Monday, July 27, 2009Western Digital Takes 1TB MobileLake Forest-based disk drive maker Western Digital launched a new portable disk drive product Monday, upping the limit on mobile hard drives to 1TB. WD said its new 2.5-inch drives, the Scorpio Blue SATA line, will be available in 1TB and 750GB models. The firm said the 1TB drive is the first in the industry in that capacity and form factor. The firm also has rolled out equivalent, versions of the drive into its My Passport line of USB drives. Both products are aimed at laptop users, with the Sc (More info...)
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Symwave Finds $1.3MLaguna Nigel-based Symwave, a developer of 1394b and USB semiconductors, has recently raised $1.3M in venture funding. The funding came to light last week in the PricewaterhouseCooper/NVCA Q2 MoneyTree report, based on data from Thomson Reuters. No details on the new funding have been disclosed by Symwave. The firm now only lists Kodiak Venture Partners and CMEA Ventures as investors in the company on its web site, despite having had a number of other venture backers since its inception in 2001. (More info...)
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Memeo Eyes Resellers, Business CustomersAliso Viejo-based Memeo, which operates an online backup service, is targeting resellers and the business market, saying Monday that it has launched a "reseller network" focused on helping it reach small- and medium-sized businesses. The firm said it will offer its resellers resources to market its products, including online training and sales support, plus a dedicated channel manager and phone support. The firm had previously only offered its software direct, to the consumer market. Memo's prod (More info...)
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Boingo Wireless Extends Deal With VerizonLos Angeles-based Wi-Fi network operator Boingo Wireless has extended its deal with Verizon for another four years, the firm said today. Financial details of the contract extension were not disclosed. The two have been partnered for the last six years, with Boingo providing access to its network of Wi-Fi hot spots to Verizon's customers. The firm has a network of more than 120,000 individual hotspots in airports, public areas, and elseswhere. Boingo operates both its own branded network, along w (More info...)
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Advertise.com Extends Into CPA AdsSherman Oaks-based Advertise.com, the search engine marketing firm run by Dan Yomtobian, disclosed today that the firm is extending its offerings into the cost-per-action (CPA) category. The firm said that the new CPA services are an extension beyond its current cost-per-click (CPC) offerings. CPA advertising only charges customers for advertising when customer purchase a product, fill out a form, or perform another measurable action in response to an ad, rather than paying for impressions or cl (More info...)
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ExpenseBay Opens BetaSanta Monica-based ExpenseBay has opened up a public beta release of the firm's expense report automation service, the firm is announcing this morning. ExpenseBay has a software-as-a-service product which helps employees to automate the process of submitting expense reports to their employers. The service--which is similar to Web-based personal finance tools Mint and Wesabe in its use of Web 2.0 technology and connnections to credit card data--automatically pulls in credit card information and c (More info...)
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XCast Labs Signs Two CustomersLos Angeles-based XCast Labs, which provides voice-over-IP software for cable and telecom companies, disclosed two wins this morning, saying that it is providing services to S. Bryer Communications and Florida Cable as customers. SBC offers cable television, high speed internet, and VoIP services to customers in Mt. Orab and Vernon, Ohio; Florida Cable serves 40,000 homes in Florida's Lake County. Financial impact of the wins was not disclosed. XCast is venture backed by Siemer and Associates, F (More info...)
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Interview with William Chow, MobophilesToday's interview is with William Chow, founder of Los Angeles-based Mobophiles (www.mobophiles.com), Mobophiles has developed technology which allows any software-as-a-service application or web site, including enterprise applications like Microsoft SharePoint and Salesforce.com, to work even when a user is not able to connect to the Internet, if a service is down, connections are intermittent, or slow--something potentially strategic to SaaS firms looking to displace desktop applications. Wil (More info...)
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Rayspan Gets $12.5M From Khosla, SequoiaSan Diego-based Rayspan Corporation, a developer of advanced materials being used for wireless antennas and RF front-ends, disclosed this morning that it has raised $12.5M in a round from Khosla Ventures and Sequoia Capital. The Series B round was led by Khosla. According to Rayspan, the financing will go to accelerate and expand the development and commercialization of the firm's products. Rayspan has developed composite-based, advanced materials being used for WLAN and cellular handset antenna (More info...)
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THQ Prevails In Spat With JAKKS PacificAgoura Hills-based THQ disclosed this morning that it has prevailed in a binding arbitration with JAKKS Pacific, over WWE video games sold under a license granted by World Wrestling Entertainment. THQ said that the arbitrator has established a "significantly lower" return payment rate to JAKKS Pacific, which will benefit the firm by about $23M. The two firm had disagreed on a rate since July 1st, 2006, and have been battling in court over a number of aspects of their joint licensing of WWE video (More info...)
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Broadcom In Design Win With LGIrvine-based Broadcom said this morning that the firm has scored a deign win with LE Electronics, where LG will ship a new line of digital televisions using its Bluetooth semiconductors. Financial impact of the design win was not disclosed. Broadcom said that its Bluetooth technology is being used to allow the streaming of audio streaming and digital media sharing from Bluetooth devices, for wireless docking of MP3-enabled cell phones and portable media players, and other features.
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