Wednesday, January 5, 2011Eucalyptus Systems Opens China OfficeSanta Barbara-based Eucalyptus Systems, the developer of cloud computing management software, said Wednesday that it has opened up a new office in Beijing, China. Eucalyptus, which is headed by former MySQL CEO Marten Mickos, is venture backed by New Enterprise Associates, Benchmark Capital, and BV Capital. According to Eucalyptus, the new office will be headed by Claude Zhou Qun, who was most recently CEO of Great OpenSource/Turbolinux in China. Eucalyptus said it opened the new office due to a (More info...)
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The Gores Group Closes Vincotech SaleLos Angeles private equity firm The Gores Group said Wednesday that it has closed its sale of Vincotech Holdings Sarl, a developer and manufacturer of power modules and inverters for the industrial and solar power market. Financial details of the sale were not disclosed. Gores sold Vincotech to Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. The Gores Group was advised by DC Advisory Partners and Weil, Gotshal & Manges in the deal.
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Access 360 Media Raises $12M MoreAccess 360 Media, a New York-based digital advertising firm with operations in Los Angeles, said Wednesday that it has raised $12M more in a Series C funding round. The round was led by Columbia Capital, and also included prior investor Mission Ventures. The firm said the funding will go towards acquisitions, new hires, and organic growth. Access 360 provides out-of-home advertising on kiosks and screens at retailers. The firm says is has more than 20,000 screens in over 100 locations, with a r (More info...)
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OnGreen Names Cleantech AdvisorLos Angeles-based OnGreen, the online marketplace for green funding and projects, said Wednesday that it has added a clean technology advisor to the firm. The company said that Dr. Mark Allen Bernstein, who is the Managing Director of the University of Southern California's Energy Institute and a Professor of the Practice of Political Science, will advise the firm and help it to develop a process for evaluating and vetting deals, develop its community, and with business development activities. O (More info...)
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Insights and Opinions: A Cynic Predicts IT and Media in 2011For today's Insights and Opinions section, where we share the thoughts and insights of local technology thought leaders, we have an article from Tony Greenberg, CEO of Ramprate on A Cynic's Prediction of IT and Media in 2011.
1. Everything that's old will be new again. Last year brought us the return of 3D from the 1950s, cloud (a.k.a. the new and improved mainframe), thin client (the dumb terminals for said mainframe), and iPad, the new and improved tablet PC. This year will bring us a (More info...)
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Buy.com Launches Wine StoreAliso Viejo-based e-commerce retailer Buy.com is expanding into wine sales, the firm said today, via a partnership with Wine.com. According to Buy.com, the new online wine shop will include hundreds of wines from all regions and varietals, offering nearly 1,500 listings in the new wine store. Details on the partnership between Buy.com and Wine.com were not announced. Buy.com said the addition of wine will bolster is efforts to become a "convenient, one-stop destination for their everyday needs." (More info...)
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FamilyFinds Buys Chicago Daily Deals SiteLos Angeles-based FamilyFinds.com, the daily coupon and deals site run by Matt Coffin, said today that it has acquired Mamaloot, an online daily deal site located in Chicago. Mamaloot was started by two mothers, Bo Johnson and Lindsay Cohen, who met while working at Orbitz. FamilyFinds said the acquisition gives it a head start in Chicago. The firm faces formidable competition in Chicago, which is the home of daily deals phenomenon Groupon. FamilyFinds.com is focusing in on deals on services and (More info...)
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THQ, Mattel In Video Game DealAgoura Hills-based THQ and El Segundo-based toy maker Mattel said this morning that the two are in a new, multi-year alliance focused on developing and publishing video games based on Mattel's toys. FInancial details of the arrangement were not disclosed. THQ and Mattel said the agreement will allow THQ to produce and distribute video games based on Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Fisher-Price toys, as well as other properties like Monster High, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Masters of the Universe, Polly P (More info...)
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Specific Media Adopts IAB Ad Option IconIrvine-based Specific Media, the online advertising network run by Tim Vanderhook, said today that it is implementing the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Advertising Option Icon, across all of its online display ads. Specific Media claimed it will be the first IAB member to do so, and is tapping PreferenceCentral, a provider of consumer privacy software, to deploy the icon. The IAB's Advertising Option Icon allows consumers to click and determine how and what advertisers can collect about t (More info...)
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TriTech Software Systems Gains FundingSan Diego-based TriTech Software Systems, a provider of public safety software for law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services agencies, has scored a strategic investment round, according to investor Friedman Fleischer & Lowe. Financial terms of the strategic investment were not disclosed. According to Friedman Fleischer & Lowe, the funding will go towards expansion in TriTech's existing markets. FFL said the firm acquired shares from Westview Capital Partners and other shareholder in (More info...)
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Interview with Derrick Oien, ChumbyIn the world of Internet devices, there are PCs, mobile phones, iPhone and Android smart phones, tablets like the Apple iPad… and then, there is the Chumby. The device is an alarm-clock like, Internet connected electronic product developed by the firm of the same name, San Diego-based Chumby (www.chumby.com). The firm is now run by Derrick Oien, who an experience entrepreneur, who was the founder of Intercasting Corporation, and a member of the management team which sold MP3.com to Vivendi Un (More info...)
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Qualcomm Acquires Atheros For $3.1 BillionSan Diego-based Qualcomm said this morning that it is in a definitive agreement to buy Atheros Communications, in a deal worth $3.1 billion. Qualcomm said it would pay $45 per share in cash for Atheros, in an effort to accelerate the expansion of its technologies and platforms beyond the cellular market. Atheros is a developer of products for the wireless and wired local area network communications market. Qualcomm said the Atheros provides it access to "significant new growth opportunities."
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PostUp Buys EchofonPasadena-based PostUp, the Twitter advertising startup out of Idealab, said today that it has acquired Echofon, the developer of a number of Twitter applications. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Echofon develops applications which allow users to read and post Twitter messages, and which run on the iPhone, iPad, and Firefox. PostUp CEO Bill Gross--who also runs Idealab itself--said in a statement that the buy will complement its existing Twitter app, Twidroyd, which runs on Android (More info...)
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VIZIO Adds Hulu Plus, BLOCKBUSTER On DemandIrvine-based VIZIO, which makes HDTV products, said today that it has added Hulu Plus, the premium subscription service of Los Angeles-based Hulu, as well as BLOCKBUSTER On Demand, to its connected television line. Vizio said that both video services will be available on its VIZIO Internet Apps (VIA) Connected CE platform, available on its LCD HDTV and select Blu-ray players. Business details between the firm were not announced. VIZIO already offers up access to Amazon Video On Demand, Netflix, (More info...)
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Broadcom Selected By LGIrvine-based Broadcom reported this morning that LG Electronics has selected the firm's chipsets, for use in wireless connected digital TVs and Blu-ray Disc players. According to Broadcom, LG is using its chips in its HDTV and Blu-ray players, including LG's SMART TV product line. Financial impact of the design wins were not disclosed. Broadcom said LG is using its BCM35280 connected digital TV systems-on-a-chip products, its BCM7633 single-chip Blu-ray platform, and its BCM43236 dual-band 802.1 (More info...)
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