Monday, May 23, 2011Quantum Fuel Systems Gets $1.37M Grant For Hybrid EffortsIrvine-based Quantum Fuel Systems, the developer of hybrid electric powertrains, said Monday that it has scored a $1.37M grant to launch its plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) systems. The grant comes from the California Energy Commission (CEC). Quantum is the supplier of PHEV systems for Irvine-based Fisker Automotive, which is being used in the Fisker Karma. Quantum Fuel Systems said the funding will go towards product validation, and to set up a pilot production line in Lake Forest.
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Ixia Wins DellCalabasas-based Ixia, the developer of IP network testing equipment, reported Monday that its products were selected for testing efforts at Dell. Ixia said Dell is using its IxLoad products to test its PowerEdge server line, for performance and virtualized server testing. Financial impact of the win was not disclosed. Ixia said it was selected to test large rack servers, because it is able to emulate millions of subscribers interacting with Internet and enterprise services. Ixia's various softwa (More info...)
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UberMedia Powers Ashton Kutcher Twitter AppPasadena-based UberMedia, the Idealab startup which develops Twitter applications, is powering a new app around celebrity Ashton Kutcher. The new client, A.Plus, is the latest in custom-skinned and branded apps being developed by UberMedia. UberMedia has also developed custom apps for 50 Cent, Mashable, the Bleacher Report, and a number of other publications, which filter out Twitter posts related to those various entities.
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AWR Acquired By National InstrumentsEL Segundo-based AWR Corporation, a provider of electronic design automation (EDA) software, has been acquired by National Instruments, NI said today. The deal was worth $58M, including $7M in cash on AWR's balance sheet, plus unspecified earnout. AWR will become a wholly owned subsidiary of National Instruments, under its current management team. AWR's software is used for designing RF and high frequency components and systems, for the semiconductor, aerospace, test equipment, and communication (More info...)
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Hulu Plus Bundles With TiVo PremiereThe Hulu Plus, premium subscription offering of Hulu, is now available on the popular Tivo digital video recorder, Tivo said today. According to Tivo, beginning today, Hulu Plus will be available via subscription to Tivo subscribers using the TiVo Premiere box. As part of the launch, the two firms said that they are giving users six free months of Hulu Plus service to newly purchased Tivo Premiere DVRs. The two also said current subscribers will be able to sign up for a trial. Hulu Plus offers u (More info...)
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Unsocial Gets SeededLos Angeles-based Unsocial, a newly launched, location-based business networking service, said today that it has scored a seed round of funding, and launched its product. The funding came from un-named, accredited individual investors. Unsocial said it has created a new, location-based business networking tool which allow users to find and network with other people, in real time, at conferences. Amount of the funding was not announced. The service runs on iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry applicat (More info...)
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Ceres Files For IPOThousand Oaks-based Ceres, the developer of seeds aimed at producing renewable, biomass feedstocks for the biofuels industry, has filed for an IPO. According to a filing this morning by the firm, the company is aiming to raise up to $100M in an IPO on the NASDAQ Global Market as CERE. The firm's IPO is being underwritten by Goldman, Sachs & co., and Barclays Capital. Ceres is venture backed by Artal Luxembourg; Warburg Pincus; Ambergate Trust; Oxford Bioscience; GIMV; Oppenheimer Growth; Monsant (More info...)
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Active Network IPO Expected WednesdaySan Diego-based Active Network, the operator of online sports and event registration web sites, is expected to IPO this week on Wednesday, according to the NASDAQ's IPO calendar. Active Network has indicated it will sell 11,000,000 shares of its common stock in its IPO, at between $16.00 and $18.00 per share. The firm's underwriters are BofA Merrill Lynch, Citi, Allen & Company LLC, Stifel Nicolaus Weisel, RBC Capital Markets, ThinkEquity LLC, and WR Hambrecht+Co. The venture-backed firm has tak (More info...)
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X Prize Foundation Names Finalists In Oil Cleanup ChallengeThe X PRIZE Foundation has named ten finalists in its oil cleanup competition, the Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X Challenge, the group said this morning. The prize--which is offering $1.4 million to develop better ways to clean up oil spills--said that 10 teams will move forward to Phase II field testing of their ideas. The X Prize launched its oil cleanup challenge in July of 2010, in response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf. The X PRIZE Foundation said that finalist teams include: CRUCIAL, USA; E (More info...)
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PriceGrabber Enhances Android AppLos Angeles-based PriceGrabber, the online comparison shopping website now owned by Experian, said this morning it has enhanced its free Android application. According to PriceGrabber, the upgraded app now allows users to share products with friends and family via sites such as Twitter and Facebook; provides bigger product images; adds product specifications; and a new "discount badge" showing particularly highly discounted products. The new app also includes pricing from local, brick-and-mortar (More info...)
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Vitesse Rolls Out Energy Efficient GigE ChipsCamarillo-based Vitesse Semiconductor, said this morning that it has expanded its line of energy efficient, SimpliPHY, Gigabit Ethernet physical layer devices. The firm said its line of PHY chips reduces power consumption by 75 percent or more. Vitesse is targeting its new, two-port and four-port devices for use in broadband access gateways, Enterprise IP phones, switches, routers, and smart grid connectivity devices. The chip line is available for sampling now, with production scheduled in July (More info...)
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Qualcomm Enhances Location Accuracy With GLONASSSan Diego-based Qualcomm is enhancing the accuracy of its location capabilities on its mobile phone chipsets, the firm said today, by using the Russian GLONASS satellite system. According to Qualcomm, its Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7x30 chipset is now able to support bot the GPS and GLONASS networks, to provide better location accuracy for smartphones. Qualcomm said the first, GLONASS capable phone to use its technology is the MTS 945 from ZTE. GLONASS is the Russian satellite positioning system dev (More info...)
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OSI Systems Gets $1.6M ContractHawthorne-based OSI Systems, a manufacturer of specialized electronic systems, reported today that it has scored a $1.6M contract. The firm said its Spacelabs Healthcare unit received the order from a South Carolina hospital, for a line of patient monitors. OSI Sysetms develops electronic systems and components for the homeland security, healthcare, and defense market.
posted on Monday, May 23, 2011(Full story)