Monday, July 30, 2012It's Official: Ross Levinsohn Out At YahooRoss Levinsohn, who has been heading up Yahoo as Interim CEO, is officially leaving the firm tomorrow, according to a regulatory filing by Yahoo. According to the filing, Levinsohn has been awarded 67,000 restricted stock units and 250,000 stock options, plus a cash severance equal to his base salary for 12 months, targeted annual bonus for 12 months, and prorated annual bonus for 2013, in addition to 12 months of health benefits via CORBA and accelerated vesting of the stock options he was gran (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012(Full story)
Rafat Ali's Skift Launches, Targets Travel ProsRafat Ali, who founded and eventually sold Santa Monica-based online paidContent to Guardian News & Media, has returned from several years of travel on the road, and launched his latest startup, Skift. The new startup--based in New York--launched Monday, and said it will focus on offering "news, insights, data, tools, and services" to professionals in the travel industry and for professional business travelers. Ali founded ContentNext, the parent firm of paidContent, mocoNews, and contentSutra, (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012 (More)(Full story)
eVenues Takes On EventUp With Meeting MarketplaceSanta Monica-based EventUp, the online marketplace backed by Science Inc. and run by Tony Adam, which helps people find venues for their events, has a new competitor in town this morning, meeting marketplace startup eVenues. eVeneus, which is based out of Seattle, said it would start offering up its own, meeting marketplace in Los Angeles, an expansion of services it currently offers in Seattle and the Bay Area. eVenues said it has over 25 meeting spaces available now in Los Angeles. EventUp has (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012(Full story)
Docstoc Bolstering Premium Business CoursesSanta Monica-based Docstoc, the online small business resources site led by Jason Nazar, is looking to bolster its video content with more content around small business subjects. In an email to supporters, Nazar said Monday that the company is looking to partner with experts, to shoot courses around such subjects as getting customers, learning online software, marketing, raising money, and other business topics. The company said the courses can be created by users remotely, or shot at its produc (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012(Full story)
Yahoo Employees Get Free Lunch, But Not In Santa MonicaYahoo, which finally has a new CEO, former Googler Marissa Mayer, has brought back one of the most cherished startup institutions: free lunch, at least in Sunnyvale, according to AllthingsD. The move--which doesn't apply to Yahoo's employees in Santa Monica or elsewhere in Southern California--looks to be the first attempt to shift the culture at Yahoo, which has been battling a lengthy death spiral after a series of CEOs. As part of those moves, Yahoo is also reportedly looking to start back in (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012(Full story)
Intuit Cuts Workers In San DiegoIntuit, the developer of personal finance and tax software, is making major cuts in San Diego, according to a report from the San Diego Union Tribune. Intuit, has major operations in its Consumer Group in San Diego, working on its Turbo Tax software. The report said that 134 of 226 workers company wide were from the division, with a large portion of those in San Diego.
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012(Full story)
E3 To Remain In LALocal video gaming fans, and Los Angeles city officials, can relax this morning after the industry's big conference, Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), said it will remain at the Los Angeles Convention Center through 2015. The next event, E3 2013, will run from June 11th until June 13th of 2013. The conference had been rumored to be moving from Los Angeles, on plans to reduce the amount of available space at the Convention Center for a new sports and event stadium, Farmers Field. The move was a (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012(Full story)
Teeology Driven By Social Voting, BuzzLos Angeles-based Teeology, the new luxury t-shirt service backed by tech entrepreneur Brian Lee, and co-founded by celebrity Jennifer Lopez, looks to have taken the idea of closely listening to your customers to heart, and is basing its business on social voting and social buzz. The company described its t-shirt selection process to its users this morning, saying it will offer up a range of themes that users can vote on for seven days, with a number of those designs selected based on votes and (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012(Full story)
DFJ Frontier's Netpulse Gets $15.6M MoreOne of the portfolio companies of Los Angeles-based venture capital investor DFJ Frontier has scored a big, $15.6M funding round this morning, to bolster its development of digital entertainment systems for fitness treadmills. Netpulse, which is based in San Francisco, said it has raised $15.6M in its Series C funding, which was led August Capital, and also included Javelin Venture Partners, DFJ Frontier, and Parkview Ventures. August Capital's David Marquardt joins the company's board. One of N (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012 (More)(Full story)
Xirrus Ships Wireless Planning SoftwareThousand Oaks-based Xirrus is looking to help wireless network designers to implement its wireless arrays, with a new software tool released today. The firm said it has launched a new Wi-Fi Designer application, which allows users to plan wireless networks, by matching signal levels and band requirements for mobile devices like iPads, laptops, and smart phones. The firm said the app can help designers plan a Wi-Fi network strategy with its Xirrus Wireless Arrays, helping to determine positions, (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012(Full story)
Interview with John Payne, ZumboxJohn Payne is a experienced entrepreneur, who has run two, public Internet companies -- Stamps.com and Day Software -- in addition to helping to run a number of startups. He's now head of Los Angeles-based Zumbox (www.zumbox.com). We caught up with John to learn about what Zumbox is up to nowadays in the digital postal delivery area, after Series C round announced by the company earlier this month.
John, thanks for the time today. Can you explain to us what your business looks like now, and wha (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012(Full story)
BUZZMEDIA Trims Spin MagazineLos Angeles-based digital media publisher BUZZMEDIA is wasting no time reshaping SPIN Magazine, the venerable music and culture publication it acquired earlier this month, and is reportedly already cleaning house. Billboard magazine reports that BUZZMEDIA has already begun layoffs at the magazine, which is expected to halt print publication with its September/October issue. BUZZMEDIA has not said what it plans to do with SPIN, but the brand undoubtedly will be directed towards bolstering its alr (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012(Full story)
StockTwits Integrates With ChartlySan Diego-based StockTwits, the online, stock-focused micro messaging startup, said Friday that it has integrated its service with social charting service Chartly. Stocktwits said the deal allows users to search, view, and share charts and videos within its service. As part of the integration, Chartly's site now redirects to the StockTwits site. Chartly, originally a developer of publicly accessible stock charting tools, had been acquired by StockTwits in 2009. StockTwits is led by Howard Lindzo (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012(Full story)
JustEnough Software Lands Retailer Five BelowNewport Beach-based JustEnough Software, which develops software for managing inventory, reported a win with pre-teen retailer Five Below this morning. Financial details of the win were not announced by the company. JustEnough said Five Below will use its for merchandise financial planning. JustEnough is headed by Malclm Buxton.
posted on Monday, July 30, 2012(Full story)