Silicon Valley Wire

Los Gatos-Based Netflix to Raise $105 Million in Secondary Offering

Los Gatos, Calif. -- Netflix, the Los Gatos-based online DVD rental service, said on Friday that it plans to raise $105 million through a secondary offering, selling 3.5 million shares of its stock for $30 each. The transaction is expected to close on May 3. The company said that it will use the proceeds for general corporate purposes. Earlier this week, Netflix reported that it now counts 4.87 million subscribers, and also raised its year-end subscriber target from 5.9 million to 6.3 million.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060428/sff018.html?.v=50
http://www.netflix.com

Microsoft Spins Out San Jose-Based Social Networking Firm Wallop

San Jose, Calif. -- Looking to enter the lucrative social networking space populated by MySpace, Facebook and Friendster, software giant Microsoft said that it has spun out a San Jose-based start-up called Wallop. The new company is headed by former Microsoft employee and entrepreneur Karl Jacob, and has raised an undisclosed amount of financing from Bay Partners. Wallop said that its social network will depart from the "friend-of-a-friend" model common to today's social networks. "Instead, Wallop developed a unique set of algorithms that respond to social interactions to automatically build and maintain a person's social network," the company said. Wallop plans to launch its service later this year.
http://www.wallop.com/wallop.html

San Jose-Based NeoAccell Raises $4 Million to Close First Round

San Jose, Calif. -- NeoAccel, a San Jose-based developer of virtual private network technology, said on Friday that it has raised $4 million in the third tranche of its first round. The funding was led by Baring Private Equity Partners' India Fund, and included several previous investors. NeoAccel was founded in 2005 by Michel Susai, who previously founded NetScaler. NeoAccel is developing technology that is designed to support virtual private network access for distributed offices. The company said that its first round is now closed.
http://www.neoaccel.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/060428/0125768.html

Mountain View-Based Soasta Raises $2.25 Million in First Round

Mountain View, Calif. -- Soasta, a Mountain View-based developer of tools for the testing and certification of software for web services, said on Friday that it has secured $2.25 million in its first round of funding. The round was led by Canaan Partners, with several private investors also participating. The company said that it willuse the capital to launch new products. Ken Gardner, the founder, chairman and CEO of Soasta, previously was the founder, president and CEO of Istante, which was acquired by Oracle in 2005.
http://www.soasta.com/news.html

San Francisco-Based Kontera Raises First Round of Funding

San Francisco -- Kontera, a San Francisco-based developer of contextual advertising technology, said that it has raised an undisclosed amount of first-round financing from Menlo Park-based Sequoia Capital. Kontera said that it will use the funds to accelerate product development and expand its sales and marketing efforts. The company's technology is designed to find contextually relevant keywords on a publisher's web pages, and automatically matches them to relevant ads presented as sponsored keyword links.
http://www.kontera.com/default.aspx?id=16

Mercora to Power User-Created Streaming Radio Stations for NME, Tiscali

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Mercora, a Santa Clara-based provider of peer-to-peer streaming Internet radio networks, has announced plans to launch co-branded Mercora radio station offerings for customers of U.K. music magazine NME and Italian Internet service provider Tiscali. The services will provide NME.com visitors and Tiscali subscribers with the ability to create their own Internet radio stations featuring their own music collections, as well as browse and listen to their friends' stations. Both services will be offered for free to NME and Tiscali customers. Mercora's peer-to-peer streaming radio network boasts 3 million tracks and over 100,000 channels available at any time.
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?storyid=8024&ret=Default.aspx
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?storyid=8023&ret=Default.aspx
http://www.mercora.com

Movie, Music Industries Target File-Sharing on Internal Campus Networks

Washington, DC -- The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) this week launched an anti-piracy campaign against file-sharing on college campuses, targeting students using local area networks (LAN) and software such as Direct Connect, MyTunes and Our Tunes. The entertainment industry trade groups sent letters to 40 university presidents in 25 states, alerting them of LAN piracy problems and "encouraging immediate action to stop and prevent theft by such means." Software such as MyTunes and Our Tunes was developed by independent programmers to allow sharing of songs within Apple's iTunes over a local network. The RIAA and MPAA said that blocking and filtering devices are available to help administrators restrict the inappropriate uses of campus networks. 
http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/042706.asp

Study: Majority of DVR Owners Watch Programs at Regular Broadcast Times

Ringwood, N.J. -- About three-quarter of digital video recorder (DVR) owners say that they still watch TV shows at their regularly scheduled broadcast times, according to a new survey from the Total TV Audience Monitor, a measurement service supported by firms including ABC, Fox, ESPN and the NFL. The report found that time-shifted programming accounts for just 6% of weekly TV viewing for DVR owners, who watch an average of 29.25 hours of TV a week -- all but two at their regularly scheduled times. The firm also said that 17% of adults now own DVRs, up from 11% in 2004.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060426/nyw022.html?.v=54
http://www.totaltvmonitor.com

Poll: Air Travelers Interested in Downloading iTunes In-Flight

Cupertino, Calif. -- A recent online poll taken by Reed Business Information's Flight magazine found that over one-third (38%) of site visitors would download songs from Cupertino-based Apple's iTunes Store if they were available as part of an in-flight entertainment system. The poll was conducted in response to recent talks between Apple and in-flight entertainment providers on licensing iTunes for use in aircraft by passengers who could use frequent flyer points to download music and videos onto their iPods. The poll attracted a total of 750 participants.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060427/ukth018.html?.v=27
http://www.flightglobal.com

San Mateo-Based Contactual Raises $9 Million in First Round of Funding

San Mateo, Calif. -- Contactual, a San Mateo-based developer of technology for hosted contact centers, said on Thursday that it has raised $9 million in its first round of funding, led by Menlo Park-based Leapfrog Ventures. Other investors included private venture capitalists including Don Lucas, who served as Oracle's first chairman; B.J. Cassin, the chairman of Cerus; and Ad Nederlof, the former president and CEO of Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories. Contactual's platform is designed to help companies reduce expenses by outsourcing their contact center infrastructure, eliminating up front hardware, software, integration, training and administrative costs.
http://www.contactual.com/news.php?news=37

San Jose-Based NetIQ to Be Acquired by AttachmateWRQ

San Jose, Calif. -- AttachmateWRQ, a Seattle-based provider of multi-host access and integration services, said on Thursday that it has agreed to pay $495 million in cash to acquire San Jose-based NetIQ, a maker of software that allows companies to manage and secure their IT infrastructures. Once the deal is completed, NetIQ will operate as a unit of AttachmateWRQ and will no longer be publicly traded. The combined company will serve more than 40,000 clients in 60 countries. The deal has been approved by the boards of both companies and is expected to close in about 90 days.
http://www.netiq.com/news/releases/release.asp?cid=20060427030714WIDW

Sunnyvale-Based Trimble to Acquire Eleven Technology

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Trimble, a Sunnyvale-based developer of global positioning system (GPS) technology, said that it has agreed to acquire Eleven Technology, a Massachusetts-based provider of handheld device software for the consumer packaged goods industry. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 2000, Eleven Technology offers software applications designed to increase the speed of new product introductions to retailers, ensure retail execution and trade promotion compliance, and drive reductions in out-of-stock items.  Its customers include Pepsi and Procter & Gamble, among others.
http://www.trimble.com/news/release.aspx?id=042706a

Milpitas-Based Rackable Names New President, CFO

Milpitas, Calif. -- Rackable Systems, a Milpitas-based maker of servers and storage products for large-scale data centers, on Thursday promoted Todd Ford to the role of president, following three years as the company's CFO. The company also promoted Madhu Ranganathan, its vice president of finance, to CFO. Tom Barton, Rackable's CEO, said that allowing Ford to oversee the company's day-to-day operations will allow him to  "focus on sales and marketing, product development activities, long term strategy and external communications." The news came on a day when Rackable reported 177% jump in sales from a year ago, with the company soundly beating analyst expectations for both revenue and earnings.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060427/20060427006030.html?.v=1
http://www.rackable.com/#

Sunnyvale-Based Yahoo Releases Software to Turn Computers into DVRs

Sunnyvale, Calif. - Sunnyvale-based Yahoo has introduced software that will enable consumers to turn their regular PC with a TV tuner card into a digital video recorder. The free Yahoo Go for TV application, launched in a beta version on Wednesday, also requires 20GB of hard drive space and the purchase of a remote control and several cables for connecting a TV to a PC. In addition to recording TV shows, the software also lets users access music and photos from a PC on their televisions.
http://go.connect.yahoo.com/go/tv

Fremont-Based Industry Groups OIF and NPF to Merge

Fremont, Calif. -- The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF), a Fremont-based industry group uniting representatives from data and optical networks, said on Thursday that it will merge with the Fremont-based Network Processing Forum (NPF), an industry consortium of networking semiconductor, software and OEM manufacturers. The deal is expected to be finalized by June, with the combined group retaining the OIF name. The two groups will meet jointly next month in Athens, Greece.
http://www.oiforum.com./public/pressreleases.html

Santa Clara-Based OptiMedica Raises $13.8 Million in New Funding

Santa Clara, Calif. -- OptiMedica, a Santa Clara-based developer of medical devices that treat ophthalmic disorders, said on Wednesday that it has raised $13.8 million in new funding, co-led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Alloy Ventures. David Mordaunt, the CEO of OptiMedica, said that the financing will allow the two-year-old company to roll-out new technologies. OptiMedica makes medical devices that treat disorders such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, retinal vascular occlusive disease and retinal tears and detachments.
http://www.optimedica.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060426/20060426005391.html?.v=1

Palo Alto-Based iControl Networks Raises $5 Million in First Round

Palo Alto, Calif. -- iControl Networks, a Palo Alto-based provider of remote monitoring software and services, said on Wednesday that it has secured $5 million in its first round of funding, led by Charles River Ventures. Intel Capital also participated. "The proceeds from this round will help fuel our sales and channel expansion plans, fund new product development, and allow us to make additional investments in our engineering and corporate infrastructure," said Reza Raji, the president and CEO of iControl Networks. The company's software and services help people remotely monitor what's happening at their home or office when they can't be there.
http://www.icontrol.com/4_26_06_pressrelease.html

EA to Pay Programmers $14.9 Million in Overtime Settlement

Redwood City, Calif. -- Electronic Arts, the Redwood City-based developer and publisher of video games, said that it will pay $14.9 million to settle a class action suit brought against it by current and former computer programmers. The programmers, all from the company's California studios, had sued for overtime pay. Under the settlement, all of their claims will be dismissed, and any unclaimed funds will go to the Ronald McDonald House Charities, as well as to establish scholarships at five universities, including Stanford, for female and minority students interested in studying interactive entertainment. The settlement still must be approved by San Mateo County Superior Court.
http://www.ea.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060425/20060425006281.html?.v=1

Sunnyvale-Based Yahoo Launches New Internet Voice Services with AT&T

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Further expanding their relationship, Sunnyvale-based Yahoo and telecommunications giant AT&T on Wednesday launched new Internet-based voice communications services, including a co-branded version of Yahoo's instant messenger with voice. The services offer consumers enhanced PC-based calling capabilities for both making phone calls, depending on the combination of services purchased. The two companies already team to offer high-speed Internet services.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060426/20060426005390.html?.v=1

Angel.com Strikes Key Partnership with eBay's Skype

San Jose, Calif. -- Angel.com, a Virginia-based developer of voice recognition and call center technologies, said on Wednesday that it has partnered with Skype, the Internet communications firm recently acquired by San Jose-based eBay. Under the deal, Skype will promote Angel.com's speech technology and automation applications to its 94 million users, who will be able to add speech-enabled automation services to manage tasks such as customer service inquiries and frequently asked questions, or add communications capabilities to their web sites.  Skype offers free unlimited voice and video communication, generating revenue through its premium offerings.
http://www.angel.com/about/pr/pr4-26-06.jsp
http://www.angel.com/skype

Campbell-Based Silverback Systems Raises $16 Million in New Funding

Campbell, Calif. -- Silverback Systems, a developer of Ethernet acceleration technologies, said on Tuesday that it has landed $16 million in new funding, including an investment from Network Appliance. All of the company's previous investors -- Gemini Israel Fund, Intel Capital, Newbury Ventures, Pitango Venture Capital and U.S. Trust's Excelsior Venture Partners -- also participated. Silverback said that it plans to use the funding to bring its third-generation of Ethernet acceleration adapters, chips and software to market by midyear.
http://www.silverbacksystems.com/press_release_042506.htm 

Hologic to Acquire Sunnyvale-Based R2 Technology for $220 Million

Sunnyvale, Calif.. -- Hologic, a Massachusetts-based provider of diagnostic and digital imaging systems, has agreed to pay $220 million in stock to acquire R2 Technology, a Sunnyvale-based provider of computer-aided systems for the detection of breast cancer. R2 Technology had raised nearly $70 million in venture capital funding since its founding in 1993. R2's ImageChecker system in 1998 became the first CAD system approved by the FDA for screening mammography. It also became the first CAD system approved for use with digital mammography. This is the second acquisition announcement in a week for Hologic, which also just disclosed that it will buy Suros Surgical Systems for $240 million.
http://www.hologic.com/ir/nr042406.htm

Viacom Acquires Menlo Park-Based Xfire for $102 Million

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Media conglomerate Viacom said that it has acquired Xfire, a Menlo Park-based provider of online gaming communication and community features, for $102 million in cash. Founded in 2004, Xfire now claims 4 million users for its software, which adds instant messaging and social networking functionality to hundreds of PC game titles. The company will become part of Viacom's MTV Networks, whose other digital assets include Neopets, GameTrailers and iFilm. Viacom also owns a stake in Chicago-based developer Midway Games. Viacom said that Xfire will now be better able to maximize its advertising revenue through stronger marketing efforts and integration with MTV's digital and cable properties.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060424/nym230.html?.v=28
http://www.xfire.com

Campbell-Based Emdigo Raises Second Round of Funding

Campbell, Calif. -- Emdigo, a Campbell-based developer of advanced 3D content and production technology for the wireless industry, said that it has raised an undisclosed amount in its second round of funding, led by Palo Alto-based East Gate Capital Management. The company said that it will use the new capital to continue its "aggressive hiring," as well as to bolster its sales and marketing efforts. Emdigo's technology allows wireless content providers to rapidly deliver 3D graphics-based mobile entertainment and messaging applications onto millions of mobile handsets.
http://www.emdigo.com/news/index.html?id=16

Fremont-Based Synnex to Acquire Distribution Unit of Peak Technologies

Fremont, Calif. -- Synnex, a Fremont-based provider of IT supply chain services, said on Tuesday that it will acquire the Telpar distribution unit of Maryland-based Peak Technologies for $5 million. Telpar distributes automatic identification and data collection systems, as well as point-of-sale products, to resellers, integrators, independent software vendors and other channel organizations. John Paget, the president of North America and COO for Synnex, said that the acquisition "will immediately expand our resources and capabilities," as well as give the company access to Telpar's current customers. This acquisition The deal is expected to close by May 1.
http://www.synnex.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060425/20060425005551.html?.v=1

Menlo Park-Based Zensys Lands Investment from Intel Capital

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Zensys, a Menlo Park-based developer of mesh networking technology for wireless home control and automation, said on Tuesday that it has received an undisclosed investment from Intel Capital, the venture arm of Santa Clara-based chip-making giant Intel. As part of the deal, the two companies will work together to accelerate development efforts, driving the integration ofZensys' technology into consumer electronics devices. The technology is currently available in more than 100 wireless home control and automation products.
http://www.zen-sys.com/index.php?page=504

San Mateo-Based Mediabolic Acquires Streaming Developer Digital 5

San Mateo, Calif. -- Mediabolic, a San Mateo-based developer of entertainment networking software, said that it has acquired the assets of Digital 5, a New Jersey-based developer of multimedia streaming software. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Mediabolic offers a standards-based media player and media server software that let PCs and other home entertainment devices connect via a network and share music, photos, video and other media content.
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=124313
http://www.mediabolic.com

Fremont-Based Scientific Technologies Inc. to Sell Two Businesses

Fremont, Calif. -- Scientific Technologies Inc. (STI), a Fremont-based provider of automation safeguarding products and services, said on Tuesday that it will sell two of its businesses in separate deals. The company said that it will sell its Safety Products Group to Omron, and its Automation Product Group to a new company formed by members of the Lazzara family who currently serve as officers and directors of STI. In total, STI estimates that the transactions value the equity of the company at approximately $107 million. The closing of each deal is expected to occur by the end of September, when STI will become part of Omron Management Center of America.
http://www.stiscanners.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060425/20060425005511.html?.v=1

Sun Names Jonathan Schwartz to Succeed Scott McNealy as CEO

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Shares of Santa Clara-based Sun Microsystems rose sharply in Monday's after-hours trading after the company named Jonathan Schwartz to succeed Scott McNealy as its CEO. McNeally, who co-founded the company with Andy Bechtolsheim, Bill Joy and Vinod Khosla in 1982, will remain chairman, focusing on Sun's government and academic relationships. The company said that the move was the result of its "on-going succession planning process." Schwarz, who also will retain the role of president, joined the company in 1996 upon the company's acquisition of Lighthouse Design, where he served as CEO. He was named president and COO in April 2004,
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060424/sfm174.html?.v=2
http://www.sun.com

Los Altos-Based Rambus Wins $306.5 Million in Patent Infringement Case

Los Altos, Calif. -- Rambus, a Los Altos-based designer of high-speed chip interfaces, said on Monday that the San Jose jury in its patent infringement case against Hynix Semiconductor has awarded the company $306.5 million in damages. The award covered damages between June 2000 and the end of 2005 for various memory products that Hynix sold in the U.S. Rambus said that it also has asked for a permanent injunction against Hynix to stop making and selling the products. Hynix has several counterclaims that are expected to be addressed over the summer. The case was originally filed by Hynix against Rambus in August 2000 seeking declaratory judgments that 11 patents are invalid and not infringed. Rambus countersued, and eventually the case was expanded to include 59 patent claims from 14 Rambus patents.
http://www.rambus.com/news/pressrelease.aspx?id=211

Report: Area Venture Capital Activity Slows in First Quarter

San Francisco -- Venture Capital activity in the Bay Area sputtered to its slowest point in 2 1/2 during the first quarter, according to figures released on Monday by Dow Jones VenureOne and Ernst & Young. All told, privately held companies in the region closed 172 rounds of funding -- the least since the third quarter 0f 2003 -- worth a total of $155.9 million -- both the lowest figures since the first quarter of 2005. Just a quarter ago, area firms raises $1.92 billion -- the lowest amount in a year. About two-thirds of the latest quarter's venture capital flowed into the information technology sector, with San Francisco-based Pay By Touch ($60 million), San Mateo-based Sling Media ($46.6 million) and Redwood City-based Claria ($40.25 million) leading the way.
http://www.ventureone.com
http://www.ey.com

RSA Security Acquires Menlo Park-Based PassMark Security

Menlo Park Calif. -- RSA Security, a Massachusetts-based4provider of technology for protecting online identities and digital assets, has acquired PassMark Security, a Menlo Park-based, privately held developer of identity authentication software, for $44.7 million in cash and stock. Terms of the deal include $9 million in cash and 2 million shares of RSA Security common stock. RSA Security said that the acquisition enhances its consumer identity protection portfolio. PassMark is expected to add in the range of $4 million to $5 million in revenue for RSA over the rest of 2006 and in the range of $10 million to $15 million in 2007.
http://www.rsasecurity.com/press_release.asp?doc_id=6769

San Jose-Based eBay Acquires Sweden's Tradera.com

San Jose, Calif. -- eBay, the San Jose-based online auction giant, said on Monday that it has acquired Tradera.com, an online auction marketplace in Sweden, for about $48 million. Launched in 1999, Tradera.com has more than 750,000 listings at any given time and offers a venue where buyers and sellers can trade across an array of categories. eBay, which  launched its own site in Sweden one year ago, said that it plans to expand its activities in the country.
http://investor.ebay.com/ReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=193649&FYear=

San Jose-Based eBay Launches New Fixed-Price Online Store

San Jose, Calif. -- eBay, the San Jose-based online auction giant, on Monday announced the launch of eBay Express, a new area of its site that allows users to buy items at fixed prices from qualified merchants. The site will remain in its preview phase for several weeks, allowing the company to make adjustments based on user feedback. The company said that the site caters to online buyers who typically buy new items and want to make their purchases quickly, without waiting for the end of an auction. All sellers must have a positive feedback score of at least 98% and accept the company's PayPal online payments. For the first time, eBay also is offering an online shopping cart, allowing shoppers to pay for items from multiple merchants at the same time.
http://www.express.ebay.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060424/20060424006148.html?.v=1

Ubicom Names Cathal Phelan to Replace Doug Spreng as CEO

Mountain View, Calif. -- Ubicom, a Mountain View-based developer of wireless communications processors and software platforms, on Monday named Cathal Phelan as its new CEO, succeeding Doug Spreng, who is retiring following three years at the helm. Spreng will continue to serve as chairman of the board. Phelan has more than 20 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, most recently as the vice president of the data communications division at Cypress Semiconductor. Ubicom will be opening its new, larger headquarters in Sunnyvale on May 1.
http://www.ubicom.com/news/releases/2006/20060424_Cathal_Phelan.html

Menlo Park-Based Jajah Raises Second Round; Looks Toward Asian Expansion

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Jajah, a Menlo Park-based provider of Internet telephone services, said that it has raised an undisclosed amount in its second round of funding, led by Globespan Capital. The company said that Globespan's work in the Asian market will help it to expand beyond the U.S. and Europe. Venky Ganesan, the managing director of Globespan Capital, said that beyond the financing, Jajah will gain "solid connections with leading companies across Japan, Korea, China and India." This announcement follows Jajah's recent deal to integrate its service within Opera browsers and the Symbian operating system. The service connects users phone-to-phone, with the Internet used only to initiate the call.
http://www.jajah.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060419/nyw042.html?.v=46

San Jose-Based Adobe Acquires Trade and Technologies France

San Jose, Calif. -- Adobe Systems, the San Jose-based maker of web publishing software, said on Friday that it has acquired Trade and Technologies France (TTF), makers of computer-aided design (CAD) data interoperability software. Adobe said that the acquisition will help build on its existing 3D visualization and collaboration capabilities for the manufacturing industry and other markets. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. TTF is a privately held company headquartered near Lyon, France.
http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200604/042106TTF.html

HP Hires Former Disney Exec as HR Chief of Imaging and Printing Group

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Palo Alto-based Hewlett-Packard on Friday named John Renfro, the head of human resources at The Walt Disney Company, to lead human resources for its Imaging and Printing Group (IPG). Renfro will serve as a vice president of the group, which reported revenue of $25 billion last fiscal year. He previously spent four years at Disney, serving as senior vice president and chief human resources officer. He previously oversaw human resources at Gateway and Zenith and held senior HR positions at Ameritech and A.C. Nielsen.
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2006/060421a.html

InterWest Partners Leads $15 Million Round for Cape Clear Software

San Mateo, Calif. -- Cape Clear Software, a Massachusetts-based provider of development tools for open-source business software, with offices in San Mateo, said that it has raised $15 million in its fourth round of venture capital, led by Menlo Park-based InterWest Partners. Other investors in the deal include Accel Partners, ACT Venture Capital and Greylock Partners. Founded in 1999, Cape Clear employs about 100 people. Its list of around 250 customers includes Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton, and General Dynamics. The company said it will use part of the new investment proceeds to open new offices in the U.S., Europe and the Asia Pacific region, in addition to maintaining the ongoing development of its existing locations in Waltham, Atlanta, San Mateo, Dublin and London.
http://www.capeclear.com/news/archives/2006/04/cape_clear_soft_53.shtml

Wireless Industry Association Calls on Customers to Recycle Phones

Washington, DC -- With Earth Day taking place on Saturday, wireless association CTIA has issued the call for all wireless consumers to recycle their used wireless products. The organization said that many wireless carriers have take-back programs to recover retired wireless products, and all of them will accept wireless products from other networks. Manufacturers also include prepaid mailing envelopes in the box of their new phones, giving consumers a free way to recycle their old phones, with web-based retailers of wireless phones offering similar programs. "Today, every major wireless carrier retail store across the country will collect and recycle all makes and models of wireless phones, accessories and chargers," said Steve Largent, president of the CTIA. "This is an incredibly simple and consumer-friendly process, and we want every wireless consumer in America to take part in it." Since launching in 1999, The Wireless Foundation's Call To Protect program has collected over 2.5 million phones, provided over $3 million in funding for domestic violence agencies and kept over 200 tons of retired electronics out of landfills.
http://www.ctia.org/news_media/press/body.cfm?record_id=1605

Menlo Park-Based Jingle Raises $26 Million in Second Round

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Jingle Networks, the Menlo Park-based start-up operating the 1-800-FREE411 directory assistance service, said on Thursday that it has raised $26 million in its second round of funding, led by first-round leader Liberty Associated Partners. Previous investors First Round Capital and IDG Ventures Boston, and new investor Comcast Interactive Capital also participated. Jingle run a free, ad-supported directory assistance service. Callers initially hear a short marketing offer, and are then given the opportunity to either respond or to continue with their lookup request. The service, which launched in September, has been quite popular with some phone customers, who pay their local phone and wireless carriers as much as $2 to use 411. Jingle is currently processing over 7 million calls a month from over 3 million unique consumers.
http://www.free411.com/newsitem06.htm

Fremont's Infosys Technologies to Buy Citi's Stake in Progeon

Fremont, Calif. -- Infosys Technologies, an India-based provider of software products to the banking industry and business process management services, with U.S. headquarters in Fremont, said on Thursday that it will pay about $115 million in cash to buy Citicorp's stake in its Progeon subsidiary. Citi currently owns 23% of the four-year-old company. The deal is expected to close in July. Progeon provides of business process management (BPM) services to large companies, and has more than 7,000 employees.
http://www.infosys.com/media/press_releases/citis-stake-progeon.asp

Yahoo Acquires Home Media Networking Technology from Meedio

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Meedio, a provider of digital media home networking technology, announced that Sunnyvale-based Yahoo has acquired most of its technology for an undisclosed sum. "The sad truth is that we had recently hit a brick wall and did not have the resources to make it flourish," reads a note on Meedio's web site. Houston-based Meedio's technology allows users to access their PC media collections via their televisions, as well as schedule TV recordings from the PC. The company also developed technology that remotely automates home lighting, appliances and other devices. Meedio said that company founder and CEO David Brott and several other executives will be joining Yahoo's Digital Home team.
http://www.meedio.com

Media Delivery Firm Burst.com Sues Apple for Patent Infringement

Santa Rosa, Calif. -- Burst.com, a Santa Rose-based developer of audio and video delivery technology, has filed a countersuit against Cupertino-based Apple, alleging that the company's iTunes technology and iPod devices infringe on its patents. Burst.com said that the filing came in response to a suit filed by Apple in January, in which the company asked a judge to find Burst.com's patents invalid. Microsoft agreed to settle similar litigation filed by Burst.com, paying a $60 million license fee to the company in March 2005. Burst.com said it is seeking a reasonable royalty from Apple's allegedly infringing products, and an injunction against further infringement.
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=123377
http://www.burst.com

Reports: Worldwide PC Shipments Increased 13% in First Quarter

Stamford, Conn. -- Worldwide PC shipments totaled 57 million units in the first quarter, a 13% increase over the same period last year, according to new statistics from technology market research firms Gartner and IDC. Strong home desktop demand in the U.S. exceeded Gartner's prior projections for the quarter, the firm said. Meanwhile, Dell maintained the No. 1 position in worldwide PC shipments, though its shipment increase of 10% marked its weakest performance since the third quarter of 2001, Gartner said. "This quarter saw some important shifts in market share with HP and Gateway outperforming the market and gaining share, while Dell sales were relatively flat and Lenovo slipped out of the Top 5," said Bob O'Donnell, a vice president at IDC.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060419/20060419006057.html?.v=1
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060420/20060420005103.html?.v=1

Foster City-Based SCEA Cuts Price of PlayStation 2 to $129

Foster City, Calif. -- Sony Computer Entertainment America, a Foster City-based arm of Japaense electronics giant Sony, said on Thursday that it has cut the price of its PlayStation 2 video game console from $149 to $129. The move was largely expected, as the company begins to gear up for the release of the PlayStation 3 in November. To date, more than 101 million PlayStation 2 units and approximately 1 billion games for the console have shipped worldwide. Sony's console also continues to lead Microsoft's Xbox and Nintendo's GameCube, accounting for 55.6% of the U.S. market, according to NPD Group. Sony intends to promote the new pricing with a variety of print, online and in-store advertising.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060420/sfth039.html?.v=48

Palo Alto-Based Focus Ventures Closes New $250 Million Tech Fund

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Focus Ventures, a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm investing in expansion-stage software, semiconductor and communications companies, said on Wednesday that it has closed a new $250 million fund. The firm, founded in 1997, now has $825 million under management. Focus Ventures III will be managed by general partners Steven Bird, George Bischof, James Boettcher and Kevin McQuillan, the same investment team that has guided the firm's previous fund. The firm invested in 25 companies as part of Focus Ventures II, including ClearCube, Entropic Communications, inCode Telecom and Starent Networks.
http://www.focusventures.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060419/20060419005170.html?.v=1

Palo Alto-Based Facebook Lands $25 Million in New Funding

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Facebook, the Palo Alto-based social networking site used primarily by college students, said on Wednesday that it has secured $25 million in a new round of funding, led by San Mateo-based Greylock Partners. Meritech Capital Partners and previous investors Accel Partners and Peter Thiel, the former CEO of PayPal, also participated. Launched in early 2004, Facebook is now the seventh most visited site on the web, according to comScore. People with a valid email address from a supported college or high school can register for the site and create a profile to share information, photos and interests. The company said that it will use the funding to develop new features.
http://www.facebook.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060419/20060419005321.html?.v=1 \

Visible Path Secures $17 Million, Moves from New York to Foster City

Foster City, Calif. -- Visible Path, the developer of a social networking site for the corporate world, said on Wednesday that it has secured $17 million in its second round of funding and moved its headquarters from New York to Foster City. New investor Menlo Ventures of Menlo Park led the round, which also included participation from previous investor Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and new investors Integral Capital Partners and Silicon Valley Bank. Launched in 2002, Visible Path initially opened a regional office in Foster City last July.
http://www.visiblepath.com/press_releases/press_release-2006-04-19.htm

Mountain View-Based Simply Hired Lands $13.5 Million in Funding

Mountain View, Calif. -- Simply Hired, a search engine for jobs with more than 5 million listings, said on Wednesday that it has raised $13.5 million through new investments from Fox Interactive Media and Foundation Capital. The company has now raised a total of $17.7 million since its inception. The company raised about $3 million from several angels and entrepreneurs last August. Ross Levinsohn, the president of Fox Interactive Media, said that his company plans to use Simply Hired to "power job search for a variety of properties on our network."
http://www.simplyhired.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060419/sfw015.html?.v=52