Sat.Apr 07, 2012 - Fri.Apr 13, 2012

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Kuapay Takes On Mobile Payments, Loyalty With $2M

socalTECH

Santa Monica-based Kuapay , a new startup aiming at the mobile payments and loyalty markets, has scored $2M in funding, the firm has disclosed. The startup is headed by Joaquin Ayuso de Paul, one of the angel investors in Border Stylo and co-founder of Spanish social network Tuenti.com (acquired by Telefonica). According to Kuapay, the firm's mobile apps run on iPhone, Android, and Blackberry, and allow users to make credit card purchases with their smartphone, by linking with existing point of

Mobile 244
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Entrepreneurship Is A Compulsion, Not A Choice

InfoChachkie

This entry originally appeared at Live Your Legend. “It is difficult to see the picture when you are inside the frame.”. Eugene Kleiner, Co-founder Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers. A small percentage of people in each free-market society generate the jobs for everyone else. These entrepreneurs do not risk everything, work outrageous hours and put themselves under extreme pressure because they want to.

Startup 243
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The Popularization of Analytics via the Cloud: Theme of Cloud Analytics Summit, April 25

Technology Council

By Jeffrey M. Kaplan As a follow-up to Greg Sikes’ blogpost entitled, “Deep Analytics Become More Relevant In Daily Life”, on March 21, I’d like to suggest that the pervasive nature of today’s powerful new forms of analytics can be found everywhere in our day-to-day lives, ranging from fantasy sports teams to smartphone apps which [.].

Software 138
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Semiconductor Technologies and Medical Devices

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, April 19, 2012 -- Semiconductor Technologies and Medical Devices. OCTANe. Today's medical devices are more than just advanced materials and exotic metals. Semiconductor technology is now found in many of the cutting-edge medical devices that are being developed or entering the market. This OCTANe Innovation Series program will feature representatives from many of the companies that are aggressively pushing the high-tech innovations in the future of medical devices.

OCTANE 113
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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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Interview with Wade Eyerly, SurfAir

socalTECH

One of the most original, subscription startups to come out of Southern California's tech accelerator boom emerged last week, looking to disrupt not just another retail sector or e-commerce category, but something else entirely: the airline industry. Surf Air (www.surfair.com), launching out of the Muckerlab startup accelerator in Santa Monica, is looking to create a new way of flying, taking aviation and combining it with the subscription model.

Startup 240
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10 Ways Successful Entrepreneurs Beat the Odds

Startup Professionals Musings

Did you ever wonder why some entrepreneurs always seem to have all the luck and success, while others never seem to catch a break? As an Angel investor, I quickly learned that luck has very little to do with it, and I now look for some personal characteristics and leadership styles that separate the potential winners from the losers. These differences are the reason that investors say that they invest in people, rather than ideas.

More Trending

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These Companies Rock! Music+Tech+Entrepreneurship

SoCal Tech Calendar

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 -- The MIT Enterprise Forum of the Central Coast presents: These Companies Rock! Music+Tech+Entrepreneurship= Success. On Wednesday, April 18, the MIT Central Coast Enterprise Forum will feature a panel of entrepreneurs who have built successful businesses around their passion for music and technology. Mike Wald from local hot start-up Oniracom will talk about the company's management of some of the world's most successful entertainment properties including Jack Johnson

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Report: Los Angeles Ranks Sixth In Active Startup Ecosystems

socalTECH

A new report this week from the Startup Genome Project has ranked Los Angeles as number six in a list of the world's most active startup ecosystems. The report, which used data from the Startup Genome's benchmarking tool to rank startup performance, found that Silicon Valley topped the list, followed by New York City, London, Toronto, and Tel Aviv. Los Angeles beat other startup hubs such as Seattle, Boston, and Mumbai in the rankings.

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Why Being a Successful Entrepreneur Takes Practice

Startup Professionals Musings

Entrepreneurs seem more quickly frustrated these days when their “million-dollar idea” doesn’t turn into a sustainable business overnight. They don’t realize that it takes many skills to build a business under the best of circumstances, and today’s world of instant gratification doesn’t leave room for the patience and practice to develop these skills.

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UCLA 48hr Startup | Catch It Live On TechZulu

Tech Zulu Event

This weekend UCLA has put together 48hr Startup and TechZulu will be there to bring you all the final startup presentations live. UCLA 48hr Startup brings together people with technical, design or business background to share ideas, form teams, build products and launch startups. Although put together by UCLA its not just a UCLA Student event. They have completely opened this up to the public and are encouraging local entrepreneurs and startup enthusiast to participate and join in on the Sta

UCLA 87
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Concentrating Solar Thermal Power 2012

SoCal Tech Calendar

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 -- Concentrating Solar Thermal Power 2012 will bring together over 150 solar experts to discuss the latest on utility scale solar, large-scale project updates on Solana, Mojave, Genesis, Ivanpah and Crescent Dunesfrom the project developers themselves, the value of thermal storage at all stages of implementation and the latest technological advances.

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Postcard on the Run Links With Hotel Group

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Postcard on the Run , the mobile app startup which allows users to take a photo on their smartphone and turn that into a real, physical postcard, has inked a partnership with a hotel and resort operator. According to the Viceroy Hotel Group , which operates hotels and resorts in Abu Dhabi, Anguilla, Beverly Hills, Miami, New York, Palm Springs, Riviera Maya, Santa Monica, Snowmass, St.

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Pull Investors to Your Business Plan With a Summary

Startup Professionals Musings

Modern investors love to first read a two-page summary of your business plan, formatted like a glossy marketing collateral sheet, with text well laid out in columns and sidebars, and a couple of relevant graphics. This one had better grab their attention, or they won’t look further. You may have already found several articles, web pages, or books about writing the perfect executive summary.

Summary 97
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7 Facts You Need to Know When Creating a Mobile App

Tech Zulu Event

All you hear about these days is Mobile. Companies are spending more time and money on their mobile sites than their full-fledged website. It’s hard to even watch a TV commercial without some sort of mobile app shout out. You read in newspapers that app downloads hit an all-time high, nearly every week (now at 1 billion in a week iOS + Android). Yet did you know that only 38% of adult Americans even have a smart phone?

Mobile 82
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Opportunities in Mobile Space

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 -- Opportunities in Mobile Space: Networking and Panel discussion. LAVA. The mobile communicating infrastructure including digital telephony and data exchange coupled with steep innovation in handheld smartphone and data exchange devices has fueled an exponentially growing marketplace of mobile services for consumers and businesses.

Mobile 113
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Interview with Neel Grover, Buy.com

socalTECH

It's been almost two years since Aliso Viejo-based Buy.com was acquired by Japanese ecommerce giant Rakuten. How has that affected the company--both in culture, as well as a business? We caught up with Neel Grover , CEO and President of the firm, to hear a bit more about life and changes under Rakuten. How has life under Rakuten been? Neel Grover: It's been great.

Sites 210
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Today Startups Can Win Customers From Big Business

Startup Professionals Musings

You can’t succeed in your new startup if you can’t win customers, and the new Internet-empowered customers are tough. They are in control, and they no longer care where or from whom they buy, so here is your chance to win. They do have a specific purchase progression with key milestone moments that determine your win or loss outcome in every transaction.

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The first ten seconds of a job interview – The Caveman Brain

Alon Schwartz

Intro. In my previous blog post Do’s and Don’ts of a Job Interview I described the importance of the first ten seconds of a job interview from the interviewee’s standpoint. In this post I will dive into the importance, limitations and traps of the first ten seconds, but focus instead on the interviewer’s standpoint. The Caveman Brain. Have you ever noticed that when you talk with people you have never met on the phone, you always try to picture what they look like?

Course 74
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Marketing Me: Strategies for Success

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 -- Marketing Me: Strategies for Success. Broads Circle. Join us for this hands-on workshop to create your strategy for success. Our keynote speaker will provide an update on the status of women in the workplace and valuable advice on overcoming obstacles. Learn which key attributes corporate boards look for when selecting members.

Marketing 113
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Punchcard Launches Business Analytics Product

socalTECH

Pasadena-based Punchcard , the Idealab startup developing mobile apps to encourage customer loyalty at retail businesses, announced today that it has launched a new product, Punchcard for Business. The firm said the new software helps local merchants gain insights into customer purchasing behavior, and the ability to push offers to consumers' smart phones via its app.

Product 210
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Flowtab | Your Mobile Bartender

Tech Zulu Event

Have you ever found yourself standing in a crowded bar during happy hour, waiting for what seems like hours to get a drink or food? Don’t feel bad, we’ve all been there before. You stand around hoping to catch the bartenders attention. When you finally do, you order up your round and snacks. Then you get to think about starting a tab or cashing out?

Mobile 49
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Interesting Interview Of Phil Libin, CEO Evernote

CEO Flow

Adam Bryan published a really interesting interview in the NYT of Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, who has some interesting culture practices. Read on! Q. So tell me something about your culture. A. We recently implemented something called Evernote Officer Training. I got this idea from a friend who served on a Trident nuclear submarine. He said [.

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Social Media School

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 -- Social Media School. Social Media School is in session. This is the beginners class. We will teach you how to maximize Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader, Pinterest, Evernote, Tumblr and all emerging platforms in your personal and professional life. We will teach you how to manage the information through one platform and distribute it via the same channels.

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iStoryTime Taps Apple Vet For Creative Head

socalTECH

Santa Barbara-based zuuka , the publisher of the iStoryTime interactive kids books and educational applications, has tapped an Apple vet for its new Creative Director, the company said today. The company said it has hired Paul Mueller-Bruehl to head up its design department. Mueller-Bruehl was previously Design Lead, Mobile Commerce at Apple, and had also served at Sapient. iStoryTime is the publisher of a number of kids' iPhone titles, including Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, P

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Google Analytics for Hiring?

Steve Reich

You are fanatical about metrics for your online business. You A-B test everything. You study metrics and user behavior. The consumer’s every move across your site, your mobile ap, and your marketing campaigns is tracked and analyzed. Can you say the same for hiring? If you are like most of us, the answer is no. We use headhunters. We ask friends and colleagues.

Google 45
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How to Help Your Startup Qualify for a Bank Loan

Startup Professionals Musings

A common question I get is “How do I get a bank loan to fund my startup?” The default answer is that it probably won’t happen, because most banks just don’t make bank loans to startups. The failure rate is just too high, and startups typically don’t have the assets or revenue stream to back up the loan. That’s why Angel investors are so sought after by entrepreneurs.

Startup 93
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ProVisors Technology Industry Group

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 -- ProVisors Technology Industry Group. The group's mission is to provide a networking, educational, and referral driven forum to one another through personal knowledge and expertise in the Technology sector. The group's intent is to be purposeful and accountable, in forming relationships and driving business to other group members who are trusted professional advisors working primarily with companies in the technology sector.

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StorageDNA Power James Cameron Project

socalTECH

Irvine-based StorageDNA , the provider of storage and archiving products, reported today that its products have been selected for use in James Cameron's DEEPSEA CHALLENGE project. Financial impact of the win was not disclosed. StorageDNA said its product will be used for archive workflow for LTO-5 backup of data of Cameron's dive to the Mariana Trench, as part of the setup for production firm Digital Pictures.

Report 200
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Making a Little Noise On SocalTech

Steve Reich

SocalTech, my favorite source of news on the local community, gave me a little coverage. You can see it here: [link].

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AnyMeeting Offers Free Accounts to SoCal Startups

socalTECH

Local startup AnyMeeting is looking to help fellow Southern California startups out, saying this morning that it will provide free, one-year accounts to its premium, ad-free service to any employee of companies within select Los Angeles area incubators and accelerators. AnyMeeting said it will offer the accounts to participants in the Launchpad LA , MuckerLab , Amplify LA , Science , Start Engine , K5 Launch and LA Cleantech Incubator , as part of an effort to help support the local Southern Cal

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Esri Launches ArcGIS App On Kindle Fire

socalTECH

Redlands-based Esri , the developer of geographical information system (GIS) mapping software, released a new version of its software for the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet and other Android devices. According to Esri, its ArcGIS for Android allows users to access and edit Esri maps on the mobile devices. The new app is free, but requires users also have an ArcGIS system.

Mobile 180
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Klout Dangles Free Volt Loan To LA Residents

socalTECH

In a marketing campaign to get people drivin the Chevrolet Volt , online "influencer" site Klout said yesterday that it has kicked off a campaign which will give influential social media users a free, three day loan on a Volt. According to Chevrolet and Klout, it is giving users with a Klout score of 50 or better, living within 30 miles of Los Angeles and several other major cities access to a three day loan on the Volt.

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PayDragon Takes On Mobile Payments

socalTECH

Looking to make it easier to pay for local items using their mobile phone, Los Angeles-based PayDragon said today that it has launched its mobile purchasing app in Los Angeles. The startup--headed by Hamilton Chan, and the team behind Paperlinks--said that LA food trucks The Bun Truck, CambalaCHE's, Auntie's Fry Bread, Chunk n Chip, The Grill Sergeant, The Wien, and Rounds Premium Burgers, along with dessert and sweets chain Beard Papa, are now using the firm's app to allow users to pay for thei

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Insights and Opinions: The Key to Success with Angel Investors

socalTECH

What's the best way to connect with an angel investor, and how do you get them to pay attention to your company? Steve Reich , a Southern California entrepreneur and investor, says it's all about one thing: respecting their culture. In the latest contribution to our Insights and Opinions section, where we feature editorials and advice from the community, Steve talks about the key to success with angel investors : We are all trained to be sensitive to other cultures, but tend to forget those less

Angel 165
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Amgen Buys KAI Pharmaceuticals

socalTECH

Thousand Oaks-based biotech giant Amgen said this morning that it has agreed to buy KAI Pharmaceuticals , a developer of treatments for secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are on dialysis, for $315M in cash. KAI Pharmaceuticals is based in South San Francisco. Amgen said it gains worldwide rights to KAI's lead compound, excluding Japan.

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CapLinked Dangles 50GB Free Storage For Members

socalTECH

Manhattan Beach-based CapLinked , the provider of a cloud-based service for managing fundraising by private companies, is dangling 50GB of free storage to members--if they invite 10 or more people to the site. The firm said that its storage service allows users to store all of their important files, and share them with their own company or others. CapLinked, run by Eric M.