Tuesday, March 3, 2009ElephantDrive Scores Win At NetgearLos Angeles-based ElephantDrive is powering a new cloud storage service which was rolled out this week by Netgear, a manufacturer of data storage hardware. Netgear, which announced its new ReadyNAS Vault online backup and disaster-recovery service Monday, is using ElephantDrive to provide the service to its users. Financial impact of the deal was not disclosed. Netgear said the new service will allow users of its data storage devices to backup and recover data from any Web browser and any Intern (More info...)
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Phonevite Lands In LAPhonevite, a startup which operates a service that allows groups such as schools and clubs to make mass phone calls to many people at once, has quietly relocated to Los Angeles from Silicon Valley, according to the firm's CEO and co-founder, John Nahm. The firm, which offers both free and premium mass notification systems, was started in San Jose in 2007 by Nahm and co-founder Kalvin Kim. Both Nahm and Kim were at voice-over-IP firm Dialpad, which was acquired by Yahoo in 2005. Phonevite is ange (More info...)
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Image Metrics Gets Win In UKSanta Monica-based Image Metrics, a venture-funded developer of facial animation software, announced Tuesday that the firm has signed on a UK-based studio as a client. According to Image Metrics, Double Negative is a beta client for the firm's facial animation technology, and will use the firm's "self-service" offering to use Image Metrics' facial animation process in-house. Financial impact of the win was not disclosed. Image Metrics uses video camera capture to transfer facial expressions to C (More info...)
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St. Bernard Swaps CEOSan Diego-based St. Bernard Software, a developer of web filtering software, said Tuesday that it has named Lou Ryan as the firm's CEO. According to the company, the move comes after current CEO and Acting Chief Financial Officer Vincent Rossi resigned. St. Bernard Software said that Rossi left to "pursue other oppotunities." Ryan has been Chairman of St. Bernard's board since June of last year.
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Citrix Shows Screen Recording ServiceSanta Barbara-based Citrix Online is showing a new, screen recording service it is calling "GoView" at the DEMO conference this week, saying Monday that it is launching the service to allow business professionals to record, edit, and share their computer screen. Citrix Online--which runs the GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar remote meeting services--said the new offering is in beta, and is currently free to use. The new screen recording service allows users to record what is happening on a user's PC, (More info...)
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DR Technologies Acquired By Nogales InvestorsLos Angeles-based private equity firm Nogales Investors announced today that it has acquired a controlling interest in San Diego-based DR Technologies, a developer and manufacturer of advanced composite structural products for the aerospace and defense industry. Financial terms of the recapitalization was not disclosed. According to Nogales, the transaction was structures so that Nogales Investors would provide liquidity to outside investors in DR Technologies, with management of the firm retain (More info...)
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AudioMicro Signs Up ComposerLos Angeles-based AudioMicro, a startup developing an online library of music for use in audio/visual projects, is announcing this morning that it has signed on "Family Guy" composer Ron Jones. According to the firm, Jones will add his work, over 170 original scores, on the site for licensing. AudioMicro lets video producers and others license soundtracks and audio tracks, similar to the photo "micro stock" market. "Family Guy" compose Ron Jones is behind the television series many melodies and (More info...)
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Cornerstone OnDemand Claims GainsSanta Monica-based Cornerstone OnDemand, a privately held firm developing software for human resources and talent management, said today that it had a "record" fourth quarter and fiscal 2008 year. The firm--which did not release its financials--claimed that billings for Q4 were up 90 percent from the prior year, and it was the most profitable quarter in the company's history. The firm also said its billings were up 62 percent from last year, but did not release any numbers. Cornerstone OnDemand' (More info...)
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HowSimple Launches Content ViewerHuntington Beach-based HowSimple has launched the firm's "desktop viewer" at DEMO in Palm Desert, saying that it has created software which allows users to browse, navigate, and search the web in a multiple-panel, desktop user interface. The firm's software, which runs on Windows XP or Vista, is aimed at helping users navigate and search web sites, and offers "panels" and "thumbnails" to navigate multiple web sites on a single screen.
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eSolar Lands $30M, Inks India DealPasadena-based eSolar, which is developing solar thermal power plants and technology, disclosed this morning that it has scored $30M in an investment from Indian firm ACME Group, in conjunction with a deal to construct 1 gigawatt of solar power plants in India. According to eSolar, ACME Group and the firm are in an exclusive licensing agreement, where the firms will build up to 1,000 MW of solar thermal power plants over the next 10 years in India. The $30M equity investment in eSolar comes shor (More info...)
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Adjix Takes On Twitter AdvertisingCarlsbad-based Adjix announced this morning that the firm is looking to help users monetize the popular Twitter micro-blogging service. Adjix said that it is creating a "new ad format" which will allow text ads to be embedded within Twitter "tweets." The new service allows users to select short text ads as part of their 140 messages on the Twitter service, appending the advertising and a URL at the end of a user's update. According to Adjix, it will allow advertisers to set prices, target specif (More info...)
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Networks In Motion Buys TrafficGaugeAliso Viejo-based Networks In Motion announced today that it has acquired TrafficGauge, a provider of real-time traffic information. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. According to Networks In Motion, it will use the buy to enhance its existing services, and specifically, to bring the expertise of TrafficGauge's staff to its next generation products. Networks In Motion also said that it will not be entering the traffic data business, as the acquisition did not include Traffic (More info...)
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Energy Innovation Spins Off RayTrackerPasadena-based Energy Innovations, a developer of solar concentrators for the photovoltaic market, said this morning that it has spun off its RayTracker product group. According to Energy Innovations, the group will create a new firm called RayTracker, Inc. The new firm will be headed by Kang Sun, who joins the firm from JA Solar Holdings Co., and who has also served at Applied Materials. RayTracker will focus on a solar tracker used for increasing the yields on photovoltaic systems. Both Energy (More info...)
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