Tuesday, March 26, 2013


Peregrine Semiconductor Lobs New Patent Suit Against RFMD
San Diego-based RF semiconductor maker Peregrine Semiconductor announced Tuesday afternoon that it has filed a new, patent lawsuit against RF Micro Devices, alleging infringement on its patents. Peregrine Semiconductor said it filed the suite in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Peregrine already has a patent suit filed against RFMD, which it filed in February of last year. Peregrine said the new patent lawsuit covers U.S. Patent 8,405,147, which it says covers tec (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, March 26, 2013(Full story)

USC's Startup Accelerator Targets 10 Companies, Starts In May
More details on the University of Southern California's new Viterbi Startup Garage, the brand new startup accelerator being backed by the United Talent Agency and Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers, have emerged, with the school saying that it plans to provide grants and mentorship to approximately 10 companies for a 12 week session starting in May. The startup accelerator will actually based based at USC's Information Sciences Institute in Marina Del Rey. The school said it started the a (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, March 26, 2013(Full story)

ParkMe Expands In Washington, D.C.
Santa Monica-based ParkMe, the venture-backed developer of mobile parking information applications, said today that it has inked a deal with Washington, D.C.-based parking operator Colonial Parking. ParkMe said that it will provide real-time occupancy information for more than 100 parking facilities in DC via the deal. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. ParkMe, which is headed by Sam Friedman, offers up a way for mobile users to find available parking and parking rates in various (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, March 26, 2013(Full story)

Boingo Debuts Windows 8 App
Boingo Wireless, the provider of Wi-Fi services which is based in Los Angeles, said this morning that it has released a version of its Wi-Finder app for Windows 8. The app allows users to find Boingo's commercial hotspot locations, and will automatically log in subscribers to the service. Boingo operates a network of Wi-Fi locations, which are billed through a central plan. One of the features of the new software is integration with Bing maps, letting users find hotspots by location and getting (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, March 26, 2013(Full story)

USC Viterbi Launches Startup Accelerator
Add another startup accelerator to the growing list of Southern California startup accelerators: this time, from the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering. USC revealed this morning that it has created a new, startup accelerator on campus, the Viterbi Startup Garage, which will help students and alumni start technology companies in Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Times, the new accelerator is being backed by the United Talent Agency and Kleiner, Perkins Cauf (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, March 26, 2013(Full story)

ZeaKal Raises $3.8M
San Diego-based ZeaKal, a plant sciences startup focused on developing technology to increase the yield and oil content of crops, said this morning that it has raised $3.8M in a Series A funding. The round was led by Finestere Ventures, Two Oceans, and the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council (MSMC). The firm said it is targeting soybeans and rice to increase crop yield and oil content. The firm is headed by Han Chen, and was incubated by Kapyon Ventures, a San Diego based incubation firm focu (More info...)
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Hulu Sale Rumors Swirl, Again
The studio owners of Los Angeles-based video streaming site Hulu are looking to sell the streaming site (again), according to rumors yesterday, as News Corporation and Walt Disney continue to struggle over what to do with the site. According to Reuters, citing three sources close to the company, Hulu's board has been reaching out to possible buyers of Hulu. It's not the first time Hulu has been shopped by its owners. Hulu has rapidly become one of the largest online companies in Los Angeles over (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, March 26, 2013(Full story)

EmiSense Raises $6.5M
Ladera Ranch-based EmiSense Technologies, a developer of ceramics-based, particulate matter sensors for smog measurement, said today that it has raised $6.5M in a third round of funding. The funding was led by 9th Street Investments. According to the firm, the new funding will go towards launching products, for research and development, and validation testing. EmiSense is developing particulate matter sensors used for measuring soot and smog, exhaust and intake oxygen sensors, and hydrocarbon se (More info...)
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JewelMint Launches New Jewelry Collections
JewelMint, the jewelry-focused e-commerce site owned by BeachMint, said Monday that it has launched a new set of jewelry collections. The firm said it has launched its Studio Series, a line of jewelry designed by what it called "fashion's most coveted names". The firm said it is debuting the line with Giles & Brother x JewelMint, designed by Philip Crangi of Giles & Brother and Philip Crangi Jewelry. BeachMint is collaborating with Kate Bosworth and celebrity stylist, Cher Coulter on JewelMint.
posted on Tuesday, March 26, 2013(Full story)

Peregrine Semiconductor In Satellite Design Win
San Diego-based radio frequency semiconductor developer Peregrine Semiconductor reported a design win yesterday, saying that its chips were designed into six, Globalstar mobile communications satellites which were launched in February. The firm said its UltraCMOS Phase Locked Loop (PLL) frequency synthesizer and prescaler devices were launched into orbit with the six Globalstar mobile communications satellites launched in February by Thales Alenia Space in France. The firm's chips are being used (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, March 26, 2013(Full story)

Local Corporation Debuts New Premium Ad Network
Irvine-based online local advertising firm Local Corporation said today that it has launched a new, premium ad network it is calling "Fusion by Local". The firm said the new ad network will let advertisers reach customers in local markets, and provide display advertising both on its own sites and over 1,000 regional media sites. Local said the new ad network would allow brands to target local audiences without having to deal with individual publishers.
posted on Tuesday, March 26, 2013(Full story)