Monday, August 8, 2016Hulu Ends Free Streaming ServiceNot--it's not a mistake, that "Start Your Free Trial" button on the home page of Los Angeles-based television streaming service Hulu marks the end of Hulu's free streaming, as the company moves 100 percent into the world of subscription video. Hulu--instead of offering up free, but commercial-laden TVs and movies--now requires users to either subscribe to a "limited commercial" service for $7.99 a month, or a "no commercial" service for $11.99 a month. Hulu had already been moving towards subscr (More info...)
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Orbitera Acquired By Google For More Than $100MWest Hollywood-based Orbitera, which develops cloud-based software for managing leads, trial subscriptions, and billing, has been acquired by Google, Google said on Monday. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Google said it will continue to make Orbitera available to other software vendors, in addition to using the company's technology to improve the support of software vendors on Google Cloud Platform. Orbitera was backed by only $2M in a seed funding it received a year ago f (More info...)
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Honor Finds $42M For Senior Home Care EffortsHonor, the in-home, senior care startup which launched its services in LA in April, has raised $42M more in a funding round, the company said this morning. The Bay Area startup--which only offers services so far in San Francisco and in LA--said the funding Thrive Capital, and also included 8VC, Andreessen Horowitz, and Syno Capital. Honor's efforts in LA are led by Steve Seigel.
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Aligned TeleHealth Gets $12MCalabasas-based Aligned TeleHealth, a provider of telemedicine services, said this morning that it has raised $12M in a Series A funding round. The funding came from SV Life Sciences (SVLS). The company said the funding will go towards acquisition, business development, recruitment, and towards its technology infrastructure. Michael Baluth and Gene Hill, both of SVLS, have joined Aligned TeleHealth's board of directors. Aligned TeleHealth offers up its telemedecine services--including psychiatri (More info...)
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Interview With Mike Mothner, Wpromote On Growth, AcquisitionsLast week El Segundo-based Wpromote acquired fellow marketing agency Standing Dog, in a deal which brings the company to 260 employees, and continues to grow the company. We caught up with founder and CEO Mike Mothner--who we first interviewed back in 2007--to catch up with the company, gets some hints and tips on growing a company, the challenges of bootstrapping, and why Wpromote hopes to be buying more companies in the future.
Tell our readers who haven't heard of Wpromote, what your bus (More info...)
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TrueCar Updates Dealer Outreach InitiativeSanta Monica-based TrueCar--which has been in the midst of extending the olive leaf out to car dealers put off by its pricing pressure--said it has updated its "Dealer Pledge" initiative, improving its efforts to address concerns of its dealers. The company said it has made "important changes" in its product offering, customer service and messaging as part of that initiative. TrueCar posted the updated pledge online. TrueCar has been in the middle of an effort to smooth over its relationships wi (More info...)
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Incipio Acquires Griffin TechnologyIrvine-based Incipio, which manufactures and sells consumer electronic accessories, has acquired fellow mobile accessory maker Griffin Technology, according to the company. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Griffin Technology is based in Nashville. Incipio said the acquisition will help strengthen its product development and manufacturing, and help complement its existing product lines. Incipio Group is led by Andy Fathollahi. The acquisition of Griffin Technology is the sec (More info...)
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Express Logic Expands In FranceSan Diego-based operating system developer Express Logic said today that it has opened up a new office in France, to help it support its European customers. The company said the office is 35 kilometers southwest of Paris, and will be lead by Jean-Paul Medina. Express Logic also has offices in the UK and Germany. The company develops real time operating system (RTOS) software, which is used in developing embedded and what are now referred to as "Internet of Things" devices--although the company (More info...)
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Qualcomm Adds Another Chinese License, With VivoSan Diego-based Qualcomm announced yet another license deal in China over the weekend, this time with vivo Communication Technology Co., Ltd.. Qualcomm said the new patent license deal--which is consistent with the terms of the plan it has filed with China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)--covers the development, manufacturing, and sales of 3G WCDMA and CDMA2000 and 4G LTE equipment in China.
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