Wednesday, March 27, 2013Fisker Furloughs WorkersThe slow motion train wreck which seems to be playing out at Anaheim-based hybrid auto developer Fisker Automotive continued late Wednesday, as the car manufacturer furloughed its U.S. workforce, according to a report. Reuters reported that the auto maker furloughed the workers as part of an effort to "keep costs low" as it looks for a strategic partner.
Fisker has been struggling to find either a strategic investor or acquirer, most recently looking towards a number of Chinese auto makers to (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2013(Full story)
io/LA Shuts DownHollywood-based io/LA, the high tech and creative incubator and coworking space, has shut down, the first loss of one of Southern California's new crop of high tech gathering spaces. The loss was first reported by the LA Business Journal. io/LA, in a note sent to its members last week, obtained by socalTECH, said that "unexpected things happen" in the startup world, and that it will be "sailing off into the sunset".
A number of companies which were located in io/LA have now moved to coworkin (More info...)
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eSolar Raises $12.8MIdealab-based solar energy startup eSolar has just raised $12.8M in a new funding, part of an ongoing $30M funding for the company, according to a regulatory filing by the firm. The funding--which included at least two prior investors, including Oak Investment Partners--is still in progress. Burbank-based eSolar is developing utility-scale, solar thermal power technology used for generating power on a large scale. No details of the funding have yet been announced by the company; the firm last a (More info...)
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SweetLabs Debuts New Game NetworkAre you a game developer looking to get better distribution of your games? San Diego-based SweetLabs, the developer behind the desktop app marketplace software Pokki, is circling back towards its roots promoting and helping developers gain distribution for their software, with the launch of a new game network. The firm said its new Pokki Game Network is aimed at game developers, and helps them acquire users by converting their web and social games into desktop versions, and promoting these apps (More info...)
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Eventful Launches iPhone AppEventful, the online community website which connects people with music concerts, local events, and other entertainment, said today that it has released a brand new version of its iPhone app. The San Diego company--headed by Jordan Glazier--said its new app includes a personalization engine to tailor event content and recommendations to a user's preferences and entertainment interests, and includes details on concerts, movies, and 26 other categories of events. The company says it now has a comm (More info...)
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eHarmony In Advertising Push, As Warren Revamps FirmSanta Monica-based online matchmaking site eHarmony is planning a big advertising push, as the firm said it has revamped its management team under founder Dr. Neil Clark Warren. According to eHarmony, it is launching a brand new, marketing and television campaign which will feature Dr. Warren in what it says are "new, humorous situations." The move comes as eHarmony says it has been working to refresh and revamp its experience and drive users to return to the service.
The new efforts come sev (More info...)
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CapLinked Adds Activity AnalyticsCapLinked. the developer of enterprise software for managing M&A transactions, venture deals, and other business deals, said yesterday that it has launched a new, activity tracker, which helps its customers figure out who has viewed files and information in the service, filterable by date range and more. The new feature helps users of the software figure out if, for example, an investor has viewed due diligence documents, or if another party has downloaded and viewed a new agreement.
CapLinke (More info...)
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PaeDae Ups Ante On Software Recruiting, Dangles Chance At Spaceflight
Things definitely look to be heating up in the software recruiting world, at least, if you judge the latest offer from a local startup to find local recruits for software developers. Los Angeles-based Paedae, which is develops software aimed at mobile and online application developers with marketing and monetization, said Tuesday that it will offer the chance at a flight to space--or $200,000--to a new hire. PaeDae said that, in addition to paying a $5000 cash signing bonus and making a charit (More info...)
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XCOR Reports Rocket MilestoneXCOR Aerospace, one of the aerospace startups in Mojave, reported a win yesterday, saying it achieved a "significant" propulsion milestone on its Lynx Suborbital Vehicle. The company said it fired its full piston, pump-powered rocket engine, the foundation of its fully reusable spacecraft. The company said the next step in its testing it to run its engine for the full duration of a full, powered flight of its suborbital vehicle. The firm is looking to eliminate the need for heavy, high-pressure (More info...)
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Novatel Wireless Ships MiFi 2 in CanadaSan Diego-based Wi-Fi modem and mobile hotspot device developer Novatel Wireless said Tuesday that its new, MiFi2 mobile hotspot is now available in Canada, with Bell on its 4G network. Novatel said that Bell has Canada's largest 4G LTE network. The MiFi2 is the firm's mobile hotspot featuring a touchscreen display, which it announced in September. Novatel had announced the deal to ship the device to Bell in Canada in February. Novatel's device are used to connect any, 4G wireless connection int (More info...)
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Broadcom Names New Worldwide Sales VPIrvine-based semiconductor developer Broadcom has appointed a new, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales, the firm said Tuesday. Broadcom said it has promoted Michael Hurlston into the position, replacing Thomas Lagatta, who the firm says is retiring at the end of the year. Hurlston was most recently Senior Vice President and General Manger of the Wireless Connectivity Combo business at Broadcom, and has been at the company since 2001.
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