Tuesday, May 8, 2012Virurl Raises $1.2MLos Angeles-based Virurl, a new startup headed by former Titan Gaming foundder Francisco Diaz-Mitoma and co-founded by Tim Symington of LAST.VC, has raised $1.2M in a funding round, and launched its service. According to Virurl, it will pay users to share links to videos, articles, and games, awarding those users with points which can be redeemed for cash and prizes. The site relies on advertisers, who upload content they want to promote and then run campaigns to encourage users to share links a (More info...)
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Report: ExpenseCloud Acquired By TriNetLos Angeles-based expense management software and services developer ExpenseCloud, which was founded by Eric Sikola and Dan Fritcher, has been acquired by human resources provider Trinet, according to reports today. According to PandoDaily, citing "sources with direct knowledge of the transaction", the deal was signed last Thursday. ExpenseCloud--which was formerly known as ExpenseBay--offered up an online application which helped users manage and submit expense reports. TriNet is a provider of (More info...)
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Fisker: We're The Number Two Luxury Car Maker! (In The Netherlands)Anaheim-based electric auto firm Fisker Automotive bragged Tuesday that it was the second-highest selling brand in the segment for high-end four-door models in Dutch luxury vehicle sales for the first quarter of the year. The car company said that it beat BMW, Mercedes and Audi for the position. Fisker did not say how many autos it needed to outsell the BMW 7-series, Mercedes S-class and Audi A8 in that market, or how large the Dutch market represents for luxury automobiles.
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SimplyPetals.com Takes On Floral SubscriptionsIt seems you can just about get anything via a subscription now from a Los Angeles e-commerce startup. The latest? Weekly or monthly floral deliveries from SimplyPetals.com, which delivers fresh flowers via three different subscriptions. The new startup--headed by celebrity florist Kevin Lee--said it will allow users to receive exclusive designs from Lee, by selecting a price point and frequency of delivery. The service starts at $34.00 for a "Divine" arrangement and ranges to $198.00 for a "Fab (More info...)
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MySpace Settles With FTC On PrivacyOnce high flying social networking site MySpace--now a unit of Specific Media--has agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over privacy issues, according to the FTC. The FTC said that MySpace agreed to settle charges that it misrepresented its protection of users' personal information, including using users' age, gender, and other information to customize ads for users, including providing advertisers with the Friend ID of users who were viewing particular pages on the site. Am (More info...)
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Colorado Electric Vehicle Maker Sets Up Shop In ChatsworthA Colorado-based developer of electric vehicles is planning to set up shop in Chatsworth, according to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Monday. Villaraigosa said that >Boulder Electric Vehicle, which makes electric delivery trucks and work utility vehicles, has leased a 27,714 square-foot industrial facility in Chatsworth, where it plans to support 30 new jobs to produce all-electric, battery trucks. Boulder Electric Vehicle is hoping to eventually produce 1,000 of its trucks per year in t (More info...)
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Mobile Messenger Bids For Presidential Text-DonationsLos Angeles-based Mobile Messenger, the operator of a mobile payment processing and marketing firm, is figuring prominently in a bid to allow cell phone users to donate directly to Presidential campaigns via texting. According to a report Tuesday in the Wall Street Journal, two political consulting firms--one Democratic, the other Republican--are lobbying the Federal Election Commission to approve a plan to allow political campaigns to accept donations via text messages. The firms have proposed (More info...)
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iRise Rolls Out Free iOS App Prototyping ProductEl Segundo-based iRise, the developer of enterprise visual prototyping tools, looks to be looking to broaden the use of its products, saying today that it has released a free version of its tool to allow users to prototype iPad and iPhone applications. The firm--whose products previously were only available as pricey enterprise software--said its new iRise Studio MX will allow entrpereneurs to quickly and inexpensively prototype new iPad and iPhone mobile app ideas. The firm said the software ru (More info...)
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Amgen Re-Ups Investment In Sutro BiopharmaThe venture capital arm of Thousand Oaks-based Amgen has placed more funding into one of its portfolio companies, Sutro Biopharma, which is working on developing a scalable biochemical protein synthesis platform aimed at cancer therapeutics. Sutro said it has raised $16.5M in a second tranche of its Series C funding, which was led by Skyline Ventures, and also included Lilly Ventures, Amgen Ventures, SV Life Sciences and Alta Partners. Amgen has been an investor in Sutro since at least 2010. Sut (More info...)
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Xirrus Expands PartnersThousand oaks-based Xirrus, the developer of high performance wireless networking equipment, said today that it has expanded its list of service providers, who are helping to deploy its products. The firm said it has signed Airwatch, Bradford Networks, Drager, Ekahau, ForeScout, Quest Software, Raritan, SignalShare, Splunk, Stoneware (Lanschool), Twisted Pair, and Ucopia--who develop a variety of software products around the wireless area--to help its end user and channel partners to design, de (More info...)
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Boingo Upgrades iOS App, Adds VPN SupportLos Angeles-based Boingo Wireless, the operator of a global network of Wi-Fi hotspots, said today that i thas upgraded its iOS Wi-Finder app. The new version of its app includes new features such as a personal VPN (virtual private network) function, as well as data on 70,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots outside of Boingo's own network. Boingo said it now is providing a virtual private network (VPN) service to encrypt over the air data for users, and will be made available for free. In addition, the compa (More info...)
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Car Town In Merchandise DealLong Beach-based Cie Games, the developer of the Facebook social game Car Town, said today that it has signed a deal with GreenLight Collectibles, to create and merchandise Car Town branded toy cars. Financial details of the merchandising deal were not disclosed. Cie Games said that the deal calls for a lineup of toy cars featuring everything from classic and sporty cars to muscle cars, all branded around the Car Town game.
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AeroVironment Wins EV Charging Deal At Sea-TacLos Angeles-based Aerovironment said Monday that it has scored a win with the Port of Seattle, to install its electronic vehicle charging equipment at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The firm said the deal is worth up to $8.8M through 2014, and will go to install its PosiCharge electric Ground Support Equipment fast charge systems at the airport. Aerovironment's fast charging systems are used at airports for electric ground support vehicles; the firm said its systems are installed at B (More info...)
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Fandango Sets Another Ticketing Record With The AvengersLos Angeles-based movie site Fandango reports that it hit another ticketing record this weekend, after the debut of The Avengers. Fandango said it set a new record for the most tickets sold for any opening weekend in the company's 12-year history, surpassing its recent record breaking opening of The Hunger Games. Fandango said it was selling as many as 68,000 Avenger tickets per hour during its peak sales times, with record setting mobile purchases, as well. Fandango said about 42 percent of its (More info...)
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