Friday, August 21, 2009Medicinova Buys AvigenSan Diego-based MediciNova, a biotech firm developing small-molecule therapeutics, said Friday that it has reached an agreement with Alameda-based Avigen to merge with the firm. Medicinova said Avigen shareholders would receive either $1.24 per share in cash, or secured convertible notes. The deal is worth approximately $37M. Both firms are publicly held.
posted on Friday, August 21, 2009(Full story)
EA Mobile Releases Blackberry TitlesThink that venture capitalist or investment banker is obsessively checking his email on his Blackberry? Maybe not. Los Angeles-based EA Mobile--the mobile games unit of EA which was formerly JAMDAT Mobile--is launching a number of its more popular mobile titles onto the Blackberry, saying Friday that it has launched eight new titles on Blackberry's App World. The titles include the popular Bejeweled line, plus need for Speed Undercover, RISK, SCRABBLE, Tetris, Tetris Mania, The Sims 3, and Tiger (More info...)
posted on Friday, August 21, 2009(Full story)
RealGifts Links Into Facebook ExpansionA new effort by Facebook to expand their "Gift Shop" application to third party developers has roped in San Diego-based RealGifts as one of its first partners, according to reports this week. Facebook is apparently expanding its "Gift Shop" application--which allowed users on the social network to buy each other virtual gifts--to include products from American Greetings Interactive, GreetBeatz, Someecards, and Real Gifts. The deal with Real Gifts allows users to purchase real, physical gifts via (More info...)
posted on Friday, August 21, 2009(Full story)
FastSpring Adds Rebate FulfillmentSanta Barbara-based FastSpring, a developer of e-commerce software headed by Dan Engel, said today that it has released a new product which handles mail-in-rebates for online vendors. The firm said it will allow stores to offer mail-in rebates on their products, as well as related options such as instead offering consumers discounts on other products. FastSpring is the latest venture of Dan Engel, who has previously been at Google, Picasa, and GoToMyPC.
posted on Friday, August 21, 2009(Full story)
FLO TV Taps Research Firm For Viewership ReportsSan Diego-based FLO TV, the subsidiary of Qualcomm providing the FLO TV live mobile TV service, said this week that it has inked a deal with media measurement firm Rentrak to provide comprehensive viewership and advertising impression reporting on its viewers. FLO TV said the reports will provide deeper insight into its audience viewing patterns for its advertisers. Financial arrangements between the two firms were not disclosed.
posted on Friday, August 21, 2009(Full story)
Smart Action Signs CustomerPlaya del Rey-based Smart Action Company, the artificial intelligence startup headed by Richard Koffler, said this week that it has been selected by Technology for Business Corporation (TFB), a provider of computer-telephony-integration products. Smart Action said its virtual agent software has been integrated into a product called Virtual Agent NXT, and interactive voice response (IVR) application targeting industries like healthcare, hospitality, education, government, and homeland security. F (More info...)
posted on Friday, August 21, 2009(Full story)
Occam Scores Win In MissouriSanta Barbara-based Occam Networks said this week that the firm's products have been chosen by Northeast Missouri Rural Telephone. Financial impact of the win was not disclosed. Occam said its BLC 6000 and ON 2300 products will go to upgrade the Missouri telecom's 14 exchanges from copper to fiber. Occam is a supplier of broadband access equipment.
posted on Friday, August 21, 2009(Full story)