Monday, September 21, 2009


SEMICOA Ramps Hiring After Revival
Costa Mesa-based Semicoa is looking to staff up, after the firm's revival last month, the firm said today. The firm--which was spun out of Microsemi on August 24th after gaining an investment from private equity firm Vance Street Capital--announced today that it has hired on 30 new employees since last month and is now looking to expand further. The firm did not say how many people it was looking to hire, but said it increasing its production capacity to re-enter the high reliability component m (More info...)
posted on Monday, September 21, 2009(Full story)

Team Closes In On $1M Lunar Lander X Prize
The X PRIZE Foundation, which is based in Playa Vista, said Monday that a team--led by id Software's John Carmack--has qualified for a $1M prize as part of its Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. The foundation said that Armadillo Aerospace, a Texas team, successfully launched and landed its rocket vehicle twice in two hours, flying between two landing pads, making it the first team to qualify for its $1M prize. Two other teams are competing to meet the October 31st deadline to qualify for (More info...)
posted on Monday, September 21, 2009(Full story)

International Rectifier Avoids Legal Investigation
El Segundo-based International Rectifier, a developer of analog and mixed signal ICs, announced today that it has been notified by the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, that it has concluded its investigation and won't be taking any action. The investigation was related to prior restatements by the firm. IR said that the U.S. Attorney has decided not to bring any action against the Company or any of its current or former directors, officers or employees. International Rectifi (More info...)
posted on Monday, September 21, 2009(Full story)

ValueClick Launches Ad Network Focused On Mothers
Westlake Village-based ValueClick said today that it has launched a new online advertising network, targeted at mothers and women. According to ValueClick, the new "Moms Media" vertical is the second for the firm, and will target more than 40 million women in the U.S. with children under 18, and who spent time online. The vertical network. ValueClick's first vertical ad network, AdRx, targeted at health and wellness, was launched back in September of last year. According to the firm, its new ver (More info...)
posted on Monday, September 21, 2009(Full story)

MySpace Adds Twitter Sync
Los Angeles-based social networking site MySpace announced today that the firm has rolled out a beta of a feature which allows MySpace users to sync their status updates with Twitter. The firm said the new feature allows for two-way updates between the sites, with MySpace automatically posting status updates to Twitter feeds, and also updating status from Twitter feed updates. MySpace said it has tapped OAuth to authenticate users between the two sites, and that it will also allow mobile updates (More info...)
posted on Monday, September 21, 2009(Full story)

MakeItWork Targets National Expansion
Santa Barbara-based Make It Work, the in-home computer and technology assistance firm known for its bright red Mini-Coopers, is targeting a national expansion, as part of a deal to carry the firm's radio show in twenty three new markets. According to Eric David Greenspan, the firm's founder and CEO, the firm has just signed an LOI to launch its radio show in 23 new markets with Citadel (ABC), and will also be expanding it services beyond the Southern California market as part of that show expans (More info...)
posted on Monday, September 21, 2009(Full story)

SCM Microsystems, Bluehill ID Merge
Santa Ana-based SCM Microsystems, a provider of identity management and access control electronics, reported Monday morning that it is merging with Bluehill ID AG, a European firm developing RFID and smart cards. The firms said that SCM will pay 0.52 shares of its common stock for every share of Bluehill ID. Bluehill was founded in 2007, and has 97 employees. SCM Microsystems merged with Santa Ana-based Hirsch Electronics in May.
posted on Monday, September 21, 2009(Full story)

Activision Delays Game, Reaffirms Estimates
Santa Monica-based Activision Publishing announced this morning that it has delayed the release of one of its highly anticipated titles, Blur, but reiterated its calendar ear 2009 outlook. Activision said it has moved the release of Blur, which is focused on racing, from 2009 to 2010, in order for the firm's development team to "enhance" the multiplayer gameplay. Despite the delay, Activision said it is reaffirming its calendar year 2009 outlook, due to lots of demand for Modern Warfare 2 and ma (More info...)
posted on Monday, September 21, 2009(Full story)

D-Link Names VP
Fountain Valley-based D-Link, a provider of networking products, announced this morning that it has hired Kevin Lahm as an Associate Vice President of North American Field System Engineers. Lahm comes to the firm from 3Com Corporation, where he was Western Region Sales Engineering Manager. D-Link said that Lahm will be in charge of D-Link's network of field systems engineers in the U.S. and Canada. D-Link supplies Ethernet networking products to both the SMB as well as enterprise market.
posted on Monday, September 21, 2009(Full story)

Ingram Micro, QLogic In Distribution Deal
Santa Ana-based Ingram Micro said today that it has inked a distribution agreement with Aliso Viejo-based QLogic Corp., a developer of storage networking products. Ingram, which distribution IT hardware and software, said it would distribute QLogic's 8Gb Fibre Channel, Fibre Channel over Internet (FCoE), Infiniband, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10Gbe) and other technology throughout the Americas. Ingram Micro supplies resellers with products and supporting services.
posted on Monday, September 21, 2009(Full story)

Quality Systems Names COO, Director
Irvine-based Quality Systems, a provider of IT products for the healthcare market, reported this morning that it has appointed Philip N. Kaplan as the firm's Chief Operating Officer, and added Craig A. Barbarosh to its board. Kaplan was most recently CEO of Deer Valley Ventures, and was co-founder of VitalStream, which was acquired by Internap. He also had co-founded AnaServe, which was acquired by Concentric Network. Kaplan was on the firm's board. Barbarosh is at law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Sh (More info...)
posted on Monday, September 21, 2009(Full story)