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		<title>Blizzard Sector - Diablo 3, Starcraft II, WoW, Diablo 2, Trading, Downloads, Editors, Items, Forums</title>
		<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/</link>
		<description>Blizzard Sector is a gaming community dedicated to Blizzard games such as Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, World Of Warcraft and Diablo 2. Diablo 2 Trading, Diablo 3 Trading, Downloads</description>
		<language>en</language>
		<lastBuildDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:40:03 GMT</lastBuildDate>
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			<title>Blizzard Sector - Diablo 3, Starcraft II, WoW, Diablo 2, Trading, Downloads, Editors, Items, Forums</title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/</link>
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			<title>hi</title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/introductions/56944-hi-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:31:29 GMT</pubDate>
			<description>hi everyone nice websites i realy like it here looks familiar lol. anyways i used to play starcraft...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>hi everyone nice websites i realy like it here looks familiar lol. anyways i used to play starcraft 1 back in 2002 correctly now lookin for free new starcraft 1 cd key if u can dont mind to find or give me free starcraft 1 cd key ill b very thankful to u thanks people. hope to here y'all soon.</div>

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			<category domain="http://www.blizzsector.net/introductions/">Introductions</category>
			<dc:creator>smile</dc:creator>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.blizzsector.net/introductions/56944-hi.html</guid>
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			<title><![CDATA[New Pogoplug 'Personal Cloud' Does Social Networking]]></title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56943-new-pogoplug-personal-cloud-does-social-networking-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:51:02 GMT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[On Friday, Cloud Engines released its newest version of the Pogoplug, a small "multimedia sharing...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>On Friday, Cloud Engines released its newest version of the Pogoplug, a small &quot;multimedia sharing device&quot; that connects hard drives to the Internet and allows a user to access the files remotely. The company described Pogoplug as &quot;your own personal cloud that broadcasts safely from your home.&quot; <br />
 You connect Pogoplug to your router by Ethernet, attach hard drives or USB flash drives, and then access files by logging in from anywhere through a browser. You can also securely give access to others for downloading or uploading, the company said. <br />
  Drives Can Appear Local  <br />
 The shared content can be searched remotely by file type or other parameters and, with a downloadable desktop application, the drives can work as if they were local to whatever machine you happen to be on. Mobile-compatible devices include iPhone, BlackBerry and Android-based phones. <br />
 The newest Pogoplug offers multiple USB ports for as many as four external drives, a drag-and-drop interface to create slide and audio shows, and capabilities for sharing with friends on social-networking sites. <br />
 Essentially, Pogoplug is a gateway to deliver your content to yourself or others from a home or office through the Internet. Cloud Engines CEO Daniel Putterman said the company is &quot;giving our customers the best way to access their data from anywhere in the world.&quot; <br />
 The newest incarnation of this product enables Pogoplug to sync with a Mac or PC, so content can be automatically imported from iTunes, Windows Media Player, or iPhoto. With this &quot;set it and forget it&quot; feature, users can access new photos, videos or music remotely. <br />
  Network-Attached Storage  <br />
 The new model also allows creating a slideshow of photos, videos and music, and then sharing the show via a link. There's an address book to share e-mail addresses, and global search across multiple Pogoplugs and drives. Videos can be played back directly from Pogoplug. <br />
 Ross Rubin, director...<br />
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			<category domain="http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/">Tech News</category>
			<dc:creator>NewsDude</dc:creator>
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			<title><![CDATA[Google's Chrome OS Will Be Optimized for Speed]]></title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56942-googles-chrome-os-will-be-optimized-for-speed-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:50:48 GMT</pubDate>
			<description>Google is showcasing how its Chrome OS will change the user experience when it launches before next...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Google is showcasing how its Chrome OS will change the user experience when it launches before next year's holiday season. The new operating system will initially appear on netbook-style devices that will feature bigger keyboards than today's netbooks offer, the company said. <br />
First and foremost, the Chrome OS design team is obsessed about speed, noted Group Product Manager Caesar Sengupta and Engineering Director Matt Papakipos. <br />
&quot;We are taking out every unnecessary process, optimizing many operations, and running everything possible in parallel,&quot; Sengupta and Papakipos said. &quot;This means you can go from turning on the computer to surfing the web in a few seconds.&quot;<br />
Improving the User Experience<br />
Though Chrome OS still has a long way to go before all its specs are finalized, Google is already showing off some of the features it has in mind. To minimize the amount of screen space devoted to the Chrome OS, the system's user-interface window is expected to combine apps and standard web pages into a tab strip at the top of the screen.<br />
Called the apps menu, the primary OS access point will provide ready access to frequently used web apps and tools featuring desktop functionality. Moreover, individual apps will open in tabs along the strip. <br />
&quot;Within these application tabs, most things behave the same way as they do in Chrome today,&quot; said Google spokesperson Glen Murphy.<br />
Some secondary apps will open in small overlays that Google calls panels. Designed to handle specific functions, such as chat and music players, the panels will float on top of other open applications. Or if the user prefers, they can be docked to a bar at the bottom of the screen or placed in a sidebar. Additionally, Google may offer a split-screen mode that will enable users to view two different content selections side by side. <br />
No Worries Data...<br />
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			<category domain="http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/">Tech News</category>
			<dc:creator>NewsDude</dc:creator>
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			<title>FAA Glitch Causes Widespread U.S. Air Travel Delays</title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56941-faa-glitch-causes-widespread-u-s-air-travel-delays-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:50:08 GMT</pubDate>
			<description>Air travelers nationwide scrambled to revise their travel plans Thursday after an FAA computer...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Air travelers nationwide scrambled to revise their travel plans Thursday after an FAA computer glitch caused widespread cancellations and delays for the second time in 15 months.<br />
The Federal Aviation Administration said the problem, which lasted about five hours, was fixed around 10 a.m., but it was unclear how long flights would continue to be affected.<br />
Doug Church, a spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Union, said controllers were still entering flight plans manually in some locations.<br />
Aviation officials told The Associated Press that the problem began at the computer center in the Salt Lake City area. The officials asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly.<br />
FAA spokesman Paul Takemoto said the problem started between 5:15 and 5:30 a.m. and affected mostly flight plans but also traffic management, such as ground stops and ground delays.<br />
Airplane dispatchers had to send plans to controllers, who entered them into computers by hand.<br />
&quot;It's slowing everything down,&quot; Takemoto said.<br />
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest, has been particularly affected. Chicago and Washington, D.C., and New York metro airports also reported delays due to the glitch. The problem was exacerbating delays caused by bad weather in the Northeast. Orlando International Airport, Florida's busiest, also reported about a dozen delays due to the chain reaction around the country, and flights in Tampa, Fla., were also delayed.<br />
Mary Rulo, an educator from Atlanta, was trying to get to Philadelphia for a conference. She said her 9 a.m. flight was delayed until 3 p.m. and AirTran was not able to help with other arrangements.<br />
&quot;This is really going to affect my conference schedule,&quot; she said. &quot;It's really frustrating.&quot;<br />
AirTran canceled at least 22 flights and dozens more flights were delayed as of 8 a.m. Delta Air Lines was also affected.<br />
Passengers were asked to check the status of their flights...<br />
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<a href="http://www.toptechnews.com/story.xhtml?story_id=70178" target="_blank">More...</a></div>

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			<category domain="http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/">Tech News</category>
			<dc:creator>NewsDude</dc:creator>
			<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56941-faa-glitch-causes-widespread-u-s-air-travel-delays.html</guid>
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			<title>Call of Duty Setting Entertainment Records</title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56940-call-of-duty-setting-entertainment-records-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:50:08 GMT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[The video game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" is blasting its way into entertainment history....]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>The video game &quot;Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2&quot; is blasting its way into entertainment history.<br />
After hauling in the biggest-ever first-day sales total last week, the game continues break records.<br />
Activision Blizzard Inc., which released the game Nov. 10, said the latest game in its &quot;Call of Duty&quot; franchise made $550 million in worldwide sales during its first five days. That would put it over the $500 million record set last year by &quot;Grand Theft Auto IV,&quot; from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.<br />
Activision didn't say how many units it has shipped. But Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian estimates the company sold between 8.5 million and 9 million copies.<br />
The game is also blowing past records set by other media. After &quot;Grand Theft Auto IV&quot; comes $394 million in worldwide box office sales brought in by the movie &quot;Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince&quot; over its first five days, according to Activision.<br />
In its first 24 hours on sale, &quot;Call of Duty&quot; made $310 million in North America and the United Kingdom alone, while &quot;Grand Theft Auto&quot; made that same amount worldwide.<br />
It was also far above the record $155 million opening weekend for the Batman movie &quot;The Dark Knight&quot; last year.<br />
The game, which sells for $60, runs on Windows-based computers, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.<br />
Shares in Activision, which is based in Santa Monica, Calif., gained 3 cents to $11.72 in afternoon trading.<br />
The weak economy has hit video game companies later than many other sectors because the industry had been thought by some investors to be recession-proof. Shares of both Activision and rival Electronic Arts Inc. have underperformed the S&amp;P 500 since March. Take-Two's shares, meanwhile, have been volatile -- but they are trading roughly at the same level as they were a year ago.<br />
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			<category domain="http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/">Tech News</category>
			<dc:creator>NewsDude</dc:creator>
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			<title>Review: $100 Palm Pixi Is Stylish But Sluggish</title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56939-review-100-palm-pixi-is-stylish-but-sluggish-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:50:08 GMT</pubDate>
			<description>Palm Inc. is fighting harder than ever to snag a chunk of the smart phone market, and just six...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Palm Inc. is fighting harder than ever to snag a chunk of the smart phone market, and just six months after releasing the stylish Pre it's back with a lighter, more petite and affordable version called the Pixi.<br />
It's too bad such a good-looking phone is so aggravating to use.<br />
With its trim candy bar-shaped body, full keyboard and $100 price tag (with a two-year Sprint Nextel contract and $150 in rebates), it's clear that Palm is aiming the Pixi at younger, text messaging-savvy consumers.<br />
The Pixi is one of the most attractive phones I've seen. Its glossy black face features a crisp-though-diminutive 2.6-inch touch screen and a full keyboard that's about the size of a Pink Pearl eraser. The keys are the sticky, rubbery kind familiar to Palm fans. In between the screen and keyboard sits a small area where you make finger swipes to switch between applications.<br />
The Pixi felt great in my hand. The sides of the device are rounded and its sides and back are a matte, rubberized plastic. At 3.3 ounces, it's a featherweight compared to the Pre, iPhone and most BlackBerry phones -- the Pre and iPhone each tip the scales at 4.8 ounces. The Pixi includes 8 gigabytes of storage for photos, music and videos.<br />
The Pixi's display is an elfin version of its older brother's. Like the Pre, it has Palm's easy-to-navigate WebOS software, which organizes your open applications like little playing cards that stretch across the screen, waiting for you to tap on them to bring them to the foreground. (You use an upward finger flick to dismiss them.)<br />
A notable WebOS feature has been its ability to aggregate your contacts and calendar entries from such services as Facebook and Google. The Pixi takes things a little further by letting you include your contacts from Yahoo and...<br />
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<a href="http://www.toptechnews.com/story.xhtml?story_id=70184" target="_blank">More...</a></div>

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			<category domain="http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/">Tech News</category>
			<dc:creator>NewsDude</dc:creator>
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			<title>Watchmakers Seize the Moment for iPhone</title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56938-watchmakers-seize-the-moment-for-iphone-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:50:08 GMT</pubDate>
			<description>It was not so long ago that the spread of the mobile phone sent waves of fear through the reserved...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>It was not so long ago that the spread of the mobile phone sent waves of fear through the reserved world of fine watchmaking. The practicality of a portable phone that doubled as an accurate digital timekeeper made the necessity for a wristwatch vanish almost overnight.<br />
But now, with the popularity of the iPhone and its myriad applications, the watch industry finally has been able to embrace a product that once was considered the biggest threat to its survival.<br />
A wide range of brands, from the big names like Breitling, Piaget, Van Cleef &amp; Arpels, Dior and Bell &amp; Ross to independents like Dewitt, have introduced iPhone applications in the past six months that highlight their watch lines. The applications, all free, are available from the online Apple store.<br />
Some might argue that the efforts are just another way of marketing to timepiece aficionados, but within the industry they are seen as a way to reach a younger and more digitally savvy customer and a natural extension of the close-knit world of watch collectors that thrives online with fan forums and blogs.<br />
After all, Apple announced in early November that it now has more than 100,000 applications available. &quot;The high-end watch world has indeed flourished since the Internet has become so widespread,&quot; says Elizabeth Doerr, author of &quot;12 Faces of Time,&quot; a book on independent watchmaking scheduled to be published in February by teNeues. &quot;The independents, in particular, have greatly profited from the technology in that they can communicate more directly with aficionados and collectors.&quot;<br />
&quot;The apps that have thus far appeared -- and will continue to do so until the next big social marketing tool is discovered -- are an extension of the rapidly changing world of watch marketing,&quot; she adds. &quot;Brands are looking for less costly ways of more effective and direct marketing,...<br />
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			<category domain="http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/">Tech News</category>
			<dc:creator>NewsDude</dc:creator>
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			<title>TV on the Go Leaves a Little To Be Desired</title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56937-tv-on-the-go-leaves-a-little-to-be-desired-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:50:08 GMT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[You have to really love TV to spring for a portable TV like the FLO TV Personal Television I've...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>You have to really love TV to spring for a portable TV like the FLO TV Personal Television I've been testing. While you can already &quot;snack&quot; on live and pre-recorded mobile TV offerings on some cell phones, this brand new FLO handheld is a dedicated television you might schlep in addition to a phone.<br />
FLO's pitch is that you can use this stand-alone digital TV to keep you and the troops entertained on the go. You might watch on the bus or train to the office. You might pass FLO TV to the kids in the back seat during a lengthy trip. Heck, you might even watch it in the bathroom or prop it up on your desk at work.<br />
Only, for now, its pickings are too slim, the quality of the TV signal is so-so and its price too high.<br />
The device arrives from FLO TV Inc., a Qualcomm subsidiary whose initial mobile TV fare is available on certain smartphones and soon in automobiles as well. Programming comes from the likes of CBS Mobile, CNBC, CNN Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile, Fox News, MSNBC, MTV, NBC 2Go and Nickelodeon. FLO can carry up to 20 channels, but only half that number are on the Personal Television at the moment.<br />
Some shows are simulcast the same time they're broadcast on regular TV. Others are time shifted, so you can watch the Late Show with David Letterman or The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien the day after the previous evening's broadcasts.<br />
Prime time doesn't mean the same in mobile TV land. FLO says its usage peaks around 1 p.m., with the average daily viewer spending more than 25 minutes watching the service. The company says its largest ever audience came during Michael Jackson's memorial in July. FLO can add channels during live events such as college...<br />
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			<category domain="http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/">Tech News</category>
			<dc:creator>NewsDude</dc:creator>
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			<title>Smart Spending: Online Help for Holiday Shopping</title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56936-smart-spending-online-help-for-holiday-shopping-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:10:58 GMT</pubDate>
			<description>Shoppers face a dizzying array of offers of help in the form of new Web sites, services and mobile...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Shoppers face a dizzying array of offers of help in the form of new Web sites, services and mobile phone applications as they set out for their holiday shopping this year.<br />
To make the most of new services, experts advise employing them often and early, even before the season kicks off with Black Friday next week.<br />
Here are four ways to track down holiday bargains and a look at whether each could work for you:<br />
1. GET SOCIAL. Many consumers are following their favorite brands and retailers to networking Web sites like Facebook and Twitter, where the companies are posting deals not seen in stores.<br />
&quot;I don't think it's going to be all about the Black Friday or Cyber Monday,&quot; said Michelle Madhok, CEO and editor in chief of shopping sites Shefinds.com and Momfinds.com. &quot;I think those deals are going to go on and on.&quot;<br />
This year's best deals will be online, she said. It's easier for retailers to launch and retract deals online, where matching inventory with customers is less of a challenge than in stores.<br />
- IS IT FOR YOU? If you're a regular on Twitter or Facebook, social networks are good places to start shopping. But if you're new to social networking, it may take time before you can efficiently find deals. And there are other ways to find bargains online (see No. 3).<br />
2. GET ORGANIZED. Other new services include budget applications for mobile phones; they can help you stay within your limits even though they're intended to help coax shoppers into spending.<br />
JPMorgan Chase's &quot;GiftPlanner&quot; lets users list recipients and how much they want to spend and then track their total budget. Both GiftPlanner and AOL's &quot;Holiday Plan&quot; are free for the iPhone, and the latter enables users to click through to sponsor Walmart.com to start shopping.<br />
- IS IT FOR YOU? You may...<br />
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			<category domain="http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/">Tech News</category>
			<dc:creator>NewsDude</dc:creator>
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			<title><![CDATA[AT&T Fires Back at Verizon with 'X and V' Commercial]]></title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56935-at-and-t-fires-back-at-verizon-with-x-and-v-commercial-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:20:10 GMT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[AT&T isn't holding back in responding to attacks from Verizon Wireless. After losing a court fight...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>AT&amp;T isn't holding back in responding to attacks from Verizon Wireless. After losing a court fight to stop Verizon from airing commercials that pointed out holes in AT&amp;T's 3G service, AT&amp;T is responding with its own commercial. <br />
 On Wednesday, the wireless carrier unveiled a commercial featuring actor Luke Wilson. In the commercial, Wilson gives AT&amp;T an X for everything he said AT&amp;T provides to subscribers, including a 3G network, the ability to surf the Internet while on the phone, and access to a phone with more than 100,000 apps. <br />
 Verizon, on the other hand, gets credit only for starting with the letter V. <br />
 Sour Taste <br />
 AT&amp;T's move comes after its complaint in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, asking a judge for a restraining order to stop Verizon from airing the controversial ads, was denied.  <br />
 The Verizon ads feature a Verizon smartphone user with access in most places throughout the U.S. as shown on a map of nationwide coverage. Verizon aimed the television and radio ads against AT&amp;T's 3G network, which has been the source of complaints from smartphone users for some time.  <br />
 Verizon stood behind its ad and said AT&amp;T's complaint had no merit. &quot;With more and more people buying 3G smartphones, PDAs and embedded laptops, our ads serve to inform customers where their 3G smartphone apps will work,&quot; Verizon's Nancy Stark told us.  <br />
 AT&amp;T also took its argument to the web.  <br />
 &quot;As the U.S. market leader in wireless data service, we typically don't respond to competitors' advertising,&quot; wrote the company on its web site. &quot;However, some recent ads from Verizon are so blatantly false and misleading, that we want to set the record straight about AT&amp;T's wireless data coverage.&quot; <br />
 AT&amp;T goes on to tell customers that its coverage reaches 303 million people and consists of three different types of technology, including 3G, EDGE and...<br />
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			<category domain="http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/">Tech News</category>
			<dc:creator>NewsDude</dc:creator>
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			<title>Google Will Add Text Captions To YouTube Videos</title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56934-google-will-add-text-captions-to-youtube-videos-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:20:10 GMT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[In a move to make YouTube's massive inventory more accessible to deaf and hearing-impaired people,...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>In a move to make YouTube's massive inventory more accessible to deaf and hearing-impaired people, Google announced plans to add automatic captioning technology to the video site. Google has combined its automatic speech-recognition technology with the existing YouTube caption system. Called auto-caps for short, the captions rely on the same voice-recognition algorithms in Google Voice to automatically generate captions for YouTube videos.  <br />
 Ken Harrenstien, a Google software engineer who is deaf, said the hundreds of thousands of captioned videos on YouTube and Google Video suggest that more people are becoming aware of how useful captions can be.  <br />
 &quot;As we've explained in the past, captions not only help the deaf and hearing-impaired, but with machine translation they also enable people around the world to access video content in any of 51 languages,&quot; Harrenstien said. &quot;Captions can also improve search and even enable users to jump to the exact parts of the videos they're looking for.&quot; <br />
  Encouraging Uploaders to Caption  <br />
 In addition to automatic captions, YouTube is also launching automatic caption timing, or auto-timing, to make it significantly easier to create captions manually. With auto-timing, video uploaders no longer need to have special expertise to create captions in YouTube. Harrenstien hopes this technology encourages more members to caption their videos. <br />
 Here's how it works: Create a text file with all the words in the video, then upload the file and Google's automatic speech-recognition technology figures out when the words are spoken and creates captions for the video. As Harrenstien sees it, the process should significantly lower the barriers for video owners who want to add captions, but who don't have the time or resources to create professional caption tracks. <br />
 YouTube visitors should expect to see both new features in English by the end of the week. For the initial launch, auto-caps are only visible on a...<br />
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			<category domain="http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/">Tech News</category>
			<dc:creator>NewsDude</dc:creator>
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			<title>Office 2010 Integrates with the Web, But Weakly</title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56933-office-2010-integrates-with-the-web-but-weakly-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:20:10 GMT</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[With the public beta of Office 2010, Microsoft is offering an intriguing future for the world's...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>With the public beta of Office 2010, Microsoft is offering an intriguing future for the world's most popular productivity suite. The new version features integration with web-based, lightweight versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint; a mobile version; and social-networking features bolted onto Outlook.  <br />
 One long-awaited development is Office Web Apps, Microsoft's competition for Google Docs and other online office suites. While the current beta only makes Excel and PowerPoint available to consumers via Windows Live, Word and OneNote are available to businesses via SharePoint Server. By the time Office 2010 launches in mid-2010, all apps will be available online to both sectors.  <br />
 But based on the current versions, a PC World reviewer said, Office Web Apps are &quot;no match&quot; for Google and Zoho. &quot;For example, Excel can't create charts, Word has no support for revision mode, and the slide-creation tools in PowerPoint pale next to the wealth of choices in Zoho Show,&quot; Yardena Arar wrote. <br />
 The problem with web apps has always been how can Microsoft compete with Google's free offerings without cannibalizing sales of its flagship desktop products? &quot;The availability of Office compatibility with the web actually supports the web-apps approach that Google is taking,&quot; Greg Sterling, principal analyst  with Sterling Market Research, said in an e-mail. But the company really has no choice. &quot;Microsoft needs to do this; it's the direction the market is going in,&quot; Sterling added. <br />
  Taking Office Mobile  <br />
 The approach continues to be to make the online software an adjunct to the real desktop. &quot;The offerings' lack of features suggests that Microsoft isn't trying to create a web-based productivity ecosystem so much as it is attempting to give customers a Microsoft option for basic editing when they don't have access to the desktop software,&quot; Arar said. <br />
 The beta also includes a version of Office for Windows Mobile devices,...<br />
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			<dc:creator>NewsDude</dc:creator>
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			<title>Auto-Updating Chrome OS Will Focus on Security</title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56932-auto-updating-chrome-os-will-focus-on-security-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:20:10 GMT</pubDate>
			<description>Google sketched out more details Thursday about its Chrome operating system, which is slated to...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Google sketched out more details Thursday about its Chrome operating system, which is slated to become available before the end of next year. Google said the project's initial target is to get Chrome OS up and running on the computing devices that depend most on Internet connectivity.  <br />
 Chrome OS marks a radical departure from today's operating systems because all the applications and even the user's data will reside in the cloud, noted Google Vice President Sundar Pichai. &quot;We are initially focused on netbook-like form factors with a color display and real keyboard,&quot; Pichai said, though the company eventually wants Chrome OS &quot;to run on full laptops and desktops.&quot;  <br />
  In Sync with the Cloud  <br />
 Google touted the enhanced stability and security that Chrome OS is expected to offer. For example, every time users restart their machines, the operating system will verify the integrity of its code and if it needs a fix or an upgrade, the appropriate version of the OS will download to the machine automatically.  <br />
 &quot;If your system has been compromised, it is designed to fix itself with a reboot,&quot; noted Caesar Sengupta, Google's group product manager. &quot;While no computer can be made completely secure, we're going to make life much harder -- and less profitable -- for the bad guys.&quot; <br />
 Because of the changes that Google has made to the Chrome OS file system, all user data will become encrypted and synced back to the cloud, which offers security advantages, noted Engineering Director Matt Papakipos. So if the machine is lost, damaged or stolen, all the user's data is protected from theft and &quot;will sync back to a new machine in a matter of seconds,&quot; he said.   <br />
 Moreover, unlike traditional operating systems, Chrome OS doesn't trust the applications that users run on their machines. Instead, each app is contained...<br />
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			<dc:creator>NewsDude</dc:creator>
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			<title>AOL Offers Voluntary Resignations Instead of Layoffs</title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56931-aol-offers-voluntary-resignations-instead-of-layoffs-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:40:50 GMT</pubDate>
			<description>After announcing a spin-off from parent company Time Warner on Monday, AOL is moving to reduce its...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>After announcing a spin-off from parent company Time Warner on Monday, AOL is moving to reduce its head count about one-third. AOL is looking for employees who are willing to resign from their jobs at the once-dominant Internet firm. <br />
 As part of a voluntary layoff program that will begin Dec. 4 and run through Dec. 11, AOL will accept up to 2,500 resignations. That would shave about 30 percent of its 6,900 employee base -- if the packages are healthy enough to convince employees to quit their jobs in the midst of a recession. <br />
 &quot;We will need to do an involuntary layoff if we do not reach the target numbers through the voluntary option,&quot; said AOL spokesperson Tricia Primrose. &quot;We believe the voluntary program gives people more choice and decision-making ability instead of waiting for the final cost recommendations and involuntary layoffs.&quot; <br />
  Trimming Fat -- or Muscle  <br />
 AOL's costs will decline with the job cuts, but there is no guarantee the layoffs will translate directly to an improvement in the company's market position, according to Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence. <br />
 &quot;AOL is getting rid of what they perceive to be fat. But if you are asking people to voluntarily resign, then you are not necessarily getting rid of fat,&quot; Sterling said. &quot;You may be losing some good people who decide it's not going to be worth it to be there.&quot; <br />
 As Sterling sees it, AOL has a lot of assets, but also a lot of challenges. The company needs to figure out its role, how it is different from Yahoo, and how it is going to compete and when. Those are the questions that AOL is must answer, Sterling said. <br />
 The layoffs aren't unexpected. When Time Warner first announced plans to spin off AOL, a company it acquired in 2000, Time Warner Chairman and...<br />
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			<title>Apple Tablet Rumored Delayed as Publisher Gears Up</title>
			<link>http://www.blizzsector.net/tech-news/56930-apple-tablet-rumored-delayed-as-publisher-gears-up-new-post.html</link>
			<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:50:21 GMT</pubDate>
			<description>Like Elvis, there have been so many sightings and rumors of an upcoming, groundbreaking Apple...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Like Elvis, there have been so many sightings and rumors of an upcoming, groundbreaking Apple tablet that it has taken on legendary status. But now the legend is undergoing revisions, with new reports that the tablet will be delayed and that a major publisher is getting ready -- and still no word from Apple. <br />
 Taiwan-based DigiTimes reported Thursday that the launch of the tablet computer is being delayed from March to the second half of 2010 so it can include a model using a 9.7-inch OLED display from LG. OLED, or Organic Liquid Crystal Display, technology is considered to have superior black levels and other features, compared to LCD screens. <br />
  As High as $2,200  <br />
 DigiTimes said there will also be a 10.6-inch LCD-based model, and Quanta Computer and Pegatron Technology will manufacture both models. Because of the high price of OLED, the publication said the retail price could be as high as $2,200, with the LCD model in the $800-1,000 range. The OLED screen alone is reported to cost about $500. However, the delay could help the final price, as the cost of OLEDs could drop.   <br />
 Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who has frequently said the Apple tablet is real, noted Thursday that the delay won't hurt Apple's revenue projections, since most analyses of the company's expected 2010 results don't include a tablet product.   <br />
 And, he said, if Apple does release a modestly priced tablet in the fall -- in the range of $600 -- it could expect to sell about 650,000 units. If the tablet, which is expected to have 3G and Wi-Fi, is bundled with multi-year plans from a wireless carrier like AT&amp;T, its price could be partially subsidized. Earlier reports have speculated the price would be between $500 and $700. <br />
  Conde Nast Gearing Up?  <br />
 There are also new reports about...<br />
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