Monday, October 7, 2013


LA Startup Looks To Make QR Codes A Fashion Statement
Tired of handing out your business card at local networking events? A Los Angeles startup has just launched a new Kickstarter project, aimed to make your necktie double as a business card--using the ubiquitous QR code. QRtie launched its Kickstarter project on Monday, looking to raise $40,000 for its ties, which feature a QR code sewn into the back of the tie. The company's QR codes are tied into its website, where users can re-direct users who scan the QR code to the website of their choice. Th (More info...)
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Beats Electronics Music Streaming Launch Imminent, Says Report
Los Angeles-based Beats Electronics, fresh off of a big investment from The Carlyle Group, is getting set to launch its new music streaming service, according to a report Monday. TNW, citing Beats Electronics' President and COO Luke Wood, said Beats Music is set to launch within the next month, and will offer up streaming on the Web, iOS, and Android. Beats has been working on the music streaming service since last year, acquiring existing music streaming service MOG, and hiring Topin/Yahoo Musi (More info...)
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LAX Next On Plate For Silvercar's Car Rental Service
Los Angeles looks to be the hub of car-related, smartphone-driven car services. The latest, next generation company to launch into the city looks to be Silvercar, a startup which offers up premium car rental services all driven by smartphone. According to Silvercar, which is based in Texas, it is launching into LAX on November 4th, to bring its rental car service to the "city of exclusive parties, velvet ropes, beautiful people, and lines out the door." The startup--backed by Austin Ventures (More info...)
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Cove Financial Group Gets $10.4M Investment
Irvine-based Cove Financial Group, a financial startup developing alternative, mortgage funding products, said this morning that it has raised $10.4M in a Series A funding round. The funding round came from an affiliate of Jacobs Asset Management, and included both preferred stock and convertible debt. Cove Financial said it is developing a special program for consumers in financial recovery, who are looking to buy a home; the program is specifically targeted at buyers who can put down a deposit (More info...)
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Boom Studios Inks Major Rights Deal With 20th Century Fox
Los Angeles-based BOOM Studios, the venture backed comic book publisher, has inked what is being called one of the most lucrative underlying rights deals ever made, in a deal with 20th Twentieth Century Fox. The startup--backed by DFJ Frontier--apparently has inked a deal to get first-dollar gross on movies made form its properties, with earnings split 50-50 between Boom Studios and its comic creators. Boom Studios is being the film 2 Guns, which features Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, and (More info...)
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Earbits Debuts New iPhone Streaming App
Los Angeles-based Earbits, the music listening and discovery service led by Joey Flores, has just announced a new, free, iPhone music streaming app, which it says lets users listen to music with no commercials and no usage or skip restrictions. According to Earbits, the new mobile app runs on the iPhone and iPad, and gives access to songs from over 12,000 independent artists. Earbits had released an Android version of the app earlier this year. Earbits' operates an online music service specifica (More info...)
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socalTECH Jobs: Monday Morning Job Highlights
Figure out that it's time for a new company, new position, or a new direction this Monday morning? Check out socalTECH's online Job Board, where we let our members post their jobs for free. Some of the most recent listings: Director of Marketing, Ramprate RampRate Sourcing Advisors is a leading IT sourcing advisor with a proprietary index and close network of partners designed to perform fast, efficient IT services transactions. We were recently named Top 10 IT Outsourcing Advisor (More info...)
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Insights: Making Technology Transfer and IP Commercialization Work
For today's Insights and Opinions section, we're sharing an article on how to make technology transfer and IP commercialization work, from Siemer and Associates and Siemer Ventures' Ivan Nikkhoo. Over the years, universities, government agencies, hospitals and alike have developed massive amounts of IP aimed research, defense, medicine, among other areas, without specifically targeting commercial purposes. Over time, some of this IP has made it to market helping create new products and (More info...)
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Qualcomm Appoints Former Ambassador To China To Board
San Diego-based Qualcomm announced this morning that it has elected the former Ambassador to the People's Republic of China to its board of directors. According to Qualcomm, former Ambassador Clark Randt is currently president of Randt & Company, and also serves on the boards of Valmont Industries and United Parcel Service. Randt had been ambassador to China from 2001 to 2009. Qualcomm said it would tap Randt's experience to help it further expand its footprint in China's wireless ecosystem.
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MaxLinear Settles Patent Suit With Silicon Labs
Carlsbad-based radio frequency and mixed signal semiconductor developer MaxLinear said today that it has settled a set of lawsuits with Silicon Labs. The two had sued each other last year for patent infringement. As part of the settlement, the two said that MaxLinear has granted Silicon Labs a license to its patent portfolio, and that Silicon Labs had granted MaxLinear a license to its own set of patents. Financial details of the settlement were not disclosed. The two also agreed to enter into a (More info...)
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Activision Publishing Countersues Companies
Santa Monica-based videogame developer Activision said late Friday that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against two companies. Activision said the lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California, against Worlds Inc. and Worlds Online Inc.. Activision claims the two companies have infringed on a U.S. patent covering 3D navigation, and another patent covering objects in 3-D virtual worlds. The lawsuit comes in response to an existing, patent infringeme (More info...)
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Cornerstone OnDemand Bolsters Board With Eloqua Vet
Santa Monica-based software-as-a-service developer Cornerstone OnDemand said this morning that it has added former Eloqua CEO Joe Payne to its board of directors. Payne had been CEO and a member of the baord of directors of Eloqua from January 2007 until it acquisition by Oracle in 2013; he als ohad served at Qualys, iDefense, eSecurity, eGrail and MicroStrategy Incorporated. Payne replaces venture capitalist Rod Ward, who is at Meritech Capital, one of Cornerstone OnDemand's original investors. (More info...)
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Lastline Names Two Executives
Security software developer Lastline announced this morning that it has named two new executives, to bolster its leadership team. The Santa Barbara-based company--which is backed by Redpoint Ventures and e.ventures--said it has named Thomas Miller as its Executive Vice President of Sales, and Brian Laing as its Vice President of Products. Miller joins the company from Zscaler, where he had been Senior Vice President of North American Sales. Miller had also served at Trend Micro. Laing was previo (More info...)
posted on Monday, October 7, 2013(Full story)