Monday, January 28, 2013Martoko Debuts For Better LinkedIn Contact ManagementAre you a heavy user of LinkedIn, who has difficulty sorting through the hundreds of contacts you have? A new, handy tool released Monday by Amplify LA, the startup accelerator, might just fit the bill. Amplify said that it has released Martoko, a brand new software tool which lets users add a layer of their own metadata and tags to LinkedIn data, into alpha, to allow LinkedIn users to better sort and find people they know by selecting those tags. The accelerator said the tool was developed afte (More info...)
posted on Monday, January 28, 2013(Full story)
Fisker Automotive Seeks Buyer By Next MonthIrvine-based Fisker Automotive, the troubled electric vehicle designer, is hoping to find a buyer or investor by next month--in order to keep operating--according to the WSJ Monday. The WSJ said that the firm--which has hired investment bankers to try to find it a suitor--also has been unable to produce vehicles, due to the bankruptcy of its battery partner, A123 Systems. The report also said that Fisker has stalled work on its next generation car while it sorts through its issues. In addition t (More info...)
posted on Monday, January 28, 2013(Full story)
Apple's Siri Helps Users Buy Movie Tickets, Via FandangoNeed some help buying a movie ticket? It looks like you can now get Siri, Apple's talkative personal assistant, to help you, via a new link with Fandango, the Los Angeles-based movie ticketing and information service. Fandango said that users of the iPhone, iPad, and iPod tocuh running iOS 6.1 can now have siri automatically find a movie, theaters, and showtimes, and even purchase a ticket via Fandango's mobile app. Thge new Siri integration also allows moviegoers to use Apple's Passbook to stor (More info...)
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GrubTonight Launches Social Dinner Reservation ServiceWhat's the best way to meet new people, and expand your social circle in a city? One way might be to try out GrubTonight, a newly launched iPhone application from Venice-based Grubwithus, which allows users to find organized dinners in a local area, reserve a seat, and meet others at meals. The free application, which currently is only available in Los Angeles, let users find nearby dinners at local restaurants, where they can then reserve a seat and prepay for dinners, getting a chance to netwo (More info...)
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Cubic Transportation Systems Buys NextBusSan Diego-based Cubic Transportation Systems, which provides payment and information technology and services for the transit industry, said last week that it has acquired NextBus, a provider of real-time passenger information systems for more than 100 transit agencies in the United States. Cubic said it paid CAD$20.75M to purchase NextBus from Webtech Wireless, Inc. Cubic is a diversified provider of defense, transportation, and RFID products with more than 7,800 employees. The firm's headquarte (More info...)
posted on Monday, January 28, 2013(Full story)
NewEgg's Quest Against A Patent TrollMost high tech executives in Southern California might not be aware that Newegg, the online electronics and technology products retailer, is based here in the City of Industry. Even fewer might not be aware that they might just owe some thanks to the firm, after it scored a patent win against a so-called "patent troll" which was plaguing dozens of online retailers, demanding licensing terms for using shopping card technology it said it owned the rights to. ArsTechnica tells the story behind NewE (More info...)
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ChaCha Aims At Los Angeles Office With New FundingChaCha, which operates an online, human-powered questions and answer site, said today that it is planning a new office in Los Angeles, after scoring $14.0M in a funding round. The service, which is headquartered in Carmel, Indiana, already has offices in New York City and San Francisco. The firm did not say what the LA office will be working on. ChaCha's new funding round comes from VantagePoint Capital Partners, Rho Ventures and Qualcomm. The firm's interactive question and answer site revolves (More info...)
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Qualcomm Funds Video Conferencing FirmSan Diego-based Qualcomm is the lead investor in a developer of cloud-based, HD video conferencing services. Zoom Video Communications, which is based in Santa Clara, California, said this morning that it has raised a Series A financing round, and launched its cloud-based HD video meeting and mobile screen sharing service. Financial details of the funding were not disclosed. Qualcomm Ventures, the venture capital arm of Qualcomm, led the round, which also included Jerry Yang, Subrah Iyar, Dan Sc (More info...)
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How FreedomPop's Free Wireless Internet is Disrupting TelecomHow do you go about trying to completely disrupt the entire telecom industry? If you're FreedomPop, the Encino-based startup, you start by offering up free 4G wireless data access, and then expand to offer free, voice-over-IP services, along with home-based wireless Internet services. No fly by night startup -- the company is backed by the founders of Skype -- we talked with COO Steven Sesar about how FreedomPop can provide free wireless Internet, the firm's expansion plans, and how the company (More info...)
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CallFire Wins Emergency Notification DealSanta Monica-based CallFire, the startup developer of voice APIs and telephony software, said today that it has been selected by Southern Wesleyan University for an emergency SMS notification system. According to CallFire, it system is being used by SWU to operate a campus-wide text messaging system designed to help safeguard the school in the event of a crisis, at a cost of less than $100 for the university. CallFire develops a range of telephony services, including both services at the GUI and (More info...)
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Condusiv Technologies Appoints CFOBurbank-based Condusiv, the developer of disk optimization software, said over the weekend that it has named Frederic T. Boyer as its new Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Boyer was previously CFO of DataDirect Networks, and also served at Optical Communications Products, Qualstar Corporation, Accelerated Networks, and Fibermux Corporation. Boyer reports to CEO Jerry Baldwin. Condusiv was previously known as Diskeeper. The firm's software is used for disk defragmentation and opt (More info...)
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Novatel M2M Device Gets Verizon ApprovalSan Diego-based Novatel Wireless, the developer of wireless communications modules and wireless hotspots, reported today that its M2M module has received technical approval from Verizon. The firm said its MT 3050 device is being used for insurance telematics and fleet management applications. Novatel develops a number of hardware products which connect into 2G, 3G, and 4G wireless networks; it is best known for its MiFi mobile hotspots, but also develops USB modems and embedded modules, all of w (More info...)
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Broadcom Debuts Switching ChipsIrvine-based Broadcom said this morning that it has launched a line of new switch systems-on-a-chip (SoC) products, aimed at mid-size enterprise and large-scale networks. The firm said its new StrataXGS BCM56340 Series includes such features as firewall capabilities among all of its access points, a 48-port gigabit Ethernet switching core, ARM A9 CPU, and more in a single chip. The firm said the new chips will go into volume production in the second half of 2013.
posted on Monday, January 28, 2013(Full story)