StartUp Beat

-Google and eSolar Team Up for Solar Energy – This week, Google announced that it would head-up a major initiative to develop and promote cheap renewable energy sources, with Pasadena’s eSolar being one of the first companies getting funding through the project.  eSolar is an IdeaLab startup that makes solar thermal plants based on heliostat technology.  In a nutshell, heliostat design utilizes an array of flat mirrors that gathers and directs sunlight onto a water tower.  The water then boils into steam, which turns a turbine to make electricity.  IdeaLab founder Bill Gross serves as eSolar’s chairman.  More on the Google initiative: Two Google efforts - solar thermal and high-altitude wind

-Evolution Robotics Supports Robot Hobbyist – Here’s a feel-good story for the end of the week that also illustrates some of the amazing technologies being built by robotics developers, led by Pasadena-based Evolution Robotics (also an IdeaLab startup): Robot Contest Winner Gets Surprise Bonus from Evolution Robotics  

Posted by startupbeat at 08:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/29/07 – Los Angeles-based Language Weaver, developer of software for automatic language translation, and across Systems GmbH, a provider of corporate translation management systems, have announced the joint development of a specially-priced, bundled software package that will support German/English translation of documents in industrial manufacturing.  The companies say the translation management software bundle can deliver translation productivity increases for companies operating in mechanical engineering, construction, automotive manufacturing and plant construction industries.

The focus of the combined Language Weaver and across bundle is to translate online help texts, printed service manuals and marketing materials into multiple languages for businesses that operate internationally. 

The companies, which first announced their partnership in late June, claim their collaboration marks the first time that two vendors have worked together to develop an integrated solution providing all translation approaches—human translation supported by translation memories on the one hand and automated machine translation on the other—for multiple companies in similar industries, simultaneously.

Language Weaver and across expect to have the product ready for general delivery in early 2008.  It will be marketed by across Systems internationally.  The companies also say they plan to develop additional software packages for other domains and additional languages, to be introduced over the next year.

Language Weaver says its statistical machine translation software offers an established solution and a departure from traditional complex, linguistics rule-based machine translation by producing fluent, natural sounding translations based on what it calls “statistical likelihoods.” 

The software is able to learn automatically from existing translated documents to produce what Language Weaver calls the “highest probability translation output,” potentially saving customers time and money by automating the process of translating new documents, according to Language Weaver.

The company was founded in 2002 and is based on research and development done at the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute.  It claims it has more than 50 patents pending on its technology.  It also operates a subsidiary user-generated news web site, called Kontrib, which uses Language Weaver’s technology to automatically translate stories that are originally posted in multiple languages.

The company is backed by Palisades Ventures, the Tech Coast Angels and the Athenaeum Fund.

Language Weaver – www.languageweaver.com

Posted by startupbeat at 08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

-Inphi Named as Finalist for ‘Most Respected Fabless Company’ Designation – Inphi, the Westlake Village-based developer of integrated circuits for processing high-speed data in computing and communications systems, has been named one of three finalists for the FSA’s “Most Respected Private Fabless Company” award.  FSA is a semiconductor industry association that calls itself “the voice” of the global fabless business model.  The group gave Inphi its “Outstanding Financial Performance” award back in 2006.  Here’s more on the announcement: Inphi Corporation Named as One of Three Finalists by FSA as the Most Respected Private Fabless Company

Posted by startupbeat at 08:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/28/07 – Irvine-based Integrien, the provider of integrity management solutions for businesses, today announced that it will release a new set of algorithms that it says will drive future versions of its flagship IT intelligence solution offering, called Alive.

Integrien says it has enhanced the algorithms that power Alive’s Dynamic Thresholding and Problem Fingerprint capabilities.  Currently used to eliminate the manual processes associated with setting static thresholds, Integrien says the Dynamic Thresholding algorithm now includes both clustering and change detection mechanisms.

The new features will allow users to determine the appropriate upper and lower boundaries of a metric, as well as identify and adapt to an abnormality in affected systems, which greatly decreases the time allocated to detecting and preventing problems, the company says.

Integrien has also developed three new algorithms which will be available in future versions of Alive that further enhance the software’s advanced predictable operation and problem prevention capabilities.  One of these is Alive’s Anomaly Detection algorithm, which is able to determine out-of-normal behavior while simultaneously resolving issues with non-stationarity and data churn of network type data.  This technology allows for better data analysis to predict irregular events while optimizing for reduced false-positive and false-negative alerts, according to Integrien.

In addition, Integrien says its newly established, highly-scalable Data and Alarm Correlators significantly reduce problem alerts and provide added insight into the relationships that occur between various devices and conditions upon which business systems rely.

These new and enhanced algorithms and features will be available in forthcoming versions of Integrien Alive later this year, the company says.

Integrien was founded in 2001, and is backed by Clearstone Venture Partners and Acartha Group.

Integrien – www.integrien.com

Posted by startupbeat at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

-EI Solutions Completes Construction on Solar Facility – Pasadena-based EI Solutions, the systems integration arm of Energy Innovations, has announced that it has completed construction of the main portion of the Pacific Northwest’s largest solar-powered generating facility for Puget Sound Energy in central Washington.  Here’s more on the announcement: EI Solutions Powers on the Largest Solar Facility in the Pacific Northwest

-Metabeam CEO Joins Board of DVD Developer Association – Chris Brown, CEO of Manhattan Beach-based Metabeam, which develops home entertainment technologies for movie studios, digital content creators and digital artists, has been voted onto the board of directors of the DVD Association.  Here's a link to more details of the appointment: METABEAM CEO Chris Brown Unanimously Voted to Board of Directors of Prestigious DVD Association

Posted by startupbeat at 09:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/27/07 – Westlake Village-based Xirrus, the provider of high-performance, long-range wi-fi products, has made available the first of what it says is a series of free wi-fi gadgets for Windows Vista.  “Gadgets” are mini-applications that run on the Vista desktop and provide easy access to commonly used information and tools.  Xirrus’s Wi-Fi Monitor gadget provides “at a glance” access to information about wi-fi adapters, connections, and the surrounding environment.  The company says it is intended for both IT managers and end users deploying and operating wi-fi in their networks.

Xirrus has made the Wi-Fi Monitor gadget available as a free download from its web site on the “Cool Tools” page and from the Microsoft Windows Live Gallery.

Xirrus has been one of the most active companies in the region in terms of partnerships and major deployments of its Wi-Fi Arrays.  It most recently partnered with Carnegie Mellon University to develop and test advanced wi-fi technologies.

The company was founded in 2004 by former Xircom executives and is backed by U.S. Venture Partners and August Capital.

Xirrus – www.xirrus.com

Posted by startupbeat at 08:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

-Helio Adds TV Guide – Westwood-based mobile virtual network operator Helio has partnered with Gemstar-TV Guide International to make a downloadable mobile TV Guide application available to subscribers. TV Guide Lands on Helio Mobile Phones

-Fulcrum Microsystems Selects Spirent for Testing – Fulcrum Microsystems, the Calabasas-based fabless semiconductor company, has selected Spirent’s TestCenter system for testing of its new FocalPoint FM4000 router chip family.  More on the partnership: Fulcrum Microsystems Selects Spirent TestCenter for 10-Gigabit Ethernet Testing

Posted by startupbeat at 08:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/26/07 – Tarzana-based DigiContractor, which developed the industry’s first photo measuring software, has released a new version of its iPhotoMEASURE software.  The company says this version includes several new features, like multiple depth capability for 3-D dimensioning.

iPhotoMEASURE allows professionals and do-it-yourselfers to measure objects that would otherwise be too difficult, too dangerous or too far away.  The company says the user takes a picture of the area, room or object to be measured, the digital photo is then transferred to their computer and opened with iPhotoMEASURE, and with a click of the mouse, any distance within the picture can be measured to within 99.5 percent accuracy.

In addition to 3-D capabilities, DigiContractor says iPhotoMEASURE 3.0 also offers the ability to measure multiple planes and fields within a single photo, the capability to measure planes at an angle, circle and rectangular measurement, automatic field recognition and improved print capabilities.

DigiContractor recently made iPhotoMEASURE available free of charge to victims of the California wildfires.  The company was founded in 2004 by Paul Minor, a contractor and entrepreneur.

DigiContractor/iPhotoMeasure – www.iphotomeasure.com

Posted by startupbeat at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/26/07 – LeadPoint, the Los Angeles-based online leads exchange marketplace, has partnered with Debt.com to power the site’s lead generation platform.

The companies say that the new feature will allow debt settlement companies to bid on pre-qualified leads through a Debt.com branded version of the LeadPoint leads exchange.  As a result, debt settlement companies will be able to bid on leads specifically generated by Debt.com lead generation activities, specifying the exact price they’re willing to pay for each lead, all without long term commitments to volume or pricing.

Debt.com says its free referral service links consumers to financial service providers nationwide that focus on four major categories of debt—credit card, mortgage, student loans and IRS taxes.  Debt.com assists consumers by immediately directing them to lenders that can help them with debt management and consolidation.

LeadPoint operates numerous lead generation verticals including consumer lending, consumer credit and business services.  It claims that more than 2.4 million leads have been traded though its service to date.

LeadPoint was founded in 2004 and is backed by Redpoint Ventures and European Founders Fund.

LeadPoint – www.leadpoint.com

Posted by startupbeat at 08:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/21/07 – Manhattan Beach-based Metabeam, developer of home entertainment technologies for movie studios, digital content creators and digital artists, announced today that it will join the NetBlender Blend/In developer partnership program to create network-enabled modules for DoStudio MX, the industry-first visual authoring tool for HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs. 

Metabeam says its modules will automate several authoring tasks, including “Beam,” a first-of-its-kind integration that will enable content producers to distribute mobile content to viewers, as well as letting viewers send video clips to their mobile device from an HD-DVD menu.

Metabeam delivers social media applications and networked entertainment technology to digital media artists through products like its Metamenu solution.  The company says Metamenu is currently featured on HD-DVD and Blu-ray movie titles that include including “Crash,” “Lord of War,” “The Punisher,” “Saw” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”

Metabeam was founded in 2005 and has an office in Seattle in addition to its Manhattan Beach headquarters.

Metabeam – www.metabeam.com

Posted by startupbeat at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/20/07 – DomainSponsor, the domain monetization business of Los Angeles-based Oversee.net, today announced that John Battelle, the best selling author and founder of Federated Media, and Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmond Hillary and adventurer, will be keynote speakers at the company’s second annual DOMAINfest Global event in January.

DOMAINfest is a two-day regional seminar and networking event created specifically to respond to the needs of domainers—those who deal in the acquisition and sale of domain names.  The show will take place in Hollywood from January 21-to-23. 

DomainSponsor says DOMAINfest will also feature Frank Schilling, one of the world’s most famous domainers, to host the conference’s first “Domainer Town Hall.”  In addition, the company says two SnapNames Live domain auctions are scheduled for the event.  SnapNames Live is a new live auction system for premium domains recently developed by SnapNames, another domain name acquisition subsidiary of Oversee.net. 

Oversee also offers marketing services in specific vertical markets, including mortgages and travel through its subsidiaries Low.com and Lowfares.com.  The company is headquartered in downtown L.A., with offices in Portland, Ore., and San Mateo, Calif.

Oversee.net – www.oversee.net 

DOMAINfest – www.domainfest.com

DomainSponsor – www.domainsponsor.com

Posted by startupbeat at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Helio Releases File Viewer for Ocean – In addition to its across-the-board price cut for phones, the mobile blogs are buzzing about a new file and document viewer that Westwood-based mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, Helio has made available for its Ocean dual-slider phone.  Here’s more on MobileBurn.com: Helio File Viewer Now Available for Ocean Users

Posted by startupbeat at 09:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/19/07 – Desktop Factory, a Pasadena-based IdeaLab startup that develops lower-cost desktop 3D printers, has announced that it has been selected as a winner of a 2007 ‘Best of What’s New’ award from Popular Science magazine in the ‘Home Tech’ category.

The company has developed a 3D printer that is considerably smaller and more affordable than the large, expensive 3D printers that have existed to this point.  Desktop Factory says its printer, currently in beta with initial shipments planned for 2008, is about the same size as early laser printers, measuring approximately 25 x 20 x 20 inches and weighing less than 90 pounds.  The company also touts the fact that the printer can be plugged into standard wall outlets, is fully network compatible, requires no special ventilation, and uses an inexpensive halogen light source and drum printing technology to build its parts layer by layer using low-cost composite plastic powder. 

Desktop Factory recently announced that it is taking pre-orders for its printer.

The company was founded in 2004.

Desktop Factory – www.desktopfactory.com

Posted by startupbeat at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/19/2007 – Santa Monica-based wi-fi hotspot network operator Boingo Wireless has signed a roaming agreement with Golden Telecom, the leading provider of integrated communication and Internet services in Russia.  Through the agreement, Boingo will add Golden’s wi-fi network, which it claims is the largest metropolitan wireless network in the world, to the Boingo Roaming System for customers.

The deal marks Boingo’s first expansion into Russia.  The company says the network gives Boingo blanket coverage of Moscow through more than 7,500 wi-fi access points integrated into a single network.

Boingo was founded in 2001 by EarthLink and Helio founder Sky Dayton.

Boingo Wireless - www.boingo.com

Posted by startupbeat at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Helio Cuts Prices – Westwood-based MVNO Helio is apparently cutting the prices for its mobile devices across the board by $50.  Here’s more from Mobile Mag.com: Helio Cuts All Phone Prices By $50

Posted by startupbeat at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/16/07 – Marina Del Rey-based BiggerBoat.com, a search and discovery engine for entertainment, has launched an interactive vertical advertising network.  The company says the BiggerBoat Entertainment Advertising Network will reach more than 15 million monthly unique users across a network of entertainment web sites.  BiggerBoat will use its proprietary AdMatch targeting platform to automatically place an advertisement next to and within the movies, music, TV shows, video games, and celebrity information that best resonates with the brand’s image, according to the company.

The new ad network is based on BiggerBoat’s proprietary searchable index of entertainment information and users’ entertainment consumption preferences. The company says the rich media result enhances each brand’s positioning with 15 million users as they seek out specific albums, movies, artists, actors and other entertainment across a network of leading web sites.

BiggerBoat was founded in 2003 and has received funding from Zone Ventures, First Round Capital and Draper Associates.

BiggerBoat – www.biggerboat.com

Posted by startupbeat at 06:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/16/07 – The Santa Monica-based X PRIZE Foundation has named Arianna Huffington and Will Wright to its board of trustees.  X PRIZE creates and manages prizes focused on using technology to solve challenges in areas like space, travel and genomics.  Until recently, its best known project was its $10 million Ansari X PRIZE, which resulted in the world’s first private vehicle to fly into space twice within two weeks.  Over the summer, the Foundation announced the launch of the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE, focused on landing a privately-built explorer on the Moon.  X PRIZE has also launched the $10 million Archon X PRIZE for genomics.

Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a news and blog source on the Internet focused on politics, as well as the author of 11 books.  Wright is a globally recognized leader and innovator in interactive entertainment and EA’s chief designer behind the blockbuster game franchises “SimCity,” “The Sims,” and the soon-to-be-released universe simulator called “Spore.”

The Foundation’s Board of Trustees is comprised of an eclectic group of over twenty individuals, including inventor Dean Kamen, geneticist J. Craig Venter, PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, artificial intelligence expert Ray Kurzweil, first female private space explorer Anousheh Ansari, and Google co-founder Larry Page. X PRIZE says the Board’s guidance is essential in exploring new industries where the Foundation can have a significant impact by creating innovative, high-profile competitions that motivate individuals across all boundaries to solve grand challenges.

X PRIZE – www.xprize.com

Posted by startupbeat at 06:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/15/07 – Westlake Village-based Xirrus, the provider of high-performance, long-range wi-fi products, has partnered with Carnegie Mellon University to develop advanced wi-fi applications, to test its new high capacity 802.11n capable Wi-Fi Array, and to deploy a large quantity of Xirrus 802.11abgn Wi-Fi Arrays on the university’s campus as part of its campus-wide upgrade project.

Xirrus will open up its Linux-based Wi-Fi Array Operating System, or ArrayOS, to Carnegie Mellon and participate in co-development of advanced features and applications that include services such as device and network management, roaming pattern analysis, and usage pattern analysis.

As a result of the partnership, Xirrus says that Carnegie Mellon will be one of the first beta program participants of the new Xirrus 802.11n wi-fi protocol and will play an active role in executing real world tests of the new 802.11abgn Wi-Fi Array, capable of delivering the equivalent performance of a 24-port managed fast Ethernet switch with dual load-balanced Gigabit Ethernet uplinks.

The announcement of this latest partnership is a continuation of a steady stream of major deployments of Xirrus’s Wi-Fi Array wireless access product this year.  The company was founded in 2004 by former Xircom executives and is backed by U.S. Venture Partners and August Capital.

Xirrus – www.xirrus.com

Posted by startupbeat at 09:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/15/07 – Ripple, the El Segundo-based startup which delivers hyper-local content on flat screen panels in public locations, today announced the addition of Briggs Ferguson to its board of directors, and John Richards and T.S. Ramakrishnan to its advisory board.

Ferguson is a former CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp’s Citysearch.  Prior to joining Citysearch, he served as executive vice president, marketing and product strategy for Launch Media Inc., which was eventually acquired by Yahoo!

Ramakrishnan is an experienced technology architect who most recently served as vice president of engineering at Facebook.  He has also served in executive engineering positions at Yahoo! and Skype.

Ripple says its executive team is now comprised of 11 leading technology, media and entertainment experts, each with a significant track record in his field of expertise.

Founded in 2004, Ripple has built a network of television screens in public locations throughout Washington, California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii, that now consists of more than 500 locations.  Earlier this week, the company announced a partnership with Borders bookstores to eventually install its screens in 250 stores nationwide.

Ripple – www.rippletv.com

Posted by startupbeat at 09:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

-Oversee’s SnapNames Accepting Domain Submissions – Los Angeles-based Oversee.net says that its Portland, Oregon-based subsidiary SnapNames is now accepting domain name submissions for its premium domain auctions that are set to start in January.  More about the announcement: SnapNames Open for Domain Name Auction Submissions

-Brash Entertainment Taking on New Title – Hollywood-based Brash Entertainment, creator of games based on movie releases, television and music properties, has announced that it will make the game version of the upcoming movie “Jumper” its second release: Brash Leaps on 'Jumper'

Posted by startupbeat at 09:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/14/07 – ClipBlast!, the Agoura Hills-based web video search and navigation platform, has announced the launch of Live Video Indexing, which it says is an extension of its patent-pending Video Web Intelligent Index technology.  The company made the announcement at the Streaming Media West show in San Jose.

ClipBlast! launched its video search and navigation platform at the DEMOfall show in September.  Its “smart search” functionality makes use of proprietary technology to more effectively categorize live streaming content and deliver relevant search results, from more than 100 content providers as diverse as CNN, Sky News, Bloomberg, ShopAtHome TV and Telemadrid, says ClipBlast!.

The company says its video search platform searches the entire web for available content, continuously providing viewers with up-to-date, personalized video content, no matter what the source.

ClipBlast! was founded in 2004.

ClipBlast! – www.clipblast.com

Posted by startupbeat at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/14/07 – Panache, the Encino-based online advertising delivery company, has partnered with Los Angeles-based online ad firm Gorilla Nation to provide the firm with Panache’s patent-pending in-video advertising-delivery technology.

Panache says its technology, which gives advertisers more flexible, targeted and less-intrusive ways of delivering their campaigns across multiple types of media, will allow Gorilla Nation to offer customers a delivery choice beyond “pre-roll” advertising.  Instead, Panache will allow static images, rich interactive applications, or streaming videos to be delivered into video at view time for a more customized advertising experience.  Panache says its technology is scalable, highly customizable and easy to use.

Gorilla Nation says it currently handles media sales for more than 500 high-traffic, quality websites in vertical markets.  Panache, which is owned by Panther Software, was founded in 2006.

Panache – www.panachetech.com

Posted by startupbeat at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/13/07 – El Segundo-based Ripple, which delivers hyper-local content on flat screen panels in public locations, has signed an agreement with Borders bookstores to launch an in-store television network called “Borders TV” in the retailer’s superstores nationwide.  The companies say that under the agreement, Ripple will feature original video content from Borders, until now only available on the web, in conjunction with Ripple’s geographically-targeted lifestyle content.

The companies say the programming will initially run at Borders stores in 15 of the country’s largest markets, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, Houston, Phoenix and the Washington, D.C. area.  Initially, the service will roll out in 60 Borders stores, with a 250 store roll out planned for 2008.

Borders says its programming includes shows called “Borders Live at 01” and “Borders Presents,” which it says feature performances by artists such as Joss Stone, Patty Griffin and Gomez, along with interviews with influential people like former President Bill Clinton, director Wes Anderson and authors such as Anne Lamott and Calvin Trillin.

Each participating Borders store will have two Ripple screens with both visual and audio content, strategically placed in the multimedia and periodical sections, and will feature news feeds from Reuters, Yahoo! and E! Entertainment, new and bestselling DVDs and CDs, local event calendar listings, and national headlines, according to the companies.  

Ripple was founded in 2004 and has built a network of television screens in public locations throughout Washington, California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii, which the company says now consists of more than 500 locations.

In July, the company closed a $10 million series B round of funding led by investors Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Trinity Ventures.

Ripple – www.rippletv.com

Posted by startupbeat at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/13/07 – Hollywood-based FastCall411, the local pay-per-call listing and search company, has introduced FastCall411 Mobile, a wireless version of the FastCall411 platform.  The company says FastCall411 Mobile will formally debut tomorrow at the Mobile Marketing Forum at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel.

FastCall411 says this new mobile offering provides the same features as its landline service, which simultaneously calls multiple, highly rated local merchants and connectis the consumer with as many available merchants as they choose.  The company says FastCall411 Mobile will work with most mobile browsers and most major carriers, including Verizon Wireless, Sprint and AT&T Wireless.  The service is free to consumers and will be available first in Los Angeles.  FastCall411 says it will expand to other metropolitan areas in 2008

FastCall411 Mobile will initially include search for more than 20 categories, including heating and air conditioning contractors, airport transportation services, carpet and rug cleaners, computer service and repair, housecleaning services, painting contractors, rubbish hauling and removal, tree services, and window and glass repair, according to the company.

FastCall 411 offers a service where users can enter a zip code and call-back number via either the web or telephone and be connected to a local business in the selected category.  Within seconds, FastCall411 says its automated dialing application contacts as many merchants in the searched category as is necessary to connect the consumer to a relevant merchant who is both available and interested in providing the service, according to the company.  The application will automatically dial recommended merchants until the one available merchant is on the phone and ready to satisfy the user’s need, according to FastCall.

FastCall411 – www.fastcall411.com

Posted by startupbeat at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/13/07 – Los Angeles-based Oversee.net, an online media company that runs domain and online marketing services businesses, today released a new publisher management system for its DomainSponsor subsidiary.  The company says that the new tools offered demonstrate a fundamental rethinking of the domain professional’s experience from a usability perspective.  It also says the new system includes back-end improvements that have increased the system’s speed and performance.

Specifically, Oversee and DomainSponsor say the new features include detailed reporting capability, with traffic viewable by country, language, referrer, and more.  Smart custom reports also provide domain professionals with greater control over the analytics process and functionality to save and run custom reports on demand or at scheduled intervals.  Publishers will also experience new customer service features within the interface, including direct connections to account managers and support staff, the company says.

In addition, DomainSponsor says it recently introduced international landing pages with localized content for Japanese, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Korean and English languages.

Oversee’s DomainSponsor helps customers monetize domain names.  It says its portfolio now includes 600,000 domain names which it auctions through another subsidiary, SnapNames.com, which it acquired in June.

Oversee also offers marketing services in specific vertical markets, including mortgages and travel through its sites Low.com and Lowfares.com.  The company is headquartered in downtown L.A., with offices in Portland, Ore., and San Mateo, Calif.

Oversee.net – www.oversee.net

Posted by startupbeat at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/9/07 – According to several sources, South Korea’s SK Telecom has decided to inject $70 million into Westwood-based mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, Helio.  The company was a joint investment by SK Telecom and Internet service provider EarthLink on equal terms, but with EarthLink bowing out of further funding in the venture, this infusion effectively gives SK Telecom management rights.

Helio’s challenges moving forward have been well documented, particularly after the spectacular collapse of fellow Los Angeles-based MVNO Amp’d Mobile, the closure of MVNO Disney Mobile and Helio’s recent layoffs of about 100 employees.

In conjunction with EarthLink’s third quarter finance announcement last month, Helio said that its customer base surpassed 130,000 during the quarter, and reiterated that it expects to have between 200,000 and 250,000 subscribers by the end of the year.

Helio – www.helio.com

Posted by startupbeat at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

11/9/07 – Sherman Oaks-based online video animation company Fix8 has partnered with San Jose’s CAMfess, a web site that allows users to confess secrets, tell stories and express personal opinions through a video blog, to offer CAMfess’ user community Fix8’s real-time interactive avatar technology.

Fix8 says its free software allows users to modify or completely change their online personas utilizing virtual costumes, props or by creating full avatars.  The companies are touting the service as a perfect compliment for those who wish to maintain a certain level of obscurity like CAMfess’s users who may share their deepest secrets with others online.

Fix8 recently closed a $3 million funding round led by Vickers Financial Group, and formed a partnership with Los Angeles-based interactive online video site Stickam.

Fix8 – www.fix8.com

Posted by startupbeat at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

-Donat/Wald Named Agency of Record for LegalZoom.com – Santa Monica-based ad agency Donat/Wald announced this week that it has been named the creative agency of record for Los Angeles-based LegalZoom.com, the online provider of comprehensive legal document services.  Donat/Wald says it will manage strategic planning and creative development of advertising across all offline and online channels, beginning with a national cable television campaign in early 2008.  More on the announcement: Donat/Wald Named Agency of Record for LegalZoom.com

Posted by startupbeat at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

11/8/07 – Break.com, the Los Angeles-based Internet video entertainment company, has announced the addition of two new features to it site-a recommendation engine for user-generated content and a new customizable embedded video player.

The company says its new recommendation system provides users with targeted individual video choices based on their content preferences, likes and dislikes.  At the same time, Break says its new embeddable player allows its community of bloggers and web advertisers to offer their own users a more “branded” experience through the use of video on their site.  The player allows bloggers and site producers to show video through a completely customized player that highlights their own brand and unique personality, according to the company.

Break says it developed and uses a weighted heuristic in the recommendation feature based on a number of factors, including the type of video rated and its contents to ensure the most accurate matches to users’ particular tastes.  The customizable embedded video player offers complete control over colors and graphics, and provides TV-style picture controls, in-video grab-to-forward and rewind scrubbing, keyboard shortcuts, and control over content, Break says.

The site is targeted at young males, highlighting features like “Girl of the Day” in addition to its video sharing service.  The company was founded in 1998, and recently secured $21 million in funding from Lionsgate Entertainment.

Break.com – www.break.com

Posted by startupbeat at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

11/8/07 – Pasadena-based X1 Technologies, a provider of enterprise and desktop search solutions, has entered into a reseller partnership with Sherman Oaks-based Globanet Consulting Services, an email message archiving solutions firm.  The companies say that Globanet will now offer X1 enterprise search products as part of its technology solutions for email management.

Globanet will deploy X1’s Connector for Symantec Enterprise Vault, allowing Enterprise Vault users to quickly find, preview, and take action on all email and attachments, whether they reside in an online or offline email program, the companies say.

X1, through its new X1 Enterprise Search Suite, provides content connectors focused on integrating enterprise repositories and applications, search engines, and messaging and email management systems.

The company is an IdeaLab startup founded in 2003.  Since then it has become a leader in desktop search solutions for enterprises.

X1 Technologies – www.x1.com

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-Demand Media and Vator.tv Announce the Demand Media/Vator.tv Challenge – Santa Monica-based Demand Media has partnered with former MarketWatch reporter Bambi Francisco’s Vator.tv to create a competition “to find the best new media companies with niche audiences, fast-growing user bases that include a community of dedicated users, and a cool idea with legs.”   Vator.tv is a web site based on company video pitches that get rated and voted on by site visitors.

The Demand Media/Vator competition will be based on the “wisdom of the crowds” approach where Vator watchers rate the entries and help make the final selections for the judges, the companies say.  At the end of January, the top 25 companies will be selected based on the number of votes, views, highest ratings and most positive comments, and those companies will be featured on Vator.tv.  Other companies can still participate and join until the end of the competition.  At the end of February, the top five will be chosen based on the same criteria and the judges will then select the winner out of the final five, according to Demand and Vator.  More details on the competition: Vator.tv Announces the Demand Media/Vator.tv Challenge -- a Competition to Find the Best New-Media Company

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11/7/07 – Irvine-based Integrien, the provider of integrity management solutions for businesses, has appointed Dale Quayle to the position of executive vice president, sales and field operations.  The company says Quayle is a seasoned sales executive with more than 25 years experience in driving strategic direction and sales growth for enterprise software companies.  His resume includes a stint with Hewlett-Packard and Jonathan Engineered Solutions