Sat.Mar 12, 2016 - Fri.Mar 18, 2016

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The Long Economic Case for Snapchat

Both Sides of the Table

Yesterday I wrote a primer on how to use Snapchat for my peer group of “over 30” people who don’t yet “get” Snapchat. Today I want to talk briefly about why I believe Snapchat is an important media company. If you still don’t get Snapchat please read the primer or follow me on Snapchat for a week or two because how I create “stories” on Snapchat is more of a use case for modern media than perhaps some teens use the product so it may resonate more

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Why District2 Is Creating An Online Marketplace For The Fashion Industry

socalTECH

How do you take an industry, the fashion industry, which is set in its old fashioned ways�even to the point of still wiring money through things like Western Union�and take it into the electronic age? We spoke with Cassie Betts , the founder of LA's District2 (www.district2.co), to learn District2 is looking to both create a marketplace, and a community, around independent fashion designers, helping them to find resources, vendors, factories, and contractors help them bring their designs to life

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Car Door Slam Or Spare Tire? Should Startups Build For Buyers Or Users?

InfoChachkie

A version of this article previously appeared Forbes. Car companies spend a significant amount of money on superficial design features, including the timbre of the sound emitted when a car door is shut. Why? Because many consumers value design features over those which impact performance. Even less time is spent on developing the aspects of a car that become evident long after the purchase is completed.

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A Five-Minute Tutorial On How To Value Your Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

As an entrepreneur looking for professional investors, one of the quickest ways to lose credibility and get rejected is to start with a ridiculously high pre-money valuation. I see it happen often in my angel investment group, and you can see it happen almost every week on the Shark Tank TV show. It’s like trying to sell a home still being built at next year’s dream market price.

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Can You Ask for Office Rent Relief? How to Manage Your Lease During COVID-19

Office leases are one of companies’ largest expenses, and if your whole team is working from home with no clear end in sight, you may be wondering what to do about your lease.

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4 Entrepreneurs Explain The Latest Advancements In Machine Learning

Tech Zulu Event

The machine revolution has begun, artificial intelligence is here. The latest advancements in machine learning look to transform whole industries, redefining the workforce and in many instances replacing human interactions. Seemingly human chatbots , designed to make people happier in China elicit responses of love and friendship. Mark Zuckerberg wants one in his home, a personal AI butler likened to Marvel’s Jarvis; a being that would not only control home lighting and ambiance, it would also a

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United Airlines Goes Green With Biofuel Use At LAX

socalTECH

United Airlines on Friday that it has become the first U.S. airline to begin use of commercial-scale volumes of sustainable aviation biofuel for regularly scheduled flights, through at effort at Los Angeles International Airport. United said the first flight, United Flight 708, between LAX and San Francisco, was entirely fueled by sustainable biofuel, and that it will be operating flights between LAX and SFO for the next two weeks entirely using that biofuel as part of the effort.

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6 Business Essentials To Keep Your Startup Thriving

Startup Professionals Musings

I’ve noticed a great tendency among startup founders to ignore the essentials of business accounting in the early stages of their startup. Just because you are not profitable yet, doesn’t mean you can skip the record keeping. In fact, just the opposite is true. When you anticipate losses for the first year or two, it is more important to properly document all expenses, including tricky ones like business travel, business meals, and your home office.

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Encouraging Company-Wide Productivity Without Micro-Managing

Tech Zulu Event

If you are a small business owner and are concerned about productivity, then you are not alone. The realities of modern technology have created a highly distracting environment for workers while making oversight more difficult for managers. A recent study found that 37 percent of employees constantly surf the internet while at work. That number may or may not surprise you based on your own experience.

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Amplify, MuckerLab, and TechStars Among Top Accelerators, Says Report

socalTECH

A project created to rank startup accelerators , has put three, Southern California startup accelerators among the top programs in the U.S. for startup accelerators, according to results released at SXSW over the weekend. The Seed Accelerator Rankings Project , created by Rice University professor Yael Hochberg, and University of North Carolina lecturer Susan Cohen, placed Amplify , MuckerLab , and TechStars --which has operated a number of startup accelerators in LA, including the Disney Accele

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Ace Metrix Weights In On Anti-Trump TV Ad Effectiveness

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based b> Ace Metrix , which provides measurement tools for video advertising, says that its analysis shows that heavy anti-Donald Trump TV ads are actually very effective at swaying Independent voters away from Donald Trump. The company--which typically applies its video ad analytics technology to figuring out which ads work best for commercial marketers--said the most effective video advertisement spot currently running is "TALK TALK TALK", an ad created by a Super PAC in favor of J

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Interview With Kevin Smith, SolarReserve

socalTECH

In the quest to find a cleaner source of electricity for the world's growing energy needs, and to help tackle growing climate change issues, there has been a lot of attention on solar energy. However, solar energy�by its nature�typically has only been useful on an intermittent basis, and, without energy storage, is difficult to manage and cannot be used at night.

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Ring Score $61.2M Funding Round For Home Security Expansion

socalTECH

Santa Monica-based Ring , the developer of the smartphone connected, video doorbell of the same name, has raised $61.2M in a big, Series C funding round this morning. The startup, led by Jamie Siminoff, said that the new funding round came from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sir Richard Branson. As part of the big funding round, Ring also said it has announced a new product, the Ring Video Doorbell Pro.

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WSJ Keeps Up Pressure On Honest Co.

socalTECH

The Wall Street Journal is keeping the pressure on Los Angeles-based Honest Co. , saying this morning that the company that makes Honest Co's laundry detergent, Earth Friendly Products , removed all of the claims that its laundry detergent was free of sodium laurel sulfate (SLS) last spring. The WSJ cited experts in the industry who said that the compound which Honest Co. says it uses instead of SLS, sodium coco sulfate (SCS), actually contains "a large amount of SLS", despite being made from co

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FloQast Finds $6.5M For Accounting Software

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based FloQast , a new software startup developing month-end closing software for accountants, has raised $6.5M in a Series A funding, the company said today. The funding was co-led by Polaris Partners and Toba Capital, and also included Amplify.LA, Wavemaker Partners, and Danmar Capital. Gary Swart of Polaris joins the company's board as part of the funding.

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Uber Launches Food Delivery Service In LA

socalTECH

Uber said today that it has lauched a new, stand-alone service, UberEATS , which will deliver food to users in the Los Angeles area, seven days a week, day and night. According to Uber, the new service is supported by its own, dedicated app, and also will offer up food delivery in Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, and Toronto, in addition to LA. Uber--which has been experimenting with the food delivery service in LA since the beginning of the year , said the new dedicated app comes as it has figu

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Transphorm Adds Distributors For Power Electronics

socalTECH

Goleta-based gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor developer Transphorm has added two new distributors, the company said this week, to carry its GaN power transistors and modules. Transphorm said it has added Rihardson Electronis and A/D Sales, to help extend channel support for its devices. Transphorm develops high efficiency power conversion devices, which are used for power inverters, power supplies, and other similar uses.

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Green Dot, Uber Link On Uber Checking Account

socalTECH

Pasadena-based Green Dot and on-demand ride service Uber have teamed up to provide Uber drivers with their own, business checking account, the two companies said this morning. According to the two, the new Uber Checking by GoBank will allow Uber's driver-partners to get their pay deposited into their own business checking account. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

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Machinima, FTC Settle Over Paid Influencers

socalTECH

The Federal Trade Commission said Thursday that it has approved a final consent order with Machinima , over the MCN's use of paid campaigns to pay influencers to post YouTube videso and product endorsements as part of an "influencer campaign". The FTC said the settlement prohibits Machinima from misrepresenting that any influencer is an independent user of its product or service, and also requires Machinima to educate its influencers on those requirements.

Education 109
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Fullscreen Acquires StageBloc

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Fullscreen has acquired engagement marketing software and technology developer StageBloc , and will rename it Fullscreen Direct , the company said Thursday. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. StageBloc was based in Chicago, and offered up online tools that help musicians, artists, and influencers engage with their fans, send emails, post content, sell tickets, and otherwise interact with their fans.

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Snapchat Names Former Pandora CTO As VP

socalTECH

Venice-based Snapchat has named Tom Conrad, the former CTO of Pandora, as its new VP of Product, the company disclosed on Wednesday. Conrad--who is based in the Bay Area--was CTO at Pandora between 2004 and 2014. He also served at Kenamea, Pets.com, Documentum/Relevance, Berkeley Systems, and Apple Computer. READ MORE>>.

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Startup Weekend Ventura County Winner Gets $10,000

socalTECH

Camarillo-based Semtech , which manufactures analog and mixed-sginal semiconductors, says the winner of the recent Startup Weekend Ventura County event, which was held in Camarillo last weekend, has been awarded $10,000 in seed funding. Semtech said the $10,000 in seed funding went to one of the teams, which competed at Rancho Campana High School, to create a new product in the areas of agriculture and medicine.

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Qualcomm Names CIO

socalTECH

San Diego-based Qualcomm has appointed a new Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, the company said this morning. Qualcomms aid that it has named Mary Gendron as its new CIO, to lead the company's IT operation. Gendron was previously SVP and CIO at Hospira, and also has served at Celestica International, The Nielsen Company, Motorola and Bell Canada.

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Fandango Launching Video-On-Demand Service

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Fandango , the online movie ticketing and information services, said Tuesday that it will launch its own, premium on-demand video service, FandangoNOW , on March 30th. The company said the new service will offer up both new and catalog movies from all of the major studios, along with TV shows, for purchase or rental. The new service comes thanks to the company's acquisition of M-GO , the on-demand movie service which was backed by Technicolor and DreamWorks Animation, back in J

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Black Diamond Ventures Adds Managing Partner

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based investor Black Diamond Ventures said today that it has named John Kispert as a Managing Partner at the company. Kispert was most recently CEO of Spansion, and also served at KLA-Tencor and IBM, and also sits on the boards of Cypress Semiconductors, Gigamon Inc., Extreme Networks, TriNet and Tela Innovations. Black Diamond's portfolio includes Avinger, Liquidspace, NEI, Obalon, and Tela Innovations, as well as embattled biotech Theranos.

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Ixia Eyes Cybersecurity Market

socalTECH

Calabasas-based Ixia is making a push into the cybersecurity and security market, saying that it is working with a number of security providers on building and deploying the company's products. The company said its products are being used to find and eliminate network vulnerabilities with such companies as Cisco, FireEye, Fortinet, HPE Security, Imperva, Intel Security, LogRhythm, Radware, Savvius and Vectra, along with others.

Marketing 109
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Navitas Launches Gallium Nitride ICs For Power Conversion Market

socalTECH

El Segundo-based Navitas Semiconductor announced the launch of its first product this morning, a new Gallium Nitride (GaN) power IC, aimed at the power electronics market. According to Navitas, its new GaN power FETs are aimed at use in such devies as smartphone and laptop chargers, OLED TVs, LED lighting, solar inverters, wireless charging devices and datacenters.

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ImmunogenX Acquires Alvine Pharmaceuticals

socalTECH

Newport Beach-based ImmunogenX , which develops treatments for the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune and gastrointestinal diseases like celiac disease, said late Tuesday that it has acquired the assets of Alvine Pharmaceuticals. Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced by the company. ImmunogenX said it acquired the non-cash assets of Alvine Pharmaceutiacls, including Latiglutenase, a candidate for treating celiac disease.

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Verizon Digital Media Acquires Volicon

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based content delivery network provider Verizon Digital Media Services --which is better known to locals as the former operations of EdgeCast--said it has agreed to acquire Volicon , a provider of video capture, archival, compliance monitoring and clip creation workflow for broadcasters. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

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Tesla To Launch Model M3 In Los Angeles On March 31st

socalTECH

Tesla Motors is getting set to launch its newest model--the mass market, Model 3--at an event on March 31st in Los Angeles, in what is expected to be watershed moment for the electric car company. Tesla's new Model 3 is the first, mass market electric vehicle from Tesla, which until now has been only providing high end, luxury vehicles to the market.

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Wag Expands To Austin

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based on-demand, dog walking marketplace Wag! , which was founded by Jason Meltzer and Josh Viner, said today that it has expanded to Austin, to coincide with the SXSW tech gathering in that city this week. The startup says that Austin is the eighth city it has launched in so far. Wag currently also serves Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, Chicago, Orange County and San Diego.

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Numecent Aims New Product At Enterprise, Inks Distributor In Japan

socalTECH

Irvine-based cloud software developer Numecent said today that it has launched a new product aimed at the enterprise, and inked a distribution partnership in Japan. The new enterprise offering, Cloudpaging for Enterprise, is aimed at helping enterprise organizations with a way to deliver cloud applications to end user through a "self-service app store".

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EcoATM's Parent, Outerwall, Seeks Buyer

socalTECH

Outerwall , the parent company of San Diego-based cellphone recycling kiosk operator EcoATM , said late Monday that it has hired an investment banker, and is now looking at "strategic alternatives". Outerwall, which also owns Redbox and Coinstar, said that it has hired Morgan Stanley and Perkins Coie to help it to "explore strategic and financial alternatives" -- including a sale of the company -- as a crisis at the company has deepened.

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Linksys Adds Clustering Wireless Access Points

socalTECH

Playa Vista-based networking products developer Linksys has rolled out a new line of wireless access points, which can be clustered together and managed through a single interface. Linksys said the new feature--aimed at small businesses--is available across its entire line of Linksys business wireless-ac access points, through a firmware upgrade. Linksys said the new feature lets administrators manage up to 16 APs through a single interface, with changes automatically being pushed to all of the

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Newegg Expands In Canada

socalTECH

City of Industry-based Newegg , the online electronics retailer, said today that it has opened up a new "Pick-up Centre" in Vancouver, which will allow its customers to pick up orders at its new Vancouver warehouse. Newegg said the new center allows its customers with same day pickup of products ordered on the site. Newegg opened up its warehouse in Richmond, British Columbia, six months ago.

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EDF Renewable Energy Sells 50 Percent Of Two Wind Projects To BlackRock

socalTECH

San Diego-based renewable energy developer EDF Renewable Energy said Tuesday that it has sold a 50 percent interest in two, New Mexico wind projects, to private equity investor Blackrock Infrastructure. The two projects are its 250 megawatt Roosevelt Wind Project and 49.65 MW Milo Wind Project, both of which are located in Roosevelt County, New Mexico.

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Advanced Scientific Concepts Sells Off Division To Continental AG

socalTECH

Santa Barbara-based Advanced Scientific Concepts has sold off its ASCar Division, which develops LIDAR systems for the automotive industry, to Continental AG , the company said Monday. Financial terms of the sale were not announced. Advanced Scientific Concepts (ASC) said that Continental plans to mass product flash LIDARs for the commercial automotive industry.