Monday, December 20, 2010Buy.com Launches iPhone AppAliso Viejo-based e-commerce retailer Buy.com said today that it has launched a new app for the Apple iPhone, which includes barcode scanning features and speech recognition. The firm said the new app allows users to compare prices from the firm's various third party retailers in its Buy.com Marketplace, in addition to its own website. The firm also said it has tapped technology from MeMeMe to provide speech recognition within its application. The app also allows users to access product reviews (More info...)
posted on Monday, December 20, 2010(Full story)
OneClickPolitics Takes On Connecting With Elected OfficialsLos Angeles-based OneClickPolitics, a new startup headed by former DoneRight founder Paul Ryan, has surfaced, focusing on helping users connect with elected officials. Ryan was the CEO and founder of DoneRight, which was sold to tree.com in 2009, and also served as CTO at Overture Services. According to OneClickPolitics, it is hoping to address a common complaint of citizens in the country, which is that it is difficult for average people to contact elected officials. The startup allows users to (More info...)
posted on Monday, December 20, 2010(Full story)
Capricor Gets $2MLos Angels-based Capricor, a firm developing stem cell technology to regenerate damaged heart tissue, announced Friday that it has raised $2M in a funding round. The round came from Broadview Ventures and individual investors. According to the company, the funding will go towards clinical trials of its products. Capricor is headed by Linda Marban. The company said it has conducted its pre-clinical research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the University of Rome.
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Miso Media Gets $600KLos Angeles-based Miso Media, a developer of music education software, said Friday that it has raised a $600,000 round of seed financing. The round came from Google Ventures, Keith Rabois, Laura Ziskin, and other un-named seed investors. Miso Media provides technology to help users learn the guitar and ukelele. The firm's software runs on the iPhone, iPad Touch, and iPad.
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What Mattered In 2010: David Cremin, DFJ FrontierLast week, we announced our end-of-the-year project, which was to collect and share the opinions of some of the top influencers in Southern California's high tech community. We asked the same five questions of a variety of top technology entrepreneurs, investors, and others, to hear what they're thinking about, and are sharing it here over the next two weeks.
Our first answers come from David Cremin, Managing Director of venture capital firm DFJ Frontier (www.dfjfrontier.com).
1. What was (More info...)
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Qualcomm Sells FLO TV Spectrum To AT&TSan Diego-based Qualcomm announced this morning that it has agreed to sell a block of its 700 MHz spectrum to AT&T, for $1.925 billion. Qualcomm said it is selling its Lower 700 Mhz D and E Block (Channel 55 and 56), unpaired U.S. spectrum licenses to AT&T, as part of its shutdown of its FLO TV business. The spectrum was previously as as part of Qualcomm's FLO TV subsidiary, which provided mobile television services. AT&T said it plans to use the new spectrum as part of its 4G network plan, to p (More info...)
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NTS Completes Mechtronic BuyCalabasas-based National Technical Systems, a provider of engineering services, said today that it has completed its acquisition of Mechtronic Solutions, a New Mexico-based engineering services firm. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. NTS said Mechtronic Solutions had revenues of approximately $7.5M, and serves the aerospace and defense market.
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Arrowhead Launches New SubsidiaryPasadena-based Arrowhead Research said this morning that it has launched a new subsidiary, Ablaris Therapeutics, focused on commercializing anti-obesity technology developed at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. The firm said the Ablaris has raised $3M in outside capital, including $500,000 which will be invested by Arrowhead itself. Names of those outside investors were not announced. Arrowhead said it will own approximately 55% of Ablaris.
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Optimer Pharmaceuticals Names VPSan Diego-based Optimer Pharmaceuticals said today that it has named Gregory Papaz as its Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations. Papaz was most recently at Genentech, and als ohas worked at Roche Pharma, Sanofi-Aventis, and Marion Laboratories. Optimer is developing antiobiotics.
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Video Ad Firm Sets Up Shop In Santa BarbaraCoull, a video advertising firm based in the UK, said Friday that it is setting up a new office in Santa Barbara, as part of a link with performance marketing firm RevUpNet. RevUpNet is based in Santa Barbara. Coull said its new Santa Barbara office will initially have a team of seven. Coull offers its services to such firms as eHarmony, eFax, Grockit, Nike, Renault, and Unilever. RevUpNet provides affiliate network management, search engine management, and other services to clients, and is head (More info...)
posted on Monday, December 20, 2010(Full story)