue that supplying Netflix with content only serves to lower the value of content and undermines distribution partners that pay more to content creators, such as cable pay TV services. Some of the predict Netflix could see the flow of content slow to a trickle. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iTunes updated for CDMA iPhone]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=itunes-updated-for-cdma-iphone</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=itunes-updated-for-cdma-iphone</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 08:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Lamecheag</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=itunes-updated-for-cdma-iphone</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Apple)Apple has released an update to iTunes that provides support for Verizon's CDMA version of theiPhone.Made available yesterday, the iTunes 10.1.2 update offers the information in its &quot;Read Before You Install iTunes&quot; note: &quot;iTunes 10.1.2 syncs music, movies, and more with iPhone 4 (CDMA model) and provides a number of important stability and performance improvements.&quot;Though not specifically detailing the other changes in version 10.1.2, Apple noted that the 10.1 update had added the ability to sync an iPhone,iPad, oriPod Touch with iOS 4.2 and use AirPlay to stream videos from iTunes to the newest edition of Apple TV. Verizon's iPhone 4 is slated to debut February 11. Current Verizon customers can preorder starting February 3. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Who can afford the carbon-friendly skies]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=who-can-afford-the-carbon-friendly-skies</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=who-can-afford-the-carbon-friendly-skies</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:10:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Collinsmith</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=who-can-afford-the-carbon-friendly-skies</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Screenshot of Directflight.com&amp;39's new tool for finding carbon-friendly flights shows the &amp;39'greenest&amp;39' and &amp;39'cheapest&amp;39' options from its selection of airlines.(Credit:Directflights.com)Directflights.com is now offering a search engine for finding the cheapest carbon-friendly flights between two destinations, the company announced today.The tool was developed in conjunction with The Carbon Consultancy, a British company that offers reports on emissions data and offset procurement information for travel industry companies.It offers to show international flights, as well as those contained within the U.K. and Europe, or contained within the U.S., among other places. Flights can be viewed by cheapest only, or by most carbon-friendly with a choice to see flights in different currency options.The tool ranks flights on a carbon-friendly scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the most carbon-friendly. The carbon ratings are not the exact data for a given flight, but based on the carbon footprint of the plane model used by a particular airline for that particular route, using official EU aircraft fuel consumption data, and UK government fuel to emissions conversion values, according to Directflights.com.The poster-flight for the site is a Virgin Atlantic flight between London and New York that costs 376 pounds ($597), only 41 pounds ($65) more than the least carbon-friendly option, according to a Directflights.com press release.The tool is limited to certain airlines, and testing of several flights found that applying the carbon-friendly option is usually a lot more than the 41-pound difference example given by Directflights.com.The Web site may serve more to show to people just how expensive it is to fly mixed-fuel flights compared to conventional jet fuel flights.Looking at U.S. flights with the tool, one could choose the cheap roundtrip New York City (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO) AirTran option for $257, or a carbon-friendly Delta flight for $624. The Delta link led to a Virgin America flight priced at $625 before taxes.Virgin America, as well as Virgin Atlantic, have both been adding biofuels to its fleet fuel mix, as well as offering consumer carbon offsets.The most egregious difference was in a search for a roundtrip flight from Bristol airport in England (BRS) to Berlin Schoenfield airport in Germany (SXF). It rendered only one option, a KLM flight for a whopping 1,369 pounds ($2,174). Since it was the only flight the tool found, it was also labeled greenest. That's an insane price to pay for conscientious flying compared to EasyJet's 111-pound ($176) budget option for the same dates. As the site only includes certain airlines, the EasyJet flight was obviously not even included in its grid. One would have to know of the famous European budget airline's common routes.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Woman hangs up on $10,000 call from Apple]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=woman-hangs-up-on-10000-call-from-apple</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=woman-hangs-up-on-10000-call-from-apple</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 23 Jan 2011 08:10:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rexmxxeexx</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=woman-hangs-up-on-10000-call-from-apple</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Technology facilitates intrusion. People weasel their way into our lives in order to sell us cable TV, a zoo membership, or enhanced reproductive organs.So who could be surprised when Gail Davis, a woman in Orpington, England, picked up the phone, listened to someone offering her a prize, and immediately replied, &quot;Thank you very much' I'm not interested&quot;The only problem was that the caller really was someone from Apple and Davis really had won a prize. For her household was, indeed, the one from which the 10 billionth app had been downloaded from Apple's app store.As the Cult of Mac tells it, Davis was brought to her senses by her daughters, one of whom had downloaded the free PaperGlider app, which is so utterly useful to humanity that Warren Buffett is probably playing it as we speak.The 10 billionth app. One of the finest.(Credit:Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)Davis was distraught when she called Apple back and somehow the person on the company's helpdesk reportedly proved to be less than helpful. Perhaps Davis was already a marked woman. Perhaps it had been Apple COO Tim Cook himself calling to tell her she had won a $10,000 gift card.Davis was mired in shame. As she told the Cult ofMac: &quot;The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was a genuine call. The girls were getting quite tense. They never would have forgiven me. They would have held it against me for all eternity.&quot;Children hold all sorts of things against their mothers for all eternity, from looks to luck. But this would have been too much to bear.Her eternity was made sweeter when she received another call from Apple. This time it was a colleague of Eddy Cue, Apple's VP of iTunes.You might wonder why Cue himself didn't make the call. It could have been because it had, indeed, been Cue, rather than a telemarketer, who had made the original call and received a polite British brush-off.So now Gail Davis and her family can download more apps and enjoy their fame. And Apple can content itself that it is now only Toshiba being rude to the company, rather than the woman whose family downloaded the 10 billionth app.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: iPhone to cost Verizon billions this year]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-iphone-to-cost-verizon-billions-this-year</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-iphone-to-cost-verizon-billions-this-year</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>mandidmdda</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-iphone-to-cost-verizon-billions-this-year</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Apple)Verizon Wireless obviously wants theiPhone, but it will pay a hefty price to get it.Speaking to several industry analysts, Bloomberg found that Verizon could pay billions of dollars this year in subsidies.According to UBS analyst John Hodulik, Verizon could sell 13 million iPhone units this year and subsidize each device by $400. Overall, that could mean Verizon will pay $5.2 billion in subsidies.Barclays analyst James Ratcliffe told Bloomberg that he isn't as bullish on iPhone sales. He expects Verizon to sell about 9 million iPhones and subsidize the smartphone at $350, forcing the company to take a $3.2 billion subsidy expense in the year.Subsidies are commonplace in the mobile market. Carriers acquire phones from vendors at a specific price, and typically sell them for much less. By subsidizing a phone's price, carriers hope to attract more customers and recoup that investment through monthly service plans.Later this morning, Verizon is holding a press event in New York City where it is widely expected to announce support for the iPhone. The event starts at 8 a.m. PT, and as you might expect, CNET will be there to live-blog every second.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Ford introduces smartphone app for electric Focus]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-ford-introduces-smartphone-app-for-electric-focus</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-ford-introduces-smartphone-app-for-electric-focus</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:10:53 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>limuckma2</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-ford-introduces-smartphone-app-for-electric-focus</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The MyFord Mobile app uses MapQuest to find charging stations.(Credit:Ford)MyFord Mobile smartphone app (photos) LAS VEGAS--The Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf both have associated smartphone apps to help their tech-savvy owners cope with range issues, and now Ford announces a similar app, called MyFord Mobile, for its upcoming electric Focus. The app offers features ranging from remote door unlock to trip planning to a system of achievements that can be posted to social networking sites.To help electric Focus owners save money, MyFord Mobile uses a system from Microsoft to determine the best charging times. Instead of the owner scheduling a charge from midnight to 6 a.m., for example, this feature asks the owner when thecar will be needed. It then determines the best charging time based on the window it has been given. When it comes up with a charging time, it will inform the owner. It can also alert the owner to problems, such as not having plugged in the car.MyFord Mobile uses MapQuest to find charging stations, and will look at the car's remaining range to indicate which charging stations are within range. Similarly, a trip planning feature lets owners input multiple destinations, then adjust the trip based on which of those destinations the car can actually reach.Typical telematics features in MyFord Mobile include remote door unlock and a locator feature. The locator shows the owner's and the car's location on a map. The app will also suggest remotely turning on the heat while the car is plugged in if it happens to be cold out.The app gets fun with its driving behavior monitoring. It rates drivers on a scale from Zen to Zippy depending on whether they drive economically or aggressively. There will be a variety of achievements drivers can unlock, such as saving their first ton of CO2 or saving their first $1,000 of gasoline. These achievements can be automatically posted to the driver's Facebook page based on preferences.Another interesting feature builds on Ford's MyKey technology, which customizes the car's settings based on who is driving it. For the electric Focus, the car will use its driving style monitoring and adjust its projected range based on whether the current driver is known to be heavy-footed or more economical.Ford will make MyFord Mobile available oniPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and will even include a Web site optimized for phone browsers, so a smartphone is not necessary. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Over half of late-20s crowd own cell phones only]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=over-half-of-late-20s-crowd-own-cell-phones-only</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=over-half-of-late-20s-crowd-own-cell-phones-only</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 22 Dec 2010 08:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>peacup2000</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=over-half-of-late-20s-crowd-own-cell-phones-only</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Fifty-one percent of 25- to 29-year-olds live in households that have kicked the landline habit, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.That is the first time that wireless-only households have surpassed landline households among any age group, according to the CDC's report released yesterday. The report, which surveyed 17,619 households over the six months that ended in June, also showed a 2 point rise of cell-phone-only households among late-twentysomethings compared with the previous six months.Looking at other age groups, around 40 percent of people 18 to 24 and 30 to 34 live in cell phone-only households. After the age of 35, that figures drops off until age 65 when only 5 percent of the people are in households with cell phones only.Meanwhile, almost 40 percent of households with children under 3 rely on cell phones alone.Overall, the CDC found that 26 percent of U.S. homes used only wireless phones, while another 16 percent received all or almost all their calls on a cell phone even though they still have landlines.The findings in general and among the various age groups are significant because they show that cell-phone-only households aren't prevalent just among younger, single people, according to Stephen Blumberg, the report's author. Blumberg told the Associated Press the numbers suggest that young adults who use cell phones alone continue that habit as they have families.&quot;It's a sign that wireless-only is no longer strictly tied to a lifestyle of being young and restless,&quot; Blumberg told the AP.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Beta Shell protects lenses from water, shock]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=beta-shell-protects-lenses-from-water-shock</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=beta-shell-protects-lenses-from-water-shock</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Dec 2010 08:10:26 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sophia01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=beta-shell-protects-lenses-from-water-shock</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Beta Shell)While your dSLR is important, you can't take pictures without lenses. So, it's important to offer equal protection for your optics and camera body. dSLR bodies can go into bags with ample padding, and lenses can go into the Beta Shell. These lens containers are watertight so you don't have to worry about getting drenched in the rain. They are also capable of regulating temperature so the lenses won't get too hot or cold in extreme climates. The polymer plastic case is also shock-resistant, while the neoprene cushions inside will dampen any vibrations that may damage the optics. The company makes cases for most popular Canon and Nikon's lenses, and you can check out the list on the product Web site. The shells cost between $45 and $84, depending on the size. Check out the video below to see just how tough the Beta Shell tubes are. (Source: Crave Asia via PDN) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Android tablet preview]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-android-tablet-preview</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-android-tablet-preview</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>monlimrekokoloko</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-android-tablet-preview</guid>
<description><![CDATA[If 2011 will be a breakout year for Android tablets, CES will serve as the starting gate.(Credit:ViewSonic)When my boss asks me what tablets I expect to see at CES, I have to laugh a little. It's a nervous laugh. Maybe I'm overreacting, but with theiPad's breakout success this year, I'm expecting a tidal wave of tablets at CES 2011.There are the obvious elephants in the room. RIM will surely be making a fuss about its PlayBook. HP should have a WebOS tablet to show off (or risk humiliation, at this point). And as for Microsoft, if we don't see a branded tablet we should at least see a convincing strategy for how the company plans to compete.But it's not the big guys that are giving me heartburn heading into CES--it's the rapidly expanding tribe of Android tablet manufacturers. With Google's tablet-optimized version of Android (aka, Honeycomb) slated for next year, any manufacturer not already invested in brewing its own tablet OS will be throwing its hat in the Android ring.Below is a listing of all the manufacturers I fully expect will have Android tablets on display at CES 2011. Each link points to the rumored or announced tablet(s) in question.AcerArchosAsusCreativeDellEntourageFusion GarageLGMotorolaMSINotion InkSamsungToshibaViewSonicNoticeably absent from this list: Sony. I know it's supposed to have its PSP Android phone in the works, but I haven't been able to get a pulse on tablet plans. As a company, Sony is notoriously bad at keeping a lid on products, so I would be surprised if a fully baked Android tablet dropped out of thin air at CES. Still, as a big, capable manufacturer, it's got to be working on something, rightOf course, this list is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the tablets (Android and otherwise) we'll see at CES. I'm going in assuming everyone's got a tablet to show. Whether it's Philips or Sony, or the guy at the churro cart. If I had to bet on a standout device early on, it would be the Motorola tablet Google's Andy Rubin showed off a few weeks back. It stands to reason that Google has given this tablet an early blessing for a reason, and Motorola's PR machine is already putting some money behind advertising.The only thing I really know for sure: I'm in for a busy CES. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Think delivers City cars to Indiana]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=think-delivers-city-cars-to-indiana</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=think-delivers-city-cars-to-indiana</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Dec 2010 08:11:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Enviciara</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=think-delivers-city-cars-to-indiana</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Think&amp;39's City car, mainly marketed to urban dwellers, has the capacity to go 112 miles on a single battery charge, but only a top speed of 60 miles per hour.(Credit:Think)Norwegian automaker Think plans to deliver 15 of its Think Citycars to Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana today.Think CEO Barry Engle is expected to hand over the vehicles at Fort Harrison State Park as part of a ceremony to promote the all-electric vehicle.Indiana will be the first U.S. customer, as part of the state's Project Plug-In initiative, to drive U.S.-assembled versions of the Think City, and it's obvious why.Think's U.S. assembly plant happens to be in Elkhart, Indiana. And while not all the City's parts are &quot;Made in the USA,&quot; one key component is. Ener1, the exclusive battery supplier for all of Think's U.S. vehicles, manufactures the City's lithium-ion batteries in Indiana, and it has also contracted to supply its batteries to 60 percent of Think City's European vehicles. Most interesting is that Ener1 is an investor in Think, and the U.S. government has invested in Ener1.Ener1 received $118.5 million in federal funds as part of a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and White House-backed program to promote high-tech battery manufacturing in the U.S The program consisting of $2.4 billion in U.S. funds doled out to 48 battery manufacturing companies in exchange for matched private investments also totaling $2.4 billion. Ener1 also received $70 million in the form of tax incentives from Indiana and local governments.So the cars represent the fruition of a lot of nudges from both the federal government and the Indiana state government to drum up green-collar U.S. jobs and investment in manufacturing.Indiana will use the 15 City cars in its state fleet, and voluntarily have them monitored as part of Project Plug-In, an initiative to study the consumption habits connected with use of electric cars as well as their effect on the electrical grid.The Think City has a top speed of 60 mph, gets up to 112 miles on a single battery charge, and takes approximately 15 minutes to recharge up to 80 percent capacity when using a fast-charging station, longer when charged from a home outlet, according to Think statistics.That American-made battery convenience will come at a cost. It's estimated that the Think City will initially be sold in the U.S. for $34,000.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[NASA Ames to host world's largest airship]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nasa-ames-to-host-worlds-largest-airship</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nasa-ames-to-host-worlds-largest-airship</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Dec 2010 08:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cash21</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nasa-ames-to-host-worlds-largest-airship</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This is a 125-foot Bullet Class 580 airship. The airship that will be housed at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., will be 235 feet long.(Credit:E-Green Technologies)If you like big and green, NASA's Ames Research Center will soon have something for you: the world's largest and greenest airship.The space agency announced today that the Mountain View, Calif., research center's Moffett Field will soon play host to a mammoth 265-foot-long and 65-foot-diameter airship from Kellyton, Ala.'s E-Green Technologies. The Bullet Class 580 will be developed and tested at Ames in 24,000 square feet of Ames' famous Hangar 2. The new airship, which has a planned first flight date of early 2011, is expected to run on algae-based biofuel, and fly at speeds of up to 75 miles an hour at altitudes of up to 20,000 feet. Ames and Moffett Field are becoming a hotbed for airships. Already, the facility is the home of Airship Ventures, and its own giant zeppelin. And, of course, Moffett Field has a storied history of hosting airships, stretching back to 1933, when the U.S. Navy's Zeppelin ZRS-5 785-foot-long zeppelin resided there. The U.S. Navy Zeppelin ZRS-5, also known as the Macon, which was berthed at Moffett Field starting in 1933.(Credit:NASA)The E-Green Technologies Bullet Class 580 is expected to fly with &quot;a joint NASA Langley Research Center and Old Dominion University payload, the Radar Oxygen Barometric Sensor Project, a remote sensing instrument for measuring barometric pressure at sea level--an important meteorological measurement in the prediction and forecasting of tropical storms and hurricanes.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Laptops of Lady Gaga, Timberlake hacked]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=laptops-of-lady-gaga-timberlake-hacked</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=laptops-of-lady-gaga-timberlake-hacked</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>InsovonDast</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=laptops-of-lady-gaga-timberlake-hacked</guid>
<description><![CDATA[We are all ducks, meekly sitting while those who have the hacking skills infiltrate our mind's eyes, aka our laptops.It seems, sadly, that among the latest victims of boys riding Trojan horses are acclaimed worldwide singing personality Lady Gaga, as well as other notable performing stallions, such as Justin Timberlake.According to the Telegraph, Lady Gaga and more than 50 other fine icons of our cultured times have suffered hacking at the hands of two Germans lads who desired access to their unreleased songs and their unreleasable intimate photographs.German prosecutors claim that among the hackers' haul was a picture of the singer Kesha in a state of considerable nudity, and, simultaneously, considerable pleasure. Indeed, the prosecutors say that instead of attempting to sell this image to an unscrupulously enterprising Web site, the hackers tried to blackmail Kesha. That does seem to be somewhat culturally unaware behavior.Was she a hacker target(Credit:CC Domain Barnyard/Flickr)It also seems a little dense that the hackers--reportedly a 17-year-old and a 23-year-old--began to boast about their Trojan prowess on the Web. So here were two people proving that nothing was safe on the Web by exposing themselves in that very same maze.The two hackers have not been formally charged. However, it seems that only the loyal, passionate, and thoroughly responsible fans of the original American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, plucked up the temerity to expose these alleged fiends. These fans were perplexed that Clarkson's unreleased music was available on the Web. In booming online voices, they sounded the alarm, and soon the FBI, together with their German allies, swung into action.The German publication Deutsche Welle does cast some doubt as to whether it was the stars' most personal laptops that were accessed by these alleged miscreants. Suggesting that perhaps the hackers managed to access the laptops of managers and others close to these legends, Deutsche Welle quotes Ralf Haferkamp of the Duisburg prosecutor's office: &quot;I can't say whether the laptop sitting on Lady Gaga's nightstand was among them, but I think that's pretty unlikely.&quot;This is a curious assertion. Is Haferkamp truly suggesting that stars' laptops enjoy greater security than those of the mere minions they have at their disposal for a mere 10 percent (or less) of their earnings Do these stars employ their own hacker protection squads (paid by the hour, naturally) in order to fend off unwanted assaults Or might these stars' managers wish to discourage those who would now believe that accessing the very heart, the very control(-freak) room of the world's cultural greats is an easy processNo one is safe. Just like Kesha and every other great star in the world, we are all one small step from overexposure.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[GE creates home energy unit in smart-grid play]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-creates-home-energy-unit-in-smart-grid-play</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-creates-home-energy-unit-in-smart-grid-play</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:10:41 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>jeandanis123</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-creates-home-energy-unit-in-smart-grid-play</guid>
<description><![CDATA[GE&amp;39's Nucleus software displays real-time and historical energy use. (Credit:GE)General Electric has created a Home Energy Management business in a bid to apply digital technologies to energy efficiency in consumers' homes and the electric grid, the company said today.The business unit, part of GE Appliances &amp; Lighting, combines &quot;smart&quot; appliances and an Internet-based home energy management system called Nucleus, which is set for release next year.By making a single business unit for home energy, GE is trying to focus its efforts on consumer interest in smart-grid technologies geared at using energy more efficiently, the company said. &quot;It makes economic and environmental sense for the world to better utilize the power we already generate rather than create more capacity to meet our escalating peak-power needs,&quot; GE Home Energy Management general manager Dave McCalpin said in a statement. &quot;If we can better manage when and how we use power, we can control the demand without compromising people's lifestyles.&quot;GE's vision for home energy management revolves around networked devices that can give consumers more information on energy consumption and communicate with the utility through a smart meter. The Nucleus home energy management system is a small gadget about the size of mobile phone charger and acts as a network hub, connecting to a thermostat, smart meter, and other networked appliances. Using a PC or smart phone, people can see how energy is being used and control appliances to, for example, program a thermostat or turn on the heat during a drive home.GE is developing a line of appliances that can be connected to a home network as well. Once connected, they can be remotely controlled from a smart phone or PC. But the energy savings from smart appliances comes from communicating with a utility via a smart meter. Utilities, which have regulatory incentives to use less energy, are eager to find ways to lower energy use during peak times, typically in the late afternoon and early evening. Through voluntary demand-response programs, a consumer can agree to have a clothes dryer, for example, take longer to complete its job in order to lower energy use. GE's hybrid hot water heater already has a Zigbee networking chip in it, and the company plans to introduce more appliances that can be connected to the grid.GE is enthusiastic about home energy management systems not only because it's a new business area that can help sell appliances, but because GE also makes power equipment to utilities, including smart meters and transformers. The company has said that with on-site power generation and an energy efficient home, a household could be a net zero energy consumer. GE plans to introduce thin-film solar panels next year as well as an electric-vehicle charging station. Photos: GE's smart-grid kitchen of the future (photos) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[State regulators approve Cape Wind power contract]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=state-regulators-approve-cape-wind-power-contract</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=state-regulators-approve-cape-wind-power-contract</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:10:46 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Mary-Cherry8</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=state-regulators-approve-cape-wind-power-contract</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Massachusetts utility regulators today approved the initial power purchase agreement for Cape Wind, bringing the controversial offshore wind farm product closer to construction. The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities approved a 15-year power purchase agreement between Cape Wind and utility National Grid to buy half of the electricity produced at the proposed farm in the Nantucket Sound off the coast of Cape Cod.The rates at which National Grid agreed to purchase power from Cape Wind are above market rates. But the Department of Public Utilities concluded that Cape Wind is in the public interest and the prices are acceptable in light of the benefits. It projected that consumer electricity bills will go up between 1.3 percent and 1.7 percent, and bills for commercial and industrial customers will go up between 1.7 percent and 2.2 percent.A simulation from Cape Wind on how the 130 wind turbines will look from the closest point onshore. The state has mandated that utilities generate a certain percentage of its electricity from renewable energy sources. There are other, less expensive renewable energy sources, but they face permitting hurdles in the short term, making it clear that offshore wind is need to meet that mandate, regulators said in the 374-page decision (click for PDF). Cape Wind has been under development for 10 years and has met all federal reviews.In addition to helping meet the state renewable energy mandate, Cape Wind will have a downward effect on wholesale electricity prices because Cape Wind will bid into daily energy markets at no or low fuel costs. The wind farm, which will be between 5.6 and 13.8 miles offshore from Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, will also moderate peak load on the grid.&quot;This is the moment for the state and the region to begin to capture the potential of offshore wind by approving the long-term contract that will help the country's largest proposed offshore wind facility become a reality,&quot; according to the regulators' order.The decision, which was expected to be favorable, positions Cape Wind to seek out financing to start building the project, said Cape Wind representative Mark Rodgers. Project developers hope to begin construction next year and begin operating within a year or two. Opponents of the project, meanwhile, are expected to appeal the decision to the state supreme court. &quot;It is obvious that the DPU [Department of Public Utilities] made this decision based on politics rather than facts,&quot; said Audra Parker, CEO of the opposition group Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound.With 130 turbines, Cape Wind is projected to have a capacity of 468 megawatts, and National Grid agreed to a power purchase agreement of $187 per megawatt-hour for 15 years with a planned 3.5 percent yearly rate increase. The utility commission said that rate is &quot;expensive in light of today's energy prices. It may also be expensive in light of forecasted energy prices--although less so than its critics suggest.&quot;The Department of Public Utilities denied National Grid's request for a second power purchase agreement to acquire the second half of Cape Wind's total output, which National Grid could have assigned to another party. Regulators said that power purchase agreements for the remainder of Cape Wind's output need to be approved separately. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The future of cars: 1,000-pound ultraefficients]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-future-of-cars-1000-pound-ultraefficients</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-future-of-cars-1000-pound-ultraefficients</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Nov 2010 08:10:29 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Avaivatus</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-future-of-cars-1000-pound-ultraefficients</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Nine car companies submitted entries in the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show design challenge. Each company was tasked with coming up with a highly efficient, sub-1,000-pound car concept.(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)LOS ANGELES--As just about everyone knows, the mandate in the auto industry these days is to try to be more green and more efficient.That's why this year's version of the annual Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge was to come up with a concept for a highly efficient vehicle that is less than 1,000 pounds in total weight.Ninecar companies submitted designs. Here are their entries (click on the following slideshow for full information):Concept designs for an under-1000 pound car (photos) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Motorola countersues Microsoft in patent case]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=motorola-countersues-microsoft-in-patent-case</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=motorola-countersues-microsoft-in-patent-case</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Nov 2010 08:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sophia01</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=motorola-countersues-microsoft-in-patent-case</guid>
<description><![CDATA[On the heels of Microsoft's second patent-related suit against Motorola filed Tuesday, Motorola has fired back with lawsuits of its own.Yesterday, Motorola accused Microsoft of infringing 16 patents in itsXbox gaming console and in Windows for servers, PCs, and mobile devices, the company said. The accusations are in complaints filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and the Western District of Wisconsin.The suit is one of a rash of patent cases that's broken out in the mobile-device market, with other combatants including Apple, Nokia, HTC, Google, and Oracle. Microsoft accused Motorola of infringing its patents in an October lawsuit' the second suit, filed Tuesday, accused Motorola of breaching its contract by overcharging for patents for wireless communication and video-decoding technology used in the Xbox.Motorola has requested Microsoft stop using its patented technology and pay compensation. Here's Motorola's description of the patents it alleges Microsoft violates:The Motorola patents directed to PC and server software relate to Windows OS, digital video coding, e-mail technology including Exchange, Messenger, and Outlook, Windows Live instant messaging, and object-oriented software architecture. The Motorola patents directed to Windows mobile software relate to Windows Marketplace, Bing maps, and object-oriented software architecture.In a statement, Motorola issued the customary words touting its own intellectual property and regretting that Microsoft chose to bring its complaint to the courts. &quot;Motorola's R&amp;D and intellectual property are of great importance to the Company and are renowned worldwide. We are committed to protecting the interests of our shareholders, customers and other stakeholders and are bringing this action against Microsoft in order to halt its infringement of key Motorola patents. Motorola has invested billions of dollars in R&amp;D to create a deep and broad intellectual property portfolio and we will continue to do what is necessary to protect our proprietary technology,&quot; said Kirk Dailey, corporate vice president of intellectual property at Motorola Mobility. &quot;It is unfortunate that Microsoft has chosen the litigation path rather than entering into comprehensive licensing negotiations, as Motorola has mutually beneficial licensing relationships with the great majority of technology companies industrywide.&quot;Update 9:55 a.m. PT: Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft's corporate vice president and deputy general counsel of intellectual property and licensing, had this response: &quot;We are still reviewing Motorola's filing, which we just received. This move is typical of the litigation process, and we are not surprised. We remain confident in our position and will continue to move forward with the complaints we initiated against Motorola in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and with the International Trade Commission (ITC).&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft lets Hotmail users set encryption by default]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-lets-hotmail-users-set-encryption-by-default</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-lets-hotmail-users-set-encryption-by-default</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:10:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sophia01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-lets-hotmail-users-set-encryption-by-default</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Hotmail users can set the e-mail service to automatically use https for their sessions.(Credit:Microsoft)Microsoft announced today that it is offering Hotmail users the ability to take advantage of encryption when using the free e-mail service.  To enable full-session HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) for Hotmail you can type in &quot;https://hotmail.com&quot; or set it as the default for e-mail, calendar, and contacts at https://account.live.com/ManageSSL. Previously SSL was only used at the time of sign-in, but now it's available from the start until a user logs off, a Microsoft spokeswoman said.  Also starting today, SkyDrive, Photos, Docs, and Devices pages will all automatically use SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption.  Enabling HTTPS means Outlook Hotmail Connector, Windows Live Mail, and the Windows Live application for Windows Mobile (version 6.5 and earlier) and Symbian won't be available, Dick Craddock, group program manager for Windows Live Hotmail, wrote in a blog post.  Google has always offered Gmail users the ability to use HTTPS and made it the default setting in January, and offers it as an option for Google Docs as well.  The Microsoft encryption announcement follows new security features Microsoft added in September that make it harder for e-mail accounts to get hijacked and easier for victims to recover them if that happens. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[China's rare earth embargo triggers price hikes]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chinas-rare-earth-embargo-triggers-price-hikes</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chinas-rare-earth-embargo-triggers-price-hikes</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 08 Nov 2010 08:10:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>minsirparxd4</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chinas-rare-earth-embargo-triggers-price-hikes</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A Chinese embargo on rare earth elements is causing a dramatic spike in the price of materials, which is expected to lead to a jump in high-tech product prices before settling back down in a few years, according to report released today. Prices will increase rapidly until &quot;non-Chinese rare earth mines are up and running, increasing product availability and thereby decreasing prices,&quot; wrote Robert Castellano, president of The Information Network, in a research note today. (See: Pay dirt: Why rare earth metals matter to tech (FAQ).) But for the time being, Castellano points to some alarming statistics. In semiconductor manufacturing, where rare earth materials are used as high-k dielectric films and as polishing materials in chemical mechanical polishing, prices of ceria for certain applications have increased more than 1,000 percent in the past year. Ceria is also used in the polishing of glass disks for hard disk drives, LCD panels, and high brightness LEDs. And price hikes of 170 percent in the past year for Europium are now reaching manufacturers of end products, Castellano wrote. Europium is a rare earth used as a phosphor in cold cathode fluorescent lamps in laptop backlights and plasma display panel TVs. Neodymium is also in short supply with price increases of 420 percent in the past 12 months. This rare earth element is used in magnets for hard disk drives, wind turbines, and hybrid electric vehicles. &quot;During the past 20 years there has been an explosion in demand for many items that require rare earth metals. China capitalized on its rich rare earth deposits and cheap labor to drive down prices to a point that nearly every mine outside China was forced to shut down because they couldn't compete on price,&quot; according to Castellano. &quot;We estimate that the Chinese held 90.0 percent of capacity of rare earth oxides with 103,300 tons, but its share will drop to 67.2 percent in 2014 based on output of new mines coming on stream,&quot; said Castellano. &quot;China's capacity will only increase 10.4 percent to 114,000 tons between 2010 and 2014, whereas non-Chinese capacity will increase nearly 5 fold, from 11,500 to 55,800 tons,&quot; he wrote. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Wheego showing Life at LA Auto Show]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wheego-showing-life-at-la-auto-show</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wheego-showing-life-at-la-auto-show</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:10:19 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>erythitle</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wheego-showing-life-at-la-auto-show</guid>
<description><![CDATA[You&amp;39've probably never heard of it, but the 2011 Wheego Life will debut at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show and will be in dealerships mid-December.(Credit:Wheego)Little-known EV-maker Wheego debuts the 2011 Life--its 100-mile-range electric two-seater--at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show this month. It's the first highway-speed vehicle for Wheego, which launched a similar-looking low-speed electric vehicle called Whip in 2009, around the same time it split from parent company Ruff N Tuff. Since then the Georgia-based e-carmaker has been flying under the radar, albeit unintentionally, while it developed the Life, which has a top speed of 65 mph.That's huge progress for a start-up with only five employees, and the Life is just the beginning. Wheego president Jeff Boyd says the company will introduce a highway speed crossover and truck in late 2011, which would bring its total electric product offering to four vehicles before many automakers have one on the market. But let's start with the Life. At 118 inches, it's a foot longer than the Smart ForTwo and 3 inches wider, but uses a 115V lithium battery pack to power a 60-hp electric motor and delivers an approximately 100-mile range. It takes about 5 hours to charge thecar from 50 percent to 100 percent using a level 2 charger. And yes, the mini car has been crash tested. Wheego has developed the car to meet the 2011 automotive safety standards as set by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA), including airbags, antilock brakes, and tire-pressure monitoring system. In addition to self-certifying that it passes all crash tests, Boyd fully expects NHTSA to choose their vehicle for its own independent testing when it hits its network of 30 dealerships in mid-December. They've also received their electric vehicle certification from the California Air Resources Board, which means it qualifies for the state's $4,000 tax credit in addition to the $7,500 federal tax credit. In Georgia, the compact EV will earn state taxpayers a $5,000 credit.And buyers will definitely want those credits to help them offset the Life's $32,995 price tag, and that's before the $1,995 optional air conditioning. But if you want an electric vehicle, your pickings remain slim, especially if you want that vehicle sooner rather than later. The consumer will also face stiff competition with the federal government, which is looking for bids from EV makers to supply the General Services Administration with 1,700 electric vehicles--100 of which Boyd expects will go to the White House. Nissan, which is building the 2011 and 2012 Leafs in Japan, has the capacity to manufacture 50,000 Leafs annually. With demand coming from government and fleet contracts, which are crucial to helping manufacturers lower production costs until advances in battery technology makes it more attractive to the mass market, there's room for EVs of all shapes, sizes, and price tags. Besides, the Life isn't in competition with other electric vehicles. Says Boyd, &quot;We're in competition with the internal-combustion engine.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[PayPal fixes security hole in iPhone app]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=paypal-fixes-security-hole-in-iphone-app</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=paypal-fixes-security-hole-in-iphone-app</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:10:11 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ayesha01</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=paypal-fixes-security-hole-in-iphone-app</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:PayPal)PayPal rushed a fix out today for itsiPhone app after learning that it contained a flaw that could be used by attackers to trick PayPal users into divulging their account information.  The authentication vulnerability in PayPal's iPhone app could have allowed someone to conduct what is called a &quot;man-in-the-middle&quot; attack, PayPal spokesman Anuj Nayar told CNET. In such an attack, people who happen to be accessing their PayPal accounts over an unsecured Wi-Fi network could be tricked into thinking they are on the legitimate PayPal site when they aren't. Only PayPal's iPhone app, which has been downloaded more than 4 million times, is affected' the Android app nor the company's Web site are affected, Nayar said. iPhone users will have to download the update from the iPhone app store to secure their phones.  &quot;We don't believe any customers have been affected at all, and if there were any affected they would be 100 percent covered by PayPal,&quot; he said. The Wall Street Journal reported on the matter today after being contacted by viaForensics, the mobile security firm that discovered the problem.  PayPal learned of the problem yesterday from the newspaper, according to Nayar. &quot;As soon as we found out, we moved to push a fix to address this vulnerability,&quot; he said.  Nayar complained that viaForensics put users at risk by publicizing the information before giving PayPal a chance to fix it. &quot;We work closely with the security community and...we ask them to report to us before going public,&quot; he said.  ViaForensics could not be reached for comment late today. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Spotify says no acquisition talks with Apple]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=spotify-says-no-acquisition-talks-with-apple</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=spotify-says-no-acquisition-talks-with-apple</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Julie01</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=spotify-says-no-acquisition-talks-with-apple</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Contrary to a published report, Apple is not talked with Spotify about acquiring the European digital music service, a Spotify spokesman said today. TechCrunch reported that it received an anonymous tip that indicated Apple had spoken to Spotify about a possible acquisition. The blog suggested it had &quot;dug into&quot; the information and suggested the information checked out.&quot;Apple and Spotify are in on-again, off-again discussions about an acquisition, but at best it's very early in the process,&quot; TechCrunch wrote. &quot;No firm price has been offered, no term sheet tabled. Still, it's interesting that the two are talking.&quot;Spotify's spokesman Jim Butcher said acquisitions discussions with Apple have never taken place. &quot;We wouldn't normally comment on this kind of speculation, but we wanted to make it clear that we have absolutely no intention of selling Spotify,&quot; he said.Spotify already has a strong hold of the streaming music market and is trying to make the move to the United States. The company's attempts to open a digital music service here have met with multiple delays, but the managers have insisted they will launch before the end of the year. Two weeks ago, CNET reported that Apple executives had recently discussed Spotify with their label counterparts, voicing concerns about the potential for a free streaming service to cut into already softening download sales. Music industry sources said then that Apple was considering the possibility of launching its own subscription service, but many at the company remained skeptical subscription services would ever work. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Computer platforms with the biggest buzz will be the biggest malware targets in 2011]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=computer-platforms-with-the-biggest-buzz-will-be-the-biggest-malware-targets-in-2011</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=computer-platforms-with-the-biggest-buzz-will-be-the-biggest-malware-targets-in-2011</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Pearmolortirl</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=computer-platforms-with-the-biggest-buzz-will-be-the-biggest-malware-targets-in-2011</guid>
<description><![CDATA[There will be no shortage of computer security threats for 2011. Among the most prominent will be new threats to geolocation services, mobile devices, and Apple machines, according to researchers at Intel&amp;'s McAfee security division.Researchers also foresee attackers targeting URL-shortening services, Internet TV platforms, and an increase in politically motivated hacking. In short, wherever the internet goes, so go the malware attacks.The predictions are contained in the 2011 Threat Predictions report by McAfee Labs. In 2011, the platforms with the biggest buzz &amp;8212' Googlea4a4s Android, Applea4a4s iPhone, Foursquare, Google TV and the Mac OS X platform &amp;8212' are all expected to become prime targets for cybercriminals. McAfee Labs also predicts that politically motivated attacks will be on the rise, as more groups are expected to repeat the WikiLeaks disclosure pattern.&amp;''Wea4a4ve seen significant advancements in device and social network adoption, placing a bulls-eye on the platforms and services users are embracing the most,&amp;'' said Vincent Weafer, senior vice president of McAfee Labs. &amp;''These platforms and services have become very popular in a short amount of time, and wea4a4re already seeing a significant increase in vulnerabilities, attacks and data loss.&amp;''Here&amp;'s some snapshots from the report:Exploiting Social Media: URL-shortening services will be a prime target of malware since users tend to trust the short URLs from services such as Bit.ly because they are shared by the users&amp;' friends. More thn 3,000 such short-URL links are being created a minute now, creating opportunity for lots of scams.Exploiting Social Media: Geolocation servicesLocation services such as Foursquare, Gowalla and Facebook Places can easily search, track and plot the whereabouts of friends and strangers. In just a few clicks, cybercriminals get a wealth of personal information on individuals, which in turn lets them craft a targeted attack.As mobile usage rises, so will attacksThreats on mobile devices are on the rise, especially among workers. As hacker attacks against mobile phones grow, more corporate data will be at risk. McAfee predicts a rapid escalation in this area.Apple: No longer flying under the radarHistorically, the Mac operating system has been too small for hackers to target. The cybercriminals always got a bigger payoff from attacking Windows users. But Mac-targeted malware will increase as Apple&amp;'s platforms take off in both the mobile and computer markets.Applications: Privacy leaksa4&quot;from your TVNew internet TV platforms are some of the most anticipate devices of 2011. But in the rush to market, McAfee warsn that the platforms aren&amp;'t yet fully protected. Apps that run on the TV could expose users to privacy or identity data losses.Attacks will come from your friendsAs social networks gain currency, attackers will try to pose as your friends to make you a victim of malware. Hackers are coming up with more ways to disguise their attacks as personal or legitimate communications.Hacktivism: Following the WikiLeaks pathPolitically motivated attacks will proliferate and new sophisticated attacks will appear in 2011 as more groups try to repeat the WikiLeaks example. This so-called &amp;''hacktivism&amp;'' will be carried out by people claiming to be independent of any particular government or movement, and will become more organized and strategic by incorporating social networks in the process, McAfee reports.[image credit: ZDNet]Previous Story: Crafty marketplace Etsy could make $50M this yearPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: hacktivism, malware, predictions, securityCompanies: McAfeePeople: Vincent Weafer          Tags: hacktivism, malware, predictions, securityCompanies: McAfeePeople: Vincent WeaferDean 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[Return of the Celtic Tiger: Can renewables refuel the Irish economy]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=return-of-the-celtic-tiger-can-renewables-refuel-the-irish-economy</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=return-of-the-celtic-tiger-can-renewables-refuel-the-irish-economy</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>analryexpandy</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=return-of-the-celtic-tiger-can-renewables-refuel-the-irish-economy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Ireland has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons, starring in a soap opera of EUintrigueand enforced bank bailouts. Watching my home country&amp;'s progress over the past few years has been like the troubled career of singer Amy Winehouse: huge talent and instant riches followed by a rapid and self-inflicted downward spiral cataloged in tabloid headlines.In Dublin recently for the first time in years, I heard some good news in the midst of all the gloom. The country has a head start on most of the world in capitalizing on one of its few plentiful resources: renewable energy.Renewable energy could be Ireland&amp;'s new pot of gold. According to a recent book by John Travers, 100,000 jobs could be created from harnessing renewable energy and applying energy efficiency, and 20 percent of Ireland&amp;'s future GDP could come from exporting its renewable energy. The wind and wave power available on Ireland&amp;'s Atlantic coast is one of the biggest renewable resources in the world and can be supplemented by biomass. To put this in context, the nation&amp;'s peak electricity demand is approximately 6,000 megawatts (MW) while the wind blowing over the island contains 8,000 megawattsof power. Ireland already has 1260 MW of installed wind capacity. The country also aims to put 500 MWs of wave power online by 2020.As a result Enterprise Ireland&amp;'s cleantech unit is concentrating its resources of a limited set of niches, among them energy efficiency and renewables. According to Marina Donohoe, who heads up the unit, these areas were chosen because of Ireland&amp;'s strengths in IT and construction (that property bubble was useful for something) in addition to the large supply of renewable energy.I talked to Professor Orla Feely from University College Dublin,who recently reviewed Ireland&amp;'s smart grid research, about the areas in which Ireland is ahead of the rest of the world. She told me that universities are taking a multi-disciplinary approach to the energy problem, looking at not just the technical aspects like modelling high levels of integration of renewables, but also collaborating with economists and behavioral scientists since customer and electricity generator behavior needs to change.This was a point echoed by Eirgrid&amp;'s Jon O&amp;' Sullivan (Eirgrid manages Ireland&amp;'s electricity transmission network), who isadamantthat the economics of energy generation must be updated in order to ramp up renewables. Energy generation pricing is currently based on the assumption that fuel is the main cost of generation. This is obviously not the case with renewables, so he suggests that generators should also be paid for services they provide such as reactive power and power storage. Feely also pointed to Ireland&amp;'s experience in areas like building research and smart sensors. No less important, she says that Ireland has a very supportive policy environment and a small number of key players, which gives it a flexibility and agility in smart grid that is hard to match. Ironically, Ireland&amp;'s &amp;''two degrees of separation,&amp;'' which caused many of its problems in banking and politics, could actually be an advantage in this case.Ireland&amp;'s power grid is rather unique in that it&amp;'s an island grid with very limited interconnection to the rest of Europe. Mainline Europe&amp;'s grid, for example, is very closely connected, which means that an individual country&amp;'s grid can effectively &amp;''trade itself out of trouble&amp;'' using supplies from neighboring countries. Ireland&amp;'s grid operates largely independently. It also has an unusually high penetration of wind power. On one day in April this year 42% of the Irish grid was powered by wind. This is the highest worldwide wind penetration on a power grid to date. The average is closer to 15 percent of power supplied by renewables, but the Irish government has a target to increase this to 40 percent by 2020 (37 percent from wind power). As a result, Irish grid operators are already tackling problems caused by the integration of high levels of renewables that will hit other grids later.Ireland&amp;'s power grid is managed by two entities. Eirgrid operates the high-voltage transmission network, while ESB runs the medium and low voltage distribution network and deals with consumers. Jon O&amp;' Sullivan is Eirgrid&amp;'s Operations Policy &amp;amp' Performance manager. He told me that there are several aspects to integrating high levels of renewables. New connection infrastructure is needed to connect the generation sites to the network. There are operational challenges involved in managing the high levels of non-synchronous, intermittent power of the type generated by wind farms (conventional power is synchronous and constant) and optimizing portfolio performance.The latter covers non-technical issues like figuring out how to make renewables economically viable without subsidies (unsustainable at 40 percent of generation), setting standards for new power generators, changing the pricing structure for generation and identifying investment gaps.O&amp;'Sullivan filled me in on some of the technical tools that Eirgrid is pioneering to manage a transmission grid with high levels of renewables. One of these is a wind stability assessment tool that is used to maintain voltage stability (wind farms cause voltage rises) and is the first such system in the world installed in a national utility control room. The tool and other research have indicated that grid stability can be maintained at up to 70 percent wind penetration, if certain measures are taken. Eirgrid will soon start to use the tool for forecasting up to 48 hours ahead in addition to real-time operation.Another innovation is the wind dispatch tool that controls 60-70 percent of the country&amp;'s wind farms in real-time. Wind turbines can be ramped up or down within 10 seconds. Quite often farms need to be ramped down when more wind power is being fed into the grid than is manageable. A new connector will also be in place by 2012 that will allow 500 megawatts of power to be exported from the country. Exporting renewable power can help with grid stabilization since it helps to achieve a better balance between conventional generation and renewables.Teresa Fallon is in change of smart networks at ESB. She told me that Ireland&amp;'s wind generation is unusual in that it&amp;'s quite distributed.   Over 50 percent of wind generation will be done at multiple, smaller wind sites connected  at distribution voltage levels (38kV, medium and low voltage) rather than to the high-voltage transmission network.    To minimize the  amount of new equipment and infrastructure  required to connect these sites and to avoid negative impact on the rest of the grid, ESB is  trialing  some innovative new techniques. One of these is using voltage regulators to drop the voltage coming from the wind farms (wind power causes voltage rises) thereby allowing the power generated to be carried on existing power lines rather than new lines built specifically  for renewable power. Voltage regulators are traditionally used to boost voltage rather than drop it.A trial is also taking place where wind farms are being managed as a group, rather than individually, to do voltage-var control. Var is reactive power, which is drawn by many modern electronic devices. High levels of reactive power makes it harder to stabilize grid voltage and result in power loss, so software is needed to balance voltage and var. Groupingvoltage-var control across wind farms reduces the amount of new equipment needed  to enable Eirgrid and ESB to manage wind farms on the network. Finally, ESB is looking at a new distribution substation design specifically adapted for wind generators. Fallon said that many of the problems with renewables that other countries are looking at now  in terms of developing a co-coordinated approach to renewable connections, Ireland went through 10 years ago. The  challenges are broadly the same whether the energy source is wind or solar.My final stop was Andrew Parish, the CEO of wave power company Wavebob. One report estimates that the Irish wave energy resource could generate more than 6,000 megawatts of power.Parish is convinced that Ireland could be the Saudi Arabia of wave power, since it has access to the best wave resource on the planet. The industry is still in its infancy though and is quite dependent on government support since the up-front capital costs are considerable. That government doesn&amp;'t have to be Irish, however. Wavebob recently received a grant of $2.4 million from the US Department of Energy to to prepare for a commercial-scale wave energy demonstration project planned for US waters in 2013. More generally, the early wave power markets will be in Europe in places likeIreland, Portugal and the UK. The Irish government has a target to bring 500 megawatts of wave power online by 2020.The problem with unlocking Ireland&amp;'s renewables &amp;''pot of gold&amp;'' is that it requires major upfront capital investment, and cash is exactly what the Irish government doesn&amp;'t have right now. In spite of this, the 4-year austerity plan introduced as part of the recent bailout does include investing a4s4.5 billion in the electricity grid to develop renewable resources. So who knows Maybe green can mean gold for Ireland.Previous Story: Google rumored to delay its big social initiative until the springPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: ireland, renewables, smartgrid, wave power, wind powerCompanies: eirgrid, Enterprise Ireland, esb, wavebob          Tags: ireland, renewables, smartgrid, wave power, wind powerCompanies: eirgrid, Enterprise Ireland, esb, wavebobCiara Byrne is a full time techie and part-time writer. She has worked as a software developer, team lead, engineering manager and mobile standards expert. Ciara is based in Amsterdam and her interests include creative companies, useful technology, torture by piano and cycling in high heels. Follow her on Twitter at @deciara. 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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