Wednesday, July 19, 2017


Qualcomm Backs IoT Technology Developer Particle
San Diego-based Qualcomm has backed Particle, the developer of hardware- and software- toolkits for helping connect their products into the world of the Internet-of-Things (IoT), as part of a $20M funding round today. Particle, based in San Francisco, said it raised $20M in its Series B funding from Spark Capital and Qualcomm Ventures. The company's platform offers up tools that help product makers connect to IoT networking using Wi-Fi, 2G/3G, and other protocols, and also handles managing those (More info...)
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Hulu Inks Deal For *M*A*S*H, Other Series
Los Angeles-based Hulu has made a deal which will give it streaming rights to all 11 seasons of *M*A*S*H, as well as such series as NYPD Blue, How I Met Your Mother, Burn Notice, Hills Street Blues, Bones and Glee, with 20th Century Fox Television Distribution, Hulu announced Wednesday. According to the two, the deal adds nearly 3,000 episodes of comedies, popular dramas, and other series to Hulu's service. Financial details of the deal were not announced. The new, expanded agreement follows an (More info...)
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AdGreetz Powers New Personalized Smurf's Ad
Los Angeles-based AdGreetz, the developer of personalized advertising technology which incorporates a viewer's name and other personal information into video and interactive ads, is powering a new campaign for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on the upcoming Smurfs: The Lost Village release. According to AdGreetz, the ad campaign is the second collaboration it has with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Financial details of the win were not announced. AdGreetz' ads incorporates a user's name, spo (More info...)
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Venmo Scammer Makes Off With Thousands Of Dollars In LA Photo Gear
A scammer in Los Angeles and Ventura County, targeting sellers of photo equipment, has made off with $25,000--and maybe as much as $100,000--by taking advantage of the peer-to-peer payment system Venmo, according to a report this morning. The Verge reports that the scammer has been taking advantage of sellers in Los Angeles and Venura County, scamming at least 20 people, who most likely were paid using stolen funds through Venmo.
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Brain Corp Collects $114M Funding Round For AI Software
San Diego-based Brain Corp., a startup developing artificial intelligence software that powers self-driving robots, has raised $114M in a Series C funding round. The funding was led by SoftBank Vision Fund, and also included Qualcomm Ventures. Brain Corp. said it is developing AI and self-driving technology to enable "smart robots", which it says will allow robots to perceive their environment, learn to control their motion, and navigate using visual cues and landmarks while avoiding people and (More info...)
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Shift Gets $37M More To Ramp Online Used Auto Sales
Online used car marketplace Shift, which has two offices‌ in Southern California--its biggest market--has raised $37M more in funding, the company said today. The funding came from BMW iVentures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Highland Capital, DCM, G2VP, and Goldman Sachs. The company, which has two locations here, one serving Los Angeles and Orange County, and the other in San Diego, is based in San Francisco. The company launched into San Diego in March of this year.
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TetraVue Names New CEO, Chairman
Vista, California-baed TetraVue, a venture backed startup developing 4D LIDAR technology aimed at the autonomous vehicle market, has named Dr. Hal Zarem as Chief Executive Officer, and Dr. Bruce McWilliams as Chairman of its board. Zarem was most recently President and CEO of Seeo (acquired by Robert Bosch), and also had been CEO of Silicon Light Machines (acquired by Daignippon Screen). Zarem also has served at Cypress Semiconductor, JDS Uniphase, and Ortel Corporation. McWilliam is on the boar (More info...)
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UBTECH Robotics Rolls Out Interactive Robot Kit
Los Angeles-based educational robot developer UBTECH Robotics said today that it has rolled out a new, interactive robot kit, the Jimu Robot BuilderBots Kit. According to UBTECH, the new robot kit lets kids build two different robots, the GrabberBot and DigBot, or a robot of your own design. The new product is aimed at the STEM education market. UBTECH said the new kit is a "perfect entry point" to learn the basics of building and coding your own personal robot. The new product has a retail pric (More info...)
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Penske Media Names Two VPs
Los Angeles-based Penske Media Corporation (PMC), the publisher of Variety, WWD, Footwear News, Deadline, Indiewire, TVLine, Hollywood Life, and the Robb Report, has promoted two of its executives to VPs. According to PMC, it has named Judith R. Margolin as its Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, and Lauren Gullion as Vice President of Human Resources and Corporate Communications. Margolin was previously Deputy General Counsel at PMC. Gullion had been part of PMC's founding team in 2003, (More info...)
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