Tuesday, September 18, 2012Gridtest Wins EV Charger Manufacturers, InstallersWestlake Village-baesd Gridtest Systems reported Tuesday that it has signed on nineteen new customers, including EV charging station manufacturers, independent labs, and installers. The firm, which develops equipment for testing electric vehicle charging systems, said new customers included Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Powertech, OpConnect, ChargePoint Australia, Autel, Entrance Controls, Mainpine, and the United States Department of Energy. Financial impact of the win (More info...)
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Microsoft Details LA Production Studio EffortsTechnology giant Microsoft has detailed its new Los Angeles production studio, officially announcing that it has created a new production studio headed by former CBS Network Television Entertainment president Nancy Tellem. Microsoft said the studio will develop interactive and linear content for Xbox and other devices. Microsoft said the effort is part of an effort to "collaborate with the creative community" to create content for the Xbox brand. As part of the effort, Microsoft also said it wil (More info...)
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Yowza Gets Backing From Comedian Wayne BradyLos Angeles-based Yowza!!, a developer of mobile coupon applications, said today that it has signed on comedian Wayne Brady as a co-owner of the company. The firm--which has previously raised funding from the Tech Coast Angels and the Pasadena Angels--said that Brady will also become spokesperson for the company. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Brady is known for his role on "Whose Line is it Anyways?", the "Wayne Brady Show", and other television series.
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StockTwits Adds Social Sentiment FeatureAre you positive or negative on that stock? San Diego-based StockTwits has just added a feature to let its users indicate if they're bullish or bearish on a specific ticker, which will be embedded into a user's posts. StockTwits said the new feature will both allow members to clearly communicate their views on a stock, as well as let users such as public companies and investor relations departments to better understand how people view their companies. Stocktwits said the move is part of a set of (More info...)
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Contur Takes On Email Sorting, OrganizationAre you overwhelmed with too many emails in your inbox? A new startup, Contur, launching out of the StartEngine accelerator program today, said that it has created a service which helps users organize their emails by task, projects, and more. The startup--which bills itself as a "virtual assistant for email"--said it will offer up its service to professional power users who receive more than 100 emails per day, via a Windows desktop application. Contur said it service is also fully compatible wi (More info...)
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Microsoft Spins Up New Entertainment Studio In HollywoodMicrosoft is the latest big name, technology company which sees its future being defined in Hollywood, and is reportedly hiring a former CBS television executive to head up original video content development efforts here. According to a report from the New York Times, Microsoft has hired Nancy Tellem to head up a Microsoft production studio based in Los Angeles, which the report said would create programming for both the Xbox 360 and other efforts. The move looks to be part of a trend of big tec (More info...)
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Insights and Opinions: Should you follow the advice of your board?Entrepreneurs often defer to their board of directors in decisions. The question is: should they? In our Insights and Opinions section today, we share the advice of investor Dave Berkus on the topic of: Do you always follow the advice of your board?.
This may be news, but boards of directors can offer bad advice. A typical board is composed of five persons in a company that has received outside funds from professional investors. Two members usually represent the founders or management, two (More info...)
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Hulu Pushes Television Window With Saturday Night Live In JapanIn what looks like even more pressure on Hollywood's system of "windowing" content, Los Angeles-based Hulu is pushing the window with a deal to show NBC's Saturday Night Live in Japan only hours after its U.S. broadcast. The deal--announced by Hulu in Japan--calls for SNL to show only hours after showing on U.S. television. According to GigaOm, which first noticed the Japanese language release, the move is most likely a way to stem international piracy of the show. Hulu said the deal was cut wit (More info...)
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eBay's FashionVault Gets BeachMint TreatmentIn what appears to be a major deal with online e-commerce site eBay, Los Angeles-based BeachMint, which is led by Diego Berdakin, is the central focus of eBay's FashionVault flash sales site this week. eBay told its users this morning that it will be offering up designer brands from independent fashion sellers on its site, which will also feature limited time and "secret" sales, all via brands owned by Beachmint. Fashionvault's home page has been dedicated to promoting brands from Beachmint, inc (More info...)
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Twentieth Century Fox Launches HD Streaming ProgramTwentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is aiming to boost digital streaming and downloading of its content, through a new program the firm announced this morning. The entertainment firm, which is a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation/News Corp., said that its DIGITAL HD initiative will allow consumers to download or stream Fox movies, via Amazon, CinemaNow, Google Play, iTunes, PlayStation, VUDU, Xbox Live and YouTube. Fox said that the digital download service will be availab (More info...)
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PayDragon Takes On Frictionless Mobile E-CommerceHamilton Chan, head of PayDragon, has what might be considered a enormously ambitious goal: totally frictionless, mobile e-commerce. Chan is one step closer to that--or perhaps, as close as you're going to get--with PayDragon's latest mobile app, which lets users scan in a UPC on any item, and instantly order that item for delivery by mail. Want another package of those chips on your desk? Scan the UPC with the app, click "pay and order". Want another can of that soup in your pantry? Again, sca (More info...)
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Gores Group Buys AstadiaLos Angeles-based private equity firm The Gores Group has acquired cloud computing consulting and systems integrator Astadia, Gores said Monday. Financial details of the transaction were not announced. Astadia will be merged with Idea, a current portfolio company of The Gores Group. Astadia serves enterprise customers, helping them build cloud-based software; the firm says it has 2,600 clients using its services. Astadia was based in Dallas, Texas.
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ecoATM Eyes iPhone 5 ReleaseAside from the legions of Apple fans who are just waiting to get their hands of the new iPhone 5, San Diego's EcoATM appears as eager as consumers for the new device. According to the startup, which operates a network of automated kiosks to handle electronics trade-ins, it is rapidly expanding its kiosks in malls nationwide and on the east coast due to the iPhone 5. The firm says it is expanding its network to make it easier for consumers to cash in their older phones, to trade up to the new, iP (More info...)
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Sense4Baby Gets Funding For Wireless Fetal MonitoringSan Diego-based Sense4Baby, a brand new starting spawned out of the West Health Institute, has licensed a wireless fetal monitoring system from West Health, and moved into that firm's new incubator. West Health Institute also said that Sense4Baby has received a "significant" funding commitment from the West Health Investment Fund. Sense4Baby is developing wireless, remote fetal monitoring systems, which are designed to allow an OBGYN to monitor the health of a mother and her baby remotely, avoid (More info...)
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Synthetic Genomics Buys Patent PortfolioLa Jolla-based genomics firm Synthetic Genomics said yesterday that it has purchased a bundle of patents from Febit Holdings GmbH. Financial details of the patent purchase were not disclosed. Synthetic Genomics said the purchase includes the worldwide rights to three families of patents and patent applications related to synthetic genomic technologies, and also included equipment, technical support, and "know-how" for implementing the technology. The firm said the patents will specifically help (More info...)
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RealD Expands In RussiaLos Angeles-based RealD, the developer of 3D movie projection technology, said today that it has opened up a new office in Russia. The firm said its new Moscow office will help increase its presence in the country, and will provide sales, customer service, exhibitor relations and operations. RealD, which provides equipment used in projecting 3D movies, also has international offices in London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.
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