Tuesday, March 9, 2010


MySpace: We're Tops On Android Market
Los Angeles-based social networking site MySpace reported Tuesday that the firm is now the top, social application on the Android platform, and is the third most popular downloaded application overall on the Android Market. MySpace trails T-Mobile's account information app and The Weather Channel's app in the store. However, competitor Facebook is not far away, at number five in the Android Market rankings, according to site AndroidStats. MySpace claimed its "deep integration" with Android is th (More info...)
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Chumby Gets $1.0M More
San Diego-based Chumby, a maker of Internet-connected clock radio devices, has raised another $1.0M in funding, according to a regulatory filing from the firm today. The filing indicates the funding is part of an ongoing, $5.0m funding round the company kicked off in May of last year. No details on the new funding have been released by the company. Chumby has previously gained funding from Avalon Ventures, JK&B Capital, Masthead Venture Partners, and O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures.
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PowerGenix Eyes Military Tank Market
San Diego-based PowerGenix, a venture backed developer of Nickel-Zinc (NiZn) rechargeable batteries, announced Tuesday that the firm has sold a number of its batteries to the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), as part of a potential use of the firm's in military vehicles. PowerGenix said that the TARDEC is looking to test the firm's batteries as a possible replacement for lead-acid "6T" batteries currently in use in the U.S. Army. The firm disclosed (More info...)
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MySpace Links Into Microsoft Outlook
Los Angeles-based MySpace has linked its social networking site into Microsoft Outlook, the firm said this week. According to Mike Jones, co-president of MySpace, the new Outlook plug-in allows users of Microsoft Outlook to view their MySpace user activity and contact information. The new plug-in allows users to see friend activity updates in Outlook, create special contact lists for MySpace friends, and hyperlink to various updates, among other features.
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Sometrics Launches Virtual Goods Marketplace
Los Angeles-based Sometrics is jumping into the virtual goods marketplace, saying today that it has launched a new site called GameCoins.com, which it says will serve as a marketplace for virtual goods. Sometrics said the new site will allow gamers a place to both interact with other gamers, as well as earn virtual goods and currency from advertisers. The company explained that the new site will allow gamers to earn virtual currently on massively multipler online games, virtual worlds, and socia (More info...)
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NewEgg At Center Of Fake Intel Chip Scandal
City of Industry-based e-commerce retailer NewEgg is at the center of a fake processor scandal which cropped up over the last week, as the firm apparently shipped counterfeit parts claiming to be Intel Core i7 920 microprocessors. Apparently, the firm unknowingly shipped fake Intel CPUs, between March 1st and March 4th, to a number of its customers. Newegg apologized to its customers, and said that customers who purchased the items that they would either be provided a full refund on their purcha (More info...)
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Emergent Game Technologies Appoints CEO
Calabasas-based Emergent Game Technologies, a provider of game development tools, said today that Scott M. Johnson has been appointed as CEO of the firm. Emergent said that Johnson has been CEO of the firm since late last year. Johnson was previously co-founder and CEO of Mobility Entertainment, which was purchased by Foundation 9. He also served at Vivendi Universal Games, Universal Interactive, and Deloitte & Touche LLP.
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Stickam Debuts Facebook App
Los Angeles-based live streaming site Stickam.com has launched a new Facebook application, the firm announced this morning, which allows Facebook users to create their own live video broadcasts. Stickam.com said its new app--which is free--allows users to create accounts on the Stickam site, and broadcast live video to others. Stickam said the app is targeted as both a promotional tool for bands and entertainers, as well as of other social networking users.
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IVT Names New CEO
Los Angeles-based IVT, a provider of web casting software and services, announced today that it has named Jim McGovern as its new CEO. McGovern replaces founder Greg Pulier, who is now CTO of the firm. McGovern was most recently CEO of itzbig, an online interactive job board site, and has also served as CEO of Marketwire. McGovern has also served at Business.com, Ticketmaster Online-Citysearch, and IBM. IVT recently landed $5.5M in a Series B funding round from Syncom Ventures, Monitor Venture P (More info...)
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RealD Powers Alice In Wonderland
Los Angeles-based RealD, a provider of equipment used by theaters to project 3D movies, said late Monday evening that the firm was behind 50 percent of the opening weekend domestic gross of Disney's Alice in Wonderland. The firm said that approximately $60M of the box office was generated at locations using its products--which it described as a new company record. RealD is a provider of systems used to project 3D films. Disney's Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton, opened over the weeken (More info...)
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Panache Grabs VP From Yahoo
Los Angeles-based online advertising firm Panache said today that it has named Cheryl Kellond as its new Executive Vice President. Panache said that Kellond joins the firm from Yahoo, where she was Vice President of Advertiser Product Marketing. Kellond has also served at Adobe. Panache is a provider of online advertising products focused on premium video publishers.
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KB Home To Wire Into Electric Vehicles
Los Angeles-based home builder KB Home said this morning that the firm will begin offering an option to pre-wire its homes for electric vehicle charging stations. KB said that its "Built to Order" homes nationwide will offer an option to accommodate charging stations for electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles. The home builder said the option is part of an effort to offer more earth-friendly products in its homes. KB did not say how much it expects the electric vehicle charging option to cost to ne (More info...)
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