Wednesday, June 3, 2015Disney Accelerator Grad Sphero Finds $45MSphero, the Disney Accelerator company known for developing smartphone connected, robotic balls, has scored a big funding round--in part thanks to its involvement with the accelerator. Sphero, which was part of the first class of the Los Angeles-based startup accelerator last fall, said Tuesday that it raised $45M in the funding round, which was led by Mercato Partners, and also included The Walt Disney Company and other strategic investors. Sphero's technology is behind the new, star wars robot (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, June 3, 2015(Full story)
Phenomenex Acquires Micron AnaliticaTorrance-based Phenomenex, a developer of analytical chemistry products, said Tuesday that it has acquired its Spanish distribution partner, Micron Analytica S.A.. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Phenomenex said that Carloz Perez, the founder of Micron Analitica S.A., has become Director General of Phenomenex Spain as part of the deal. Phenomenex develops products for the analytical chemistry market.
posted on Wednesday, June 3, 2015(Full story)
Disney Jumps Into Connected Toys, WearablesWalt Disney has jumped into the world of connected toys and wearables, saying Tuesday that it has launched a new line of toys out of its Disney Consumer Products (DCP) division. Disney Consumer Products said its new Playmation line of toys allows those toys to synchronize with one another, harnesses motion sensors and wireless technology, and synchronize with the Internet. The first connected toy out of the effort will be focused on Marvel's Aveners; Disney said it will also roll out similar, co (More info...)
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Kingston Technology Sells Chinese Supply Chain Management SubsidiaryFountain Valley-based memory maker Kingston Technology said this morning that it has sold a Chinese subsidiary it owns, Payton Shenzhen Co., Ltd., to Shenzhen Kaifa Technology Co., Ltd.. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Payton Shenzhen Co. provides back-end wafer processing and supply chain management for Kingston. Kingston said the deal will allow Payton to expand into wider areas of semiconductor test and manufacturing, and attract other local cusotmers for its services.
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TeleSign Launches Step-By-Step Two Factor Security GuideConcerned about security of your passwords? Los Angeles-based TeleSign, which provides much of the behind-the-scene, two-factor phone authentication services for major Internet services, said today that it has launched a new website to help users ramp up security for over a hundred popular websites. The company--whose two-factor authentication is used by websites to add another layer of verification to user logins--released step-by-step guides for turning on two-factor authentication for Faceboo (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, June 3, 2015(Full story)