Wednesday, November 14, 2012BMW Targets Instagrammers With LA Auto Show ContestIn an example of the rising interest of big advertisers in mobile social sharing site Instagram, auto maker BMW is dangling the chance to be the official BMW Instagram photographer to Instagram users who snap and post photos of local BMWs. The company told users this week on Instagram that they can submit pictures of BMWs--making sure they are geotagged and hashtagged as #BMWUltragramer--to get a chance to get access during the LA Auto Show's Press Day. Instagram--which is now owned by Facebook- (More info...)
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TheBouqs Looks To Upset Flower DeliveryA new, Los Angeles startup, TheBouqs.com, headed by a former ShoeDazzle executive, has just launched, hoping to upset the often confusing (and expensive) online flower delivery market. The startup has launched a service which delivers flowers for a flat, $40, including shipping, with options for subscriptions and scheduled delivery. The service is the brainchild of John Tabis, who formerly was VP of Brand, Strategy, and Corporate Development at ShoeDazzle, and also served at The Walt Disney Comp (More info...)
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olloclip Adds iPhone 5 VersionHuntington Beach-based olloclip, the developer of the snazzy camera lens for the iPhone, said it is supporting the new Apple iPhone 5, and is taking pre-orders for the new accessory. olloclip's device allows iPhone users to take unique pictures with a fisheye, wide-angle, and macro combination lens. The firm's lenses first debuted on the iPhone 4S/4, and were unique in that they first came to market via a crowdfunding project on Kickstarter.
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Base79 Gets Funding From The Chernin GroupLos Angeles investment firm The Chernin Group, the media holding and investment group founded by Peter Chernin, has made an investment in European online video company Base79. According to Base79, the strategic equity investment included both The Chernin Group and MMC Ventures, an existing investor. Base79 helps video rights holders and producers distribute their brands and content through YouTube and other platforms. The companys says it generates more than 500 million views per month acros 550 (More info...)
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Brand Affinity Technologies Taps Disney Exec For BoardIrvine-based Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT), the online celebrity endorsements startup headed by Ryan Steelberg, said today that it has tapped Al Weiss, the former President of Worldwide Operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, to its board. Weiss retired from Disney in 2011. Brand Affinity Technologies runs such sites as Fantapper, and also recently acquired the fan photography business of Printroom. Ryan Steelberg, along with his brother, are best known for their sale of their last com (More info...)
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X1 Discovery Takes On Social Media Discovery, AnalysisPasadena-based X1 Discovery, the provider of electronic discovery software which was originally part of X1/Idealab, said today that it has launched a new version of its software aimed at capturing and analyzing social media content. The company said its software now allows eDiscovery and computer forensics professionals ability to collect data from websites, YouTube videos, and webmail all through its software, including ingesting data from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. X1 Discovery's softwar (More info...)
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HelloInsights.com Decodes Pinterest, With Backing Of Science Inc.Social media marketers looking to figure out what works--and what doesn't--on Pinterest.com have mostly been going on their gut. But, not for long. The newest startup out of Los Angeles startup incubator/studio Science, Inc, HelloInsights.com, is looking to decode the secrets behind popularity and effectiveness of posts on the popular "pinning" site. HelloInsights launched today, using its own proprietary algorithms to figure out who are the most effective pinners, track popular items, and help (More info...)
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SolarReserve Raises $586M For South African ProjectsSanta Monica-based solar energy project developer SolarReserve has raised $586M in a combination of equity and debt, for two South African projects, according to reports today. The funding came from FirstRank Bank Ltd, with equity from Kensani Capital Investments, Intikon Energy, IDEAS Managed Fund and GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd. The funding goes towards a solar energy project being developed for South Africa's state owned utility, and will have a total capacity of 75 megawatts.
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Deloitte Announces Local Fast 500 WinnersThe annual ranking of the fastest growing companies by Deloitte, the 2012 Deloitte Technology Fast 500, was released today, showing a healthy list of Southern California companies in growth mode. Topping the list for Southern California was EdgeCast Networks, the content delivery network headed by Alex Kazerani, which showed an astounding five year growth rate of 21406%. San Diego's Optimer Pharmaceuticals was number 15, at 18798% growth; Marina Del Rey-based TeleSign ranked 23 at 7534% growth; (More info...)
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Nimble Opens APISanta Monica-based Nimble, the developer of web-based, customer relationship management (CRM) tools, said today that it has launched a new application programming interface (API) and application marketplace. The firm said the new API makes it easier for developers to connect any sales, marketing, customer service, or accounting platform with Nimble. Nimble's software-as-a-service helps users track their personal contacts including email, Twitter, Facebook, and other social interactions. The comp (More info...)
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Citysearch Launches Annual Business Ranking PollsWest Hollywood-based Citysearch said Tuesday afternoon that it has begun taking user input and polls for its "Best of Citysearch" award, which ranks the best local businesses on its site. The firm said that users can vote on different kind of businesses, ranking from such categories as vintage shops, menswear, kids shops, jewelry, and more in the site's top 10 cities.
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WD Debuts Wireless Router Aimed At Streaming MediaIrvine-based WD said today that it has launched a new, 802.11ac wireless router and bridge. WD said the new device, the My Net AC1300, is aimed at providing high bandwidth streaming of Netflix, YouTube, onilne games, and Skype, and includes automatic prioritization of entertainment services traffic. The firm claimed that testing shows its router is faster than its competitors within the range of 30 to 75 feet. The company's new router also includes four Gigabit Ethernet ports, and two USB 2.0 po (More info...)
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Sapphire Energy Snags COO From SolazymeSan Diego-based algae-based oil technology firm Sapphire Energy announced Tuesday that it has named Jeff Webster as Chief Operating Officer of the company. Webster joins the company from Solazyme, where he was COO. Webster also served at Tyson Foods' renewable energy arm, as well as Carmichael Training Systems, Kellogg Co., and ARCO. Sapphire Energy said Webster will oversee current and future business operations, business and project development and corporate affairs.
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