Thursday, May 10, 2012MP3Tunes Files For BankruptcySan Diego-based MP3tunes, the online music locker service started by Michael Robertson, has filed for bankruptcy, according to documents posted to the web by an ex-employee. According to Robertson, in an interview with CNET, the bankruptcy filing came due to overwhelming legal costs to fight a battle with EMI. EMI sued MP3tunes in 2007, accusing the firm of violating its copyright. The bankruptcy-due-to-entertainment-studio-lawsuit is not an unfamiliar one for Robertson, whose most famous startu (More info...)
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SpaceX Ties With Firm To Offer Passengers Flight To Private Space StationsHawthorne-based SpaceX and a firm working on developing its own, orbiting space station designs said Thursday they that have partnered to carry passengers to private space stations on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. According to SpaceX and Bigelow Aerospace, SpaceX will offer crewed missions to Bigelow's space "habitats", which the firm said are planned to help provide national space agencies, companies, and universities with their own orbiting space stations. The firms did not give any timelines (More info...)
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Cyber Rain Gets EPA WaterSense CertificationEncino-based Cyber Rain, the developer of Internet-connected, irrigation system controllers, said Thursday that it has earned an EPA WaterSense Certification. The company said that its products--which use weather data downloaded from the Internet to better control how much to water--which meets specifications for weather-based irrigation controllers developed by the EPA. Cyber Rain said that it is the first smart irrigation product to achieve full Watersense certification. Cyber Rain is backed b (More info...)
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GameSalad Inks Deal with TencentLos Angeles-based game development software developer GameSalad said Thursday that it has inked a game development deal with Chinese internet and mobile services firm Tencent. According to GameSalad, the deal includes a series of initiatives to bring GameSalad to China, including helping developers using GameSalad on localization, marketing, monetization, and featured distribution in Tencent's App Store in China. GameSalad also said it would be launching a new version of its GameSalad Creator to (More info...)
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Moviepilot Gets $7M, Sets Up Shop In Los AngelesMoviepilot.com, which runs a movie recommendation and discovery website aimed at covering movies before their release, said today that it has raised $7M in a Series B funding, to expand the German firm into the U.S. As part of the funding, Moviepilot is setting up an office in Los Angeles, and has moved its CEO, Tobi Bauckhage, to LA. The funding was led by DFJ Espirit, and also included T-Venture, Grazia Equity and VC Fund Creative Industries Berlin. Moviepilot's web site helps studios engage w (More info...)
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Rubicon Project Bolsters Executive RanksLos Angeles-based online advertising firm Rubicon Project is significantly boosting its executive ranks today, saying that it has named a new CTO, General Counsel, and SVP of Product Management to the firm. The company said it has tapped Brian Pike, former CTo of Ticketmaster to the CTO role, Victoria von Szeliski, former Ticketmaster Deputy General Counsel to the General Counsel position, and former Yahoo VP of Product Management John Slade as its SVP of Product Management. Rubicon develops sof (More info...)
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Interview with Gary Beer, StarCast Auditions
How do you help aspiring actors and actresses break into the film industry? Gary Beer is a longtime film industry insider, having been Managing Director of the Sundance Film Festival from its beginnings until 1999 , and founder documentary cable programming service Smithsonian Networks, which he started while he was CEO of the business enterprises of the Smithsonian Institution. Beer and his co-founder saw that promising, talented actors and actresses did not have a good way to truly break (More info...)
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BioSurplus Gets $1.5M For Boston ExpansionSan Diego-based BioSurplus, a provider of pre-owned, laboratory instruments for the life sciences industry, said today that it has raised $1.5M in a capital raise for an expansion into Boston. The firm said the funding came from KI Investment Holdings. BioSurplus offers up used and surplus laboratory equipment for its customers, and also has operations in San Diego, San Francisco, and Korea, in addition to online sales. The firm is headed by Preston "Cinco" Plumb.
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BeyondTrust Buys eEyeCarlsbad-based BeyondTrust, a developer of security and access control software, said today that it has acquired eEye DIgital Security, which develops vulnerability management software. Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced. BeyondTrust said it would integrate eEye's Retina CS Vulnerability Management and Analytics products into its PowerBroker family. eEye was venture backed by Openview Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners and Insight Venture Partners, and had been starte (More info...)
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Central Desktop Bolsters BoardPasadena-based Central Desktop, the developer of cloud-based, project collaboration software which is headed by Isaac Garcia, said Wednesday that it has bolstered its board. The firm said it has added Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America, to its board of directors. Rasmussen has headed up CareerBuilder for a decade, according to the company, and will help contribute his experience in sales, marketing, customer operations and technology know-how to Central Desktop. Central De (More info...)
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Quantum Technologies Gets $10M Credit LineIrvine-based Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies, the developer of electric vehicle propulsion systems and related alternative energy products, reported today that it has received a working capital line of credit worth up to $10.0M. The firm said the line of credit came from Bridge Bank, and was at prime rate plus 2 percent. Quantum said it was advised by Advanced Equities in the transaction. Quantum is publicly traded as QTWW.
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