wolf

Energy Star appliances have the power to satisfy

You're more likely to be happy with your appliances if they're energy efficient, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Laundry and Kitchen Appliance Satisfaction Studies. And if you think everything around you looks greener, you're not wrong--the study also found that consumers are much more aware of appliance energy ratings that they were just two years ago. Just less than 90 percent of consumers who bought a new dishwasher in 2010 made a point of getting an Energy Star-rated appliance.

According to the study, Miele dishwasher owners are the most satisfied. This was … Read more

Ex-MySpace CEO wants to gamble on social games

What's former MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe up to these days? He wants to be the next big name in the social-gaming craze, we hear.

In late July, TechCrunch floated a report that DeWolfe was hitting up big private equity outlets to amass cash, at least $100 million, for a new venture that would involve "a roll-up of an Internet industry vertical," but TechCrunch didn't specify what that sector was. Three months prior, DeWolfe had been ousted from the troubled MySpace and replaced by former Facebook executive Owen Van Natta.

Now, several well-placed sources have told CNET … Read more

Finding your perfect grill

Finding the perfect grill for your backyard can be a daunting task. After you get past the first big question: gas, charcoal, or (gasp) electric, then you will find a whole new set of parameters that will shape your decision. Size and power are among the most important factors to consider, and with so many options available, the perfect grill is out there somewhere.

The new Sub-Zero Wolf Outdoor Grills come in three sizes, all with the option to be included as a built-in or for use with a freestanding cart. Choose from a 30-inch, 36-inch, or 42-inch model to … Read more

MySpace may be eyeing in-house CEO candidate

Even with all the buzz around Owen Van Natta, the former Facebook chief operating officer, as the leading candidate to replace outgoing CEO Chris DeWolfe at MySpace, I'm hearing talk that MySpace is also taking a look at Jeff Berman, its executive vice president of marketing and content.

Berman, who joined the company in 2006, was described as a dark-horse candidate, said sources with knowledge of the job search, who could not confirm whether Berman has been interviewed. Berman is well liked by Peter Levinsohn, president of Fox Interactive Media, the division that oversees digital properties for News Corp., … Read more

MySpace CEO to step down

MySpace CEO and co-founder Chris DeWolfe is stepping down from his post, but will remain on the board and serve as a "strategic adviser," parent company News Corp. announced Wednesday.

In a press release, News Corp. said DeWolfe's contract would not be renewed by "mutual decision," and that the company was in talks with MySpace President Tom Anderson to assume "a new role in the organization."

The company did not immediately name a replacement, and a company spokesperson declined to comment, but some speculate that former Facebook COO Owen Van Natta is a … Read more

Ritz Camera store liquidations start Saturday

In case some of you missed this Thursday, Ritz Camera--and by association Wolf and Kits Camera among others--is shutting down more than 300 stores around the U.S. as part of a court-supervised bankruptcy reorganization. This of course means stock liquidation sales, which will begin Saturday, April 4.

As with the Circuit City liquidation, I wouldn't expect huge discounts despite a senior VP at one of the four LLCs handling the sale saying we'll find "quality, brand-name merchandise at greatly reduced prices." (I'm willing to bet his idea of "greatly reduced" and … Read more

WiiWare and Virtual Console releases for this week

This week brings us the first horror/puzzle game we've heard of and a military simulator from the Sega Genesis era. WiiWare Lit (WayForward Technologies, 800 Wii points): We can't say that we've ever seen a horror-themed puzzle game before, but we're sure glad the two genres have met up on WiiWare. Explore 30 levels as you try to save your girlfriend from the dark creatures that have separated you. Virtual Console Wolf of the Battlefield: MERCS (Sega Genesis, 800 Wii points): MERCS provides classic arcade military combat action with two different game modes and five … Read more

MySpace CEO talks Sundance, celebrity

reporter's notebook PARK CITY, Utah--Maybe I'm just easily impressed or I need to get out of the newsroom more often, but I was pretty excited about getting some face-to-face time with MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe Friday at the Sundance Film Festival here. After all, he's a relative celebrity in the technology realm, and I had tons of questions to ask him in the 20 minutes I was allotted.

Then, however, Christie Brinkley--following the launch of her third "Got Milk" ad campaign--walked by outside the MySpace Cafe where DeWolfe and I had been sitting. Brinkley, surrounded … Read more

Warner's Bronfman, MySpace's DeWolfe talk music

SAN FRANCISCO--Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. thinks there is still a big place in the world for much-maligned major record labels.

"The value that we have is both on the editorial side, and on the marketing and promotion side," Bronfman said in a panel at the Web 2.0 Summit on Thursday afternoon. "Those channels are getting harder, not easier." In other words, it was an argument very similar to the one that newspapers and magazines have made in justifying their place in an industry that's getting flooded by scrappy bloggers--big music labels … Read more