Thursday, August 23, 2012


Amazon Sets Santa Monica For Big Announcement: Hollywood Link?
The tech press is abuzz about an announcement from Amazon, set for September 6th in Santa Monica, speculating that the company is either planning a new Kindle announcement or something related to Hollywood. Apparently, Amazon has booked Barker Hanger--which techies here might know from multiple events, including Twiistup--for its big announcement, which either is about a 10-inch Kindle, or some other effort. Amazon hasn't said what it plans to announce at the big press event, although it seems t (More info...)
posted on Thursday, August 23, 2012(Full story)

Launchpad LA Makes List Of Top Accelerators
A new list ranking the top accelerators in the nation have ranked Launchpad LA as number nine in the nation, based on comparisons of a number of accelerators across the U.S. The list, from Tech Cocktail, ranked the top three accelerators in the nation as Y Combinator (1), TechStars Boulder (2), and KickLabs (3). The numerous other accelerators in Southern California, including many in Los Angeles, were not included in the ranking project, based on the list released by Tech Cocktail. The group sa (More info...)
posted on Thursday, August 23, 2012(Full story)

Clearstone Re-Ups On Biometrics Firm AOptix
Santa Monica-based venture capital investor Clearstone Ventures has re-upped in a developer of biometric identity verification technology. Campbell, California-based AOptix announced a $42M, Series E funding round today, which came from Clearstone Venture Partners, DAG Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Northgate Capital and W Capital Partners--all existing investors--along with new investor True Ventures. The firm said the funding will go towards product development, sales and marketin (More info...)
posted on Thursday, August 23, 2012 (More)(Full story)

Eventup Snags Groupon VP
In a major coup for Los Angeles-based Eventup, the online marketplace for event venues, said today that it has hired former Group VP of Business Development Jayna Cooke to run the firm's Chicago office. Eventup, which is now running in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and Miami, said that Cooke will help launch various national and local sales strategies, growth and market planning, in addition to growing the sales team, revenue and overall day to day operations in the Eventup Chic (More info...)
posted on Thursday, August 23, 2012(Full story)

Intel Ramps Hiring In New San Diego Office
Chip giant Intel is looking to bolster its mobile talent with a new office in San Diego, and has just begun posting a number of new jobs in the location. Intel--which said it was opening an office in San Diego earlier this month--now lists a significant number of engineering positions focused on HSDPA and LTE. Intel explained earlier this month that it would be setting up the office as part of its Mobile and Communications Group, to bolster its operations in Munich. The Intel operations undoubed (More info...)
posted on Thursday, August 23, 2012(Full story)

Boingo Updates Wi-Finder To Include Usage Tracking
Users of the Boingo Wireless iPhone app, Wi-Finder, can now track cell phone data usage through the app, after an upgrade by the firm today. According to Boingo, which operates an international network of wireless access points, it has added a new mobile data usage tracker to help iPhone and iPad 3G/4G users stay in their mobile data plan limits. Wi-Finder is Boingo's free app which helps track, and predict, 3G/4G, and Wi-Fi data use. The free app works with any open Wi-Fi network, but also help (More info...)
posted on Thursday, August 23, 2012(Full story)

MYMUSAIC Gets Funding, Launches Online Photo Slideshow Service
Los Angeles-based MYMUSAIC, a new startup, said this morning that it has just closed an angel funding round, and launched an online software service to turn photos and music into movies. The startup did not provide details on its angel round. MYMUSAIC's site allows users to import photos from Facebook or upload them from a persona library, select music, and then automatically creates a video matched to the tempo and beat of that music track. The firm said that accounts are free. MYMUSAIC is head (More info...)
posted on Thursday, August 23, 2012 (More)(Full story)

j2 Acquires New Zealand Firm
Los Angeles-based j2 Global, the messaging and communications service provider, has made yet another acquisition this morning, saying that it has acquired the New Zealand business of Zintel Communications. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Zintel Communications is a cloud voice services provider. j2 said the buy follows the acquisition of Zintel's Australian operations in March. J2 has been quite active acquiring international communications and cloud services firms over the last ye (More info...)
posted on Thursday, August 23, 2012(Full story)

SheKnows Taps Alanis Morissette For Video Blog
Los Angeles-based women's content site SheKnows, which is owned by Evolve Media Corp., said today that it has inked a deal with singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette, to include a video blog (vlog) from Morissette while on tour. SheKnows said that Morissette has joined its video blog Mommalogues, as a guest celebrity mom, where she will vlog about music and motherhood. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
posted on Thursday, August 23, 2012(Full story)

Ceres Names Former Undersecretary of Energy To Board
Thousand Oaks-based Ceres, the developer of seeds for the energy and biofuels market, announced yesterday that it has added former BP Chief Scientist and Undersecretary of Energy for Science, Steven E. Koonin, to its board of directors. Koonin was Undersecretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy from May 2009 until November 2011, and prior to that was Chief Scientist at BP focused on renewable energy. He also served as a professor of theoretical physics at Caltech from 1975 until 2006 (More info...)
posted on Thursday, August 23, 2012(Full story)