Tuesday, November 8, 2011Twitter Eyes Developers In Los AngelesIf you are Twitter, the popular messaging service, where do you go to find startups you might want to work with? In Twitter's case, at least for Thursday, that's Los Angeles. Twitter is looking to spur interest in its platform from developers, by holding an event Thursday in Los Angeles aimed at techies, part of a worldwide tour by the firm to promote development on its platform. The Los Angeles Dev Teatime is part of a series of events which have been held in Chicago, Seattle, Tokyo, Seoul, and (More info...)
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Perminova Raises $7M For Surgical SoftwareLa Jolla-based Perminova announced Tuesday that it has raised $7M in a funding round, which it will use to develop its web-based cardiovascular procedure software. Perminova's software provides scheduling, workflow, surgical data, and billing for major cardiovascular institutes and healthcare systems, including UC San Diego Health System and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Perminova said the funding is split between $3M in a Series A, and $4M in a equity credit facility. Source o the funding w (More info...)
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Luxtera Launches 100Gbps Optical ChipCarlsbad-based Luxtera, the chip developer backed by August Capital, New Enterprise Associates, Sevin Rosen Funds and Lux Capital, said today that it has launched the industry's first, 100Gbps optical transceiver chip. The firm said the chip is targeted at next generation cloud computing data centers and high performance computing. Luxtera explained that its high speed chip is aimed at providing better reach, power consumption, thermal management, and routing for data centers than is possible wi (More info...)
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Funny or Die Launches Political WebsiteLos Angeles-based Funny or Die, the comedy video site started by Will Ferrell, has launched itself into the political arena today with a new, election-focused website. On its new Live Funny or Die section of the site, the video and comedy site makes fun of political candidates, with a sendup of the current crop of political candidates played by Darrell Hammond, Mike Tyson, Rob Delaney, Erin Gibson, and Reggie Brown.
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Boingo Wireless Adds VPN FeaturesIn a bid to boost security on its Wi-Fi network, Los Angeles-based Boingo Wireless said Tuesday morning that it has launched a new, personal VPN service for its customers. Boingo said the new virtual private network (VPN) service will be integrated into its Wi-Finder app, and will help protect users on Windows and Macintosh laptops, iOS, and Android smartphones and tablets. Boingo said the new functionality will be free to users. Boingo did not detail the features of its new VPN service, but typ (More info...)
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Mention Mobile Scores Funding From Mark CubanLos Angeles-based Mentoin Mobile, a developer of social gaming apps, said this morning that it has scored $250,000 in funding from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Mention Mobile said that Cuban gains a minority equity stake in the firm. Mention Mobile is a developer of a number of iPhone and Android applications, including Trivia Friends and Get To The Nest. The firm's CEO and Founder is Ryan Ozonian.
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Launchpad LA Adds Funding, Office Space For StartupsLos Angeles-based Launchpad LA, the business acceleration program headed up by Mark Suster of GRP Partners, said today that it has expanded the program, and added $50,000 in funding for startups in the program, plus actual physical office space. Launchpad LA started two years ago as mostly a mentoring effort to help support promising companies in Los Angeles, or who were interested in moving into the area; however, the program, unlike programs from Y-Combinator and TechStars, hadn't included any (More info...)
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Adconion Media Buys SmartclipAdconion Media Group, the European advertising network firm which as significant operations in Los Angeles, said today that it has acquired smartclip, a European digital video advertising firm. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Adconion said that the acquisition will "significantly strengthen" its position in online video. Smartclip adds around 500 new publisher sites to Adconion's network. According to Adconion, it will use the acquisition to help solidify its video advertising bus (More info...)
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Telogis Buys Telematics FirmAliso Viejo-based Telogis, a developer of telematics services, said Monday that it has acquired the insurance telematics and fleet management business of UTC Fire & Security, a division of United Technologies Corporation. Financial terms of the buy were not announced. Telogis said the buy will expand its presence in the insurance market.
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Qualcomm Buys Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging CompanySan Diego-based Qualcomm announced this morning that it has acquired substantially all of the technology and assets of HaloIPT, a European firm developing wireless charging technology for electric vehicles. Financial details of the acquisition were not announced. Qualcomm said that HaloIPT becomes part of its European Innovation Development group, which is based in the UK. HaloIPT's technology was originally developed from technology at the University of Auckland.
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GRP Gets Exit At HealthDataInsightsLos Angeles-based venture capital firm GRP Partners has scored an exit at one of its portfolio firms, Las Vegas-based HealthDataInsights. HealthDataInsights was acquired by HMS Holdings, in a deal worth $400M; the deal is split between $384M in cash plus $16M in assumed options. GRP Partners owned 30% of HealthDataInsights. HealthDataInsights provides technology which is used to detect fraud and billing errors in Medicare and other insurance programs. GRP's investment in HealthDataInsights was o (More info...)
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 ReleasedSanta Monica-based videogame maker Activision said today that it has officially released its latest title, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. The sequel to its popular Call of Duty war games has hit retail stores at midnight. The new title was developed for Activision by studios Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games. As part of the release, Activision said it has started a new service called Call of Duty Elite, which will help connect gamers is a "social gaming network"; the new service will help us (More info...)
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Mindspeed, PowerWave Tie On LTE DevelopmentNewport Beach-based Mindspeed Technologies and Santa Ana-based Powerwave Technologies said this morning that the two are collaborating on an effort to deliver long term evolution (LTE) small cell products. The two said that Mindspeed's systems-on-a-chip will be used by Powerwave in a LTE picocell product, providing LTE and Wi-Fi base station capability. Powerwave is a developer of wireless base stations; Mindspeed develops processors and highs peed analog products.
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