Tuesday, May 15, 2007Sony Online Entertainment Buys Sigil GamesSan Diego-based Sony Online Entertainment has purchased Carlsbad-based Sigil Games Online, the firm said late Tuesday. Sony said that it has completed a transaction to purchase key assets of Sigil. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Sigil is the developer of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, an online, massively multiplayer online game. Sony said that the majority of Sigil's team will join Sony Online Entertainment in its offices in San Diego, Seattle, Austin, Denver, Los Angeles, and Taiwa (More info...)
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mTraks Launches Music CommunitySan Diego-based mTraks, a new startup focused on the online music marketplace, has officially launched the company's beta website. The angel-backed startup's CEO, Dey Martin, told socalTECH Tuesday that it has raised $550,000 from a consortium of private angel investors. The new site offers a community focused on independent record labels and music acts, and is looking to offer DRM-free, unrestricted music tracks to users. the firm said that it has a catalog from over 6,000 independent record la (More info...)
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Interview with Fred Simanek, CEO, MyNextDealMyNextDeal (www.mynextdeal.com) is a newly launched, commercial real estate search engine based in Thousand Oaks. The Web 2.0 service is looking to create a commercial real estate aggregator along the lines of the residential search engines like Trulia and others; a beta of the firm's site just went up in February. We spoke with Fred Simanek, the company's CEO (and commercial real estate broker), about his new company. Ben Kuo conducted the interview.
What's MyNextDeal?
Fred Simanek: Simpl (More info...)
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Boodle Acquired By CouponsSan Diego-based Consumer Networks LLC, which operates the popular online coupon printing site Boodle, has been acquired. Mountain View-based Coupons Inc. said it acquired the firm, but did not disclose financial details of the acquisition. Boodle allows consumers to log in and print brand name coupons, and has a distribution deal with over 550 local newspaper web sites for its services. The company is owned by Gannett Co., Tribune Company, and The Copley Press.
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DivX, FilmFresh.com PartnerSan Diego-based DivX and Los Angeles-based FilmFresh.com said today that the two are in a partnership to offer a new video-on-demand service, based on the DivX media format. Film Fresh will distribute global cinema content which the firm says is often overlooked by major studios. Film Fresh will both offer users the ability to rent or buy films in the DivX format; along with offering international DVDs for sale.
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MySpace Launches Video ChannelsIn the latest rush by content providers to launch their own branded video channels on video sharing and social networking web sites, MySpace announced a rash of new content deals for custom video channels today. MySpace said it will launch branded channels on its popular social networking web site for National Geographic, The New York Times, Reuters, The Daily Reel, Expert Village, Flow, IGN Entertainment, Octane TV, Kush TV, LX.TV, Ripe TV, Studio411, VBS.tv, and Young Hollywood. The branded ch (More info...)
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Userplane Upgrades Instant Messaging PlatformSanta Monica-based Userplane has upgraded the firm's web instant messaging platform, the company announced Tuesday. The company said that Webmessenger 2 provides new integrated user presence capabilities, improved rich text, voice, and video IM, and other features. Userplane's instant messaging tools are used by thousands of social networking, media and entertainment, and other online niche communities. The firm is a subsidiary of AOL.
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WiSpry Names New CEOIrvine-based WiSpry, which is developing semiconductors for the wireless industry, said today that it has named Russell Garcia as President and CEO. Garcia replaces Jeffrey Hilbert, who will remain on the firm's board and will also serve as Executive Vice President of Development. Garcia has previously served as president and CEO of u-Nav Microelectronics, and as VP of marketing of Silicon Systems/Texas Instruments Storage Products. WiSpry's tunable RF-MEMS products are used for mobile phones, l (More info...)
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Ixia Launches 10G Ethernet Test ProductCalabasas-based Ixia has launched a new test product for 10 Gigabit Ethernet, the firms said today at Interop Las Vegas. The provider of network testing equipment said that its new XMV12X Load Mobile emulates line-rate, real-world 1 Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet traffic. The new blade for the company's test systems is used to emulate voice, video, and other data traffic based on real-world applications.
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Evolution Robotics Claims Two Million Products ShippedPasadena-based Evolution Robotics, the Idealab-backed robotics technology firm, today announced that its technology has been shipped in more than two million products into the market. The firm said that the shipments came as part of partnerships with Bandai Networks, WowWee, Bandai Toys, and other companies, who have incorporated the company's visual search applications. Evolution Robotics has been providing its vision recognition and autonomous navigation technology to manufacturers of toys and (More info...)
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