Wednesday, March 18, 2009AudioMicro Gets New, Big Competitor: Getty ImagesLos Angeles-based AudioMicro, the stock audio startup looking to provide music and sound effects, has some new competition this week: Getty Images, through its iStockphoto site. AudioMicro, which has raised funding from DFJ Frontier, operates a web site which allows video and other media producers to download royalty-free stock music, sound effects, music cues, and other musical elements. iStockPhoto, the stock photography site owned by Getty Images, launched its own stock audio offering Wednesd (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, March 18, 2009(Full story)
RotoHog Signs Fox Sports On Latin American DealLos Angeles-based RotoHog, a developer of fantasy sports games, has inked a deal with Fox Sports on a Spanish-language, fantasy sports game focused on the 2009 Major League Baseball season. RotoHog, which is set to announce the deal tomorrow, said that the partnership with Fox Sports En Espanol will make its fantasy game available to subscribers in 25 countries in North and South America and the Caribbean. The Rotohog Stock Exchange Fantasy game for the 2009 Major League Baseball season -- the 2 (More info...)
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KlickSports Launches Tournament Prediction GameLos Angeles-based KlickSports, a publisher of sports prediction games, revealed earlier this week that it has unveiled its latest product. The Los Angeles-based firm said the game, called the College Basketball Championship Challenge, follows the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, a 64-team event that begins in earnest Thursday and runs for more than three weeks. Unlike typical bracket-style games, KlickSports said, players can choose to join the Challenge at anytime during the tournament. KlickS (More info...)
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MSC.Software Expands BoardSanta Ana-based MSC.Software, a developer of simulation software for product development, announced Tuesday that it has added Masood Jabbar to the firm's board. Jabbar was previously on the firm's board. Jabbar was previously an executive at Sun Microsystems, including serving as EVP, President of its Computer Systems Division, CFO, and Chief of Staff. Jabbar has also served at Xerox and IBM. Jabbar had served on MSC Software's board until early 2007.
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Insights and Opinions: Lessons From Launching 3 CompaniesFor our Insights and Opinions section today, we are featuring a podcast from Andrew Warner founder of Mixergy, who runs a popular series of technology networking events in Los Angeles. Andrew has recently been interviewing interesting entrepreneurs and thought leaders, and recently interviewed Brian Johnson, the founder of eteamz, Zaadz, and Philospher's Notes.
I asked Brian Johnson to teach what he learned from launching 3 startups because he has both the experience of an entrepreneur and (More info...)
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MobileStorm Powers Planet Funk PromotionLos Angeles-based mobileStorm, a provider of mobile and email marketing services, said this week that it powered a mobile coupon campaign for fashion retailer Planet Funk. According to mobileStorm, Planet Funk used it for mobile coupon campaigns over the holiday shopping season. Financial impact of the customer win was not disclosed. mobileStorm claims that Planet Funk saw a 377 percent return on investment in its campaign, which provided discount codes via text messaging and SMS. mobileStorm CE (More info...)
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Topspin Links With College On Online Music CoursesSanta Monica-based Topspin Media, the online music startup of former Yahoo Music GM Ian Rogers, said today that the firm has inked a deal with Berkleemusic.com, the online continuing education division of the Berklee College of Music, to partner on a set of online music courses. According to Topspin, the two will work together to develop online music courses designed to teach artists, managers and labels on effective use of Topspin's platform. The firm said it will release its first online cours (More info...)
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Stickam.com Lands Adam CarollaLos Angeles-based live video camera streaming firm Stickam.com appears to the beneficiary of CBS Radio's switch of local Los Angeles radio station KLSX-FM to a new format, saying that the company has an exclusive to stream Adam Carolla's live podcasts starting next week. According to Stickam.com, Carolla will use the firm as the exclusive live streaming provider for his new podcast. The firm said fans can both watch Carolla as well as chat interactively with him via its service starting on the 2 (More info...)
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Yardi Gets WinSanta Barbara-based Yardi Systems, a developer of real estate and property management software, disclosed Wednesday that the firm's products have been selected by Centerline Capital Group, a provider of real estate financial and asset management services. Financial impact of the customer win was not announced. Yardi said that Centerline has more than $14 billion in assets under management. Yardi's tools are being used to automate extraction of financial and property lease data from Centerline's (More info...)
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MySpace Extends APIsLos Angeles-based MySpace has released an upgrade to the firm's set of application programming interfaces, saying this morning that it has released an upgrade to MySpaceID, the firm's API for allowing other websites to access its information. According to MySpace, the upgrade includes new access to the activity stream of MySpace users, integration of OAuth and OpenID for authentication of users, and new developer resources to help developers create and manage applications. Among those resources (More info...)
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Mota Hires Two Auto Industry ExecsVenice, California-based Mota, a venture backed startup developing a web site to help users buy and sell used cars, announced this morning that it has hired two automotive industry executives. The firm said that Charlie Vogelheim has been named Chief Trust and Transparency Officer, and Steven J. McAuley as Chief Automotive Officer. Vogelheim was most recently Vice President of Automotive Development at JD Power & Associates, and McAuley was most recently at Penske Auto Group. Vogelheim has also (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, March 18, 2009(Full story)