Thursday, July 5, 2012


Report: Levinsohn, Hulu's Kilar Top Prospects For Yahoo CEO Post
A report Thursday says that Hulu's Jason Kilar, and interim Yahoo chief Ross Levinsohn are considered the top prospects for a permanent replacement for troubled Internet portal Yahoo. According to AllThingsD, the firm is expected to make a decision soon on who to select to run the firm, which has already gone through two CEOs since last fall, Carol Bartz and Scott Thompson. Both Kilar and Levinsohn are Southern California technology veterans, which implies that Yahoo's center of gravity may once (More info...)
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Broadcom, Emulex Reach Patent Deal: Emulex to Pay $58M
Costa Mesa-based Emulex, the developer of high speed networking technology for the server and storage market, and Irvine-based Broadcom said Thursday afternoon that they have reached a partial settlement and worldwide patent license agreement. The deal calls for Emulex to pay Broadcom a release and license fee of $58M in cash. The two said the deal covers use of Broadcom's patents number U.S. Patents Nos. 7,471,691; 7,058,150; 6,424,194 and related families for certain fields of use including Fi (More info...)
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YBUY Scores $1M More
Manhattan Beach-based YBUY, which is developing a monthly subscription service to help users try products before buying them, has raised $1M in a funding round, the firm disclosed Thursday. The round was led by TomorrowVentures, the personal investment fund of Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, and also included David Hanna (CompuCredit) and Jim Patterson (Yammer). YBUY's service lets people try out electronics items such as the iPad and Xbox 360 via a subscription service, allowing users to try and (More info...)
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Invested.in Turns Attention Towards Funding Companies
Los Angeles-based Invested.in, the online crowdfunding service headed by Alon Goren, is shifting its focus towards helping companies raise money from accredited investors. The firm is launching BoostFunder, an online startup marketplace, with Adam Draper, which will allow startups to raise up to a million dollars from accredited investors. The new site also comes as Invested.in has revamped its web site, and now is showcasing its various products more clearly, including its services which help i (More info...)
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YouMail Updates iPhone App
Irvine-based YouMail, the enhanced voicemail provider headed by Alex Quilici, has updated its iPhone app, adding new features such as making it easier to assign specific personalized greetings to callers. The YouMail update is now available in the App Store. The updates reflect similar updates the firm made in its Android app in June.
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Leonardo DiCaprio Backs Fisker Automotive, Ties On Sustainability Efforts
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Irvine-based electric autombile maker Fisker Automotive revealed this week that the actor is an equity investor in the company, and is also linking with the firm to help promote "Global Sustainability." According to the two, DiCaprio will work with the auto manufacturer to help advance sustainable, responsible vehicles, including working on marketing and promotional initiatives. The two also said that Fisker will help support the work of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundati (More info...)
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Beats Electronics Bargain: $14M For MOG
Los Angeles-based Beats Electronics, the maker of the Beats By Dr. Dre headphones, appears to have picked up online streaming music service MOG for a song. According to a regulatory filing by HTC, first uncovered by Unwired View, the deal for MOG was worth a mere $14M.
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Activision, Tencent Take Call of Duty To China
Santa Monica-based Activision Blizzard said Tuesday that it has reached a deal with Chinese gaming giant Tencent Holdings Limited, to bring Call of Duty Online to the Chinese game market. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Activision said that Tencent will gain a two year, exclusive license to operate Call of Duty Online in mainland China. Tencent said it believes that the move will attract "tens of millions" of fans in China. The two are planning a new version of Call of Duty Onl (More info...)
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