Wednesday, December 7, 2011MRV Communications Sells Avionics Systems UnitChatsworth-based MRV Communications, which manufactures optical networking components, reported Wednesday afternoon that it has executed a definitive agreement with a group of European private equity firms, led by Vinci Capital SA, to sell its Creative Electronic Systems SA. Creative Electronic Systems is a subsidiary of MRV, and develops avionics, defense and communications boards, sub-systems and systems. MRV said the deal is worth approximately $24.6M. The sale comes one day after the company (More info...)
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Hulu Releases New Xbox Live AppLos Angeles-based Hulu said this morning that it has released a new version of its Xbox LIVE app. Hulu said the app--which was "rewritten from the ground up" now supports Xbox 360's new dashboard and Kinect voice recognition features. The app works for Xbox LIVE Gold members. The Xbox 360 has been one of Hulu's platforms for Hulu Plus since the launch of the premium video streaming service. Microsoft added voice recognition features to its Xbox Kinect on Monday.
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ntro Dangles Food Truck For A Day For DownloadHow do you get local users to download and try out your new social networking app? In the case of recently launched Ntro, you offer to let them have their own food truck for a day in a contest. ntro--the recently launched app developed by nProgress, the new startup headed by former Pandemic Studios co-founder Josh Resnick--said today that it is awarding free food from users' favorite food truck, in a sweepstakes for users who download and try out its app. The sweepstakes runs through December 31 (More info...)
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FindTheBest Ramps Eye Candy, Goes VisualSanta Barbara-based FindTheBest.com, the online products and information comparison site started by former DoubleClick founder Kevin O'Connor, has made a major upgrade to the site today, shifting the site into a more interactive, visual display. The site--which allows users to sort and search for information on electronics products, schools, consumer goods, vacation destinations, and much more--now features bright graphics, instead of the former, spreadsheet-like rows and tables on the site. Fi (More info...)
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Climber.com Buys Affinity CirclesSan Diego-based Climber.com, which operates an online site to help job seekers network with recruiters, announced today that it has acquired Affinity Circles, an online social networking site focused on membership organizations. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Mingle LLC, the parent firm of Climber.com, said that Affinity Circles will become a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. Affinity Circles provides private, social networking sites for alumni and student groups, professio (More info...)
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Digital Family Reunion To Honor Eric Pulier At EventThe Digital Family group said this week that they will be honoring Eric Pulier with its Outstanding Achievement Honor at its event Thursday. The group has previously recognized Nolan Bushnell, Scott Painter, and William Quigley with the award. Pulier is the founder or co-founder of IVT, US Interactive, Desktone, and SOA Software. The Digital Family is running its fourth annual holiday party, the Digital Family Reunion, on Thursday, gathering together a collection of over 30 different local organ (More info...)
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SRS Labs Expands Licensing Deal With Westinghouse DigitalSanta Ana-based SRS Labs, the developer of surround sound technology, reported this morning that it has extended a license agreement it has with Westinghouse Digital. The firm said the multi-year agreement will add its SRS Audio to a the Westinghouse Digital 2012 LED TV line. Financial terms of the license deal were not disclosed.
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j2 Global Communications Shortens Name To j2 GlobalLos Angeles-based j2 Global Communications, the provider of online FAX, telecommunications, email, online backup, and other services, announced this morning that it is shortening its named to simply j2 Global. The company said the name change is a result of expansion into non-phone number-centric services. j2 Global has been expanding into adjacent markets such as unified communications, online backup, email marketing, and more in the last year or so, most recently acquiring Irish online backup (More info...)
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SmartDrive Names Sales VPSan Diego-based SmartDrive Systems, the developer of video-based, fleet safety systems, said yesterday that it has named Dane Smith as its VP of Worldwide Sales. SmartDrive said that Smith has previously been at VMware, where he was VP Americas Field Operations and Global Vice President of Systems Integration and Outsourcing. Smith also served at Sun Microsystems and Verari Systems. SmartDrive says it now has over 375 employees.
posted on Wednesday, December 7, 2011(Full story)