Tuesday, April 5, 2011Riot Games: $160,000 Raised For Japan ReliefLos Angeles-based Riot Games, the online game developer, said today that its players have raised over $162,000 for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Riot Games donated all of its proceeds from player purchases of certain items to the American Red Cross from March 21st to March 27th. The firm said the proceeds from the special in-game items went to the American Red Cross, to help with relief efforts underway in Japan. Riot Games is one of a number of Southern California companies wh (More info...)
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Insights: Don't Worry, Your Email is No More Dangerous TodayYesterday's big email privacy/hacking news was the hacking of a database of millions of emails at email marketing provider Epsilon. In response, James Siminoff, the CEO of Los Angeles-based Unsubscribe.com, penned this article for our Insights and Opinions section, explaining why it doesn't really matter--because you were in trouble already.
In case you have not seen it yet Epsilon, one of the largest ESP (Email Service Providers), had their database of millions of emails hacked on March (More info...)
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TrueCar Gets Investment from Guthy-RenkerSanta Monica-based TrueCar, the online car pricing site headed by Scott Painter, has scored a new, equity investment and partnership with direct marketing firm Guthy-Renker, the firm announced today. Financial terms of the investment were not disclosed. TrueCar said that Guthy-Renker will play an "integral role" in shaping the firm's brand visibility, through TV, print, radio, and other advertising channels. TrueCar specifically said it is looking to "move beyond" sites such as Kelly Blue Book a (More info...)
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GOGII Hires Away MySpace ExecLos Angeles-based GOGII, the venture backed provider of mobile social messaging services, has snagged MySpace exec Chandra Hill as its new Vice President of Monetization and Publishing. Hill was most recently VP of Mobile Monetization at MySpace. Hill has also served at Fox Interactive Media. GOGII develops textPlus, a mobile social messaging application for the iPhone. The firm is venture backed by GRP Partners and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and is headed by former JAMDAT founders Scott (More info...)
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RealtyTrac Launches New FeaturesIrvine-based RealtyTrac, the provider of online information about foreclosures, said today that it has launched new features which will help its users see how much equity, or negative equity, are in a foreclosure property. RealtyTrac--which is known for its data on the number of foreclosures in various cities--said it will provide estimated equity information for properties in the foreclosure process. That information is a key piece of information for potential investors or buyers of those prope (More info...)
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SpaceX Targets Heavy Lifting RocketHawthorne-based SpaceX, the commercial rocket firm headed by technology mogul Elon Musk, is announcing this morning new plans to create a "Falcon Heavy" rocket, able to lift twice the payload of the Delta IV Heavy into orbit. SpaceX said that the Falcon Heavy will be able to lift up to 53 metric tons (117,000 lb) into low earth orbit. The firm said that the Falcon Heavy matches the capability of only the Saturn V moon rocket -- last launched in 1973 -- in terms of lifting capability. SpaceX said (More info...)
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Break Media Launches Screenwriting Contest With ScrippedLos Angeles-based Break Media, the online content publisher headed by Keith Richman, said today that it has partnered with Scripped.com, an online community for screenwriters, on a new screenwriting contest. Break said the contest will give an up-and-coming screenwriter an opportunity to have his or her script produced as an original video on the site, via break Media Creative Lab. The contest will be judged by Ed Burns (Saving Private Ryan); Steven De Souza (Die Hard) Break Media development te (More info...)
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Jirbo Names CEOSanta Monica-based Jirbo, a developer of mobile applications for the iPhone, said this morning that it has named Will Kassoy as its new Chief Executive Officer. Kassoy was most recently at Activision Blizzard, where he had served in a number of Senior Vice President roles, including heading up Strategic Growth and Head of Global Brand Management. Jirbo has over 200 mobile applications in the Apple App store, and also operates ad network AdColony. Jirbo is venture backed by Insight Venture Partne (More info...)
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Hulu: Nearly Half A Billion In Revenues in 2011Los Angeles-based video streaming site Hulu is set to earn half a billion dollars in revenue this year, according to an update from CEO Jason Kilar posted last night on its company blog. According to Kilar, it did $263M in revenues for all of 2010, with a growth in revenues of approximately 90 percent in Q1 of this year.Among other updates, Kilar said that the firm is on track to have over 1 million Hulu Plus subscribers by the end of the year. The revenue growth was driven by the addition of ne (More info...)
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Gaikai, Bigfoot Tie On Games AccelerationLos Angeles-based Gaikai, the developer of cloud-based game streaming services which is venture backed by Benchmark, TriplePoint Capital, Rustic Canyon, and Intel, has tied today with Bigfoot Networks. According to the firms today, the two have allied to minimize latency in games streamed from the cloud. The companies said that Bigfoot Networks' technology will automatically recognize the Gaikai service. Bigfoot Networks develops Wi-Fi adapters, network interface cards (NICs), and motherboards f (More info...)
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Alteryx Lands $6MOrange-based Alteryx, a developer of spatial intelligence software for business, said today that it has raised $6M in a Series A investment round. The round came from SAP Ventures Fund I. Alteryx develops mapping software used by Fortune 500 companies, the government, and researchers. As part of the funding, SAP Ventures' Jai Das joins the company's board of directors. Alteryx said the new funding will go towards infrastructure buildout, go-to-market, and possible acquisitions. Alteryx is headed (More info...)
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Moriarty Joins Triton Media Group BoardSean Moriarty, formerly the CEO of Ticketmaster, and currently Entrepreneur in Residence for venture capital firm Mayfield Fund, has joined the board of Los Angeles-based Triton Media Group. Triton is a provider of digital services and tools to the radio industry. The firm said Moriarty will provide strategic guidance to the firm, as it enters its next phase of growth. Triton Media Group said Moriarty will serve as non-executive Chairman of its board. Moriarty has also served at Citysearch, and (More info...)
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Vitesse Ties With AMCC On ECC TechnologyCamarillo-based Vitesse Semiconductor, the developer of high speed semiconductors, said today that it is working with Applied Micro Circuits Corp. (AMCC) on standars for 40G and 100G Enhanced Forward Error Correction. The two said they are looking to create a standardized approach for fiber optical error correction in metro and long-haul networks. As part of the deal, the two said that AppliedMicro will license Vitesse's patent portfolio for 40G and 100G hard decition eFEC cores for its FPGA and (More info...)
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