Silicon Valley Wire

Compiere Lands $6 Million in Funding; Plans Move to Silicon Valley

Portland, Ore. -- Compiere, an Oregon-based developer of open source business applications, said on Tuesday that it has raised $6 million in its first round of funding, and plans to move its headquarters to an unspecified location in Silicon Valley this summer. The funding, from New Enterprise Associates, marks the first outside investment for the company, which was initially funded by its founders in 1999.Compiere also plans to use a portion of the funds to build out a worldwide infrastructure in order to better support its partner network. The company is eyeing a move to the Bay Area in July or August, but hasn't yet signed a lease.
http://www.compiere.org/news/0620-nea.html

Menlo Park-Based Formative Ventures Names Dino Vendetti as Investing Partner

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Nine months after closing its first institutional fund, Menlo Park-based Formative Ventures, an early-stage technology venture capital firm, on Tuesday named Dino Vendetti as its third investing partner. Vendetti, who has more than two decades of experience in venture capital investing and operating experience at several venture capital and technology companies, joins founding general partners Brian Connors and Clint Chao, as well as founding operating partner Don Herman. Vendetti most recently spent six years as a general partner with Bay Partners, and earlier in his career worked for companies such as Qualcomm, US West Cellular, MetaWave and TRW. Vendetti will invest in early-stage companies across a broad range of technologies,  including wireless equipment, software and services, semiconductors, and communications.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060619/sfm014.html?.v=58
http://www.formativeventures.com/news/index.html

MediaZone to Offer Live Webcasts of Wimbledon Tennis Matches

Redwood City, Calif. -- MediaZone, a Redwood City-based producer of sports, entertainment and international programming webcasts, said that it has signed a deal with the All England Lawn Tennis Club to provide live and on-demand webcasts of the 2006 Wimbledon tennis tournament. The service will offer coverage of up to nine concurrent matches during the tournament, with live streams delivered at 500k and downloads offered at both 500k and 1MB bitrates. MediaZone will sell an advance all-access subscription for $19.95, with the price increasing to $24.95 once the tournament begins. Daily passes will range from $4.95 to $9.95.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060619/20060619005328.html?.v=1
http://tennis.mediazone.com

Report: DSL to Overtake Cable Broadband in U.S. by 2010

New York -- Buoyed by the strong momentum of U.S. telephone companies, DSL will overtake cable as the leading broadband service in the U.S. by 2010, according to a new report from market research firm JupiterResearch. The firm said that by 2011, 88.9 million out of the 110 million total broadband households will be utilizing DSL."US cable operators will have to combine price cuts and better marketing efforts to forestall this outcome," said Joe Laszlo," the research director at JupiterResearch. All told, U.S. broadband penetration is projected to increase from 36% of households last year to nearly two-thirds by 2011. 
http://www.jupiterresearch.com/bin/item.pl/press:press_release/2006/id=06.06.19-broadband.html/

San Mateo-Based Siperian Lands Funding, New CEO

San Mateo, Calif. -- Siperian, a San Mateo-based provider of data integration and management software, said on Monday that it has raised an unspecified amount in a new round of funding, and named Peter Caswell as its CEO. The company said that it will use the funding to expand into new industries, grow internationally and bolster its sales and marketing activities. Caswell has more than 25 years of international software industry experience, most recently as the was president and CEO of Advent Software.
http://www.siperian.com/index.cfm?page=body&crid=9&contentid=123

Report: Microsoft Planning to Launch Digital Music Player, Song Store

New York -- Microsoft is preparing to launch its own portable digital music player and accompanying service in a bid to compete with Cupertino-based Apple's iPod and iTunes, The New York Post reported, citing "multiple sources close to the major record labels." Microsoft has quietly developed a portable digital music device that also plays video, and has recently been displaying the technology for the labels, with whom it has also restarted licensing talks on a digital music store. "It seems like an exact head-to-head competition with Apple," one source told The Post. "It's really like an Apple approach, to control the device and the whole stack of technology. This is like Xbox versus PlayStation." Microsoft already operates MSN Music, which sells digital song downloads, and also powers the Urge music service recently launched with partner MTV.
http://www.nypost.com/business/microsoft_tuned_up_for_next_ipod_battle_business_tim_arango.htm

Emeryville-Based Industrious Kid Launches Social Networking Site for Kids

Emeryville, Calif. - Industrious Kid, an Emeryville-based developer of online products and destinations for children and tweens, has announced the launch of its Imbee social networking site, which is targeted at kids between the ages of 8-14. The service offers more parental controls than competitors like MySpace, giving parents the option of having control over their kids' friend invitations, emails and blogs. Children's profiles are also only viewable to family and approved friends. Imbee charges a subscription fee of $3.95 a month or $39.95 a year, which includes access for two children, one parent and one additional adult. The service was created using $6 million from the private investment of Industrious Kids founder Jeanetter Symons, EContentMag.com reported.
http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/ArticleReader.aspx?ArticleID=15701
http://www.imbee.com

IDG Launches Online Reality Series Featuring Online Game Developer

Oakland, Calif. -- IDG Entertainment, an Oakland-based publisher of magazines such as GamePro and Code Vault, has announced the launch of an unscripted online reality series that will follow a group of volunteer game developers working to create a massively multiplayer online game more popular than Blizzard's "World of Warcraft." "Creating Kaos" will follow San Francisco-based Shattered Reality Interactive, a group of 40 volunteer developers led by CEO Damon Grow. A new 3 to 5-minute episode will be posted weekly on Fridays, with a total of 15 episodes currently in production.
http://www.idg-entertainment.com
http://www.games.net    

Palo Alto-Based Alloy Ventures Leads $21.8 Million Round for Nitronex

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Alloy Ventures, a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm, has led a new $21.8 million funding round for Nitronex, a North Carolina-based developer of power transistors for the commercial and broadband infrastructure markets. Other investors in the deal include Intersouth Partners, ARCH Venture Partners, Diamondhead Ventures, VantagePoint Venture Partners and Contender Capital. Founded in 1999, Nitronex recently introduced a new line of radio frequency power transistors. The company said it will use the new investment funds to expand manufacturing, increase staff and pursue new markets.
http://www.nitronex.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060619/20060619005607.html?.v=1

Game Developers to be Fined Up to $1 Million for Undermining Ratings

Washington, DC -- The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), an industry self-regulatory group that determines game ratings, has announced a new $1 million fine on game publishers whose games turn out to be inaccurately rated as a result of their submitting incomplete descriptions. The fine comes in the wake of an FTC investigation into sexually-explicit hidden content in the source code of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" that imposed no penalties on the game's makers. "In the event that material that would have affected the assignment of a rating or content descriptor is found to have not been previously disclosed, the ESRB is empowered to impose corrective actions and a wide range of sanctions, including points, monetary fines up to $1 million for the most egregious offenses, and even suspension of rating services," Patricia Vance, president of the ESRB, testified at a Congressional hearing. http://www.esrb.org/about/news/downloads/pvtestimony_6_14_06.pdf (PDF)
http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/06142006hearing1921/hearing.htm

San Jose-Based NeoPhotonic Lands $50 Million, Acquires Two Companies

San Jose, Calif. -- Significantly strengthening its position in MEMS technology, NeoPhotonic, a San Jose-based supplier of fiber optic components and modules for broadband networks, said on Monday that it has raised more than $50 million in new funding and used a substantial portion of it to acquire Newark-based LightConnect and Santa Clara-based OpTun. New investors International Finance, Needham Capital Partners, DuPont Capital, Shanghai Industrial Holdings and Mitsubishi Capital joined previous investors Oak Investment Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, ATA Venture Partners, Masters Capital and Harris & Harris Group in the round. LightConnect is a manufacturer of MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) based components and modules for the fiber optic communications industry, while OpTun makes reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexers (ROADMs). NeoPhotonic used an undisclosed combination of cash and stock to pay for the acquisitions.  In a related move, NeoPhotonics also said that it has acquired 25 MEMS patents from MEMX Corp.
http://www.neophotonics.com/news/shownews.php?newsid=66

San Bruno-Based ClickShift Raises $6 Million in First Round

San Bruno, Calif. -- ClickShift, a San Bruno-based developer of a system designed to monitor, measure and tune online advertising investments, said on Monday that it has raised $6 million in its first round of funding from El Dorado Ventures and U.S. Venture Partners. The company, which plans to officially launch later this year, said that its technology will help clients collect and analyze large amounts of data so that they can make buy decisions in a variety of online advertising channels.ClickShift did not disclosed specific uses for the new capital.
https://www.clickshift.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060619/20060619005441.html?.v=1

Sunnyvale-Based Acsera Raises $14.2 Million in Second Round

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Acsera, a Sunnyvale-based developer of tools designed to help companies deploy large-scale applications, said on Friday that it has raised $14.2 million in its second round of funding, led by Sierra Ventures. Previous investors 3i and Partech also participated in the round, which increased the company's total backing to $20.2 million since its inception in 2002. The company said that it will use the proceeds to scale its sales, marketing and business development activities.
http://www.acsera.com/

Therma-Wave Accountant Issues "Going Concern" Statement

Fremont, Calif. -- Shares of Fremont-based Therma-Wave fell nearly 10% on Friday after the maker of process control metrology systems used in the manufacture of semiconductors said that its independent accounting firm has issued a warning about the company's ability to continue as a going concern. PricewaterhouseCoopers included a going concern explanatory paragraph in the company's annual report for the fiscal year ended April 2, citing recurring net losses and negative cash flow. "These factors raise substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern," said the accounting firm. It's been nearly a year since Therma-Wave retained New York-based Needham & Company to help it review its strategic financial alternatives.
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=84220&p=irol-pressArticle&ID=873267&highlight=

PBS Names KQED's John Bolan as First Chief Content Officer

San Francisco -- PBS, the media entity serving 348 public noncommercial television stations, has named San Francisco media veteran John Boland to the newly created position of chief content officer, overseeing the delivery of PBS's content through multiple platforms, including member stations, video-on-demand and the Internet. The move is part of CEO Paula Kerger's plan to keep up with new media technologies. Last month, she unveiled an initiative to offer more PBS programs through video-on-demand services, and has openly spoken about the need to embrace new platforms. Boland most recently served as the executive vice president and chief content officer of San Francisco public TV station KQED, where he encouraged early experiments with Internet video-on-demand, podcasting and blogs.
http://www.pbs.org/aboutpbs/news/200600613_strategiccontentplan.html

Apple Investigating Chinese iPod Plants After "Sweatshop" Report

Cupertino, Calif. -- Cupertino-based Apple said that it has launched an internal investigation into the working conditions at the Chinese plants where its iPods are manufactured. An article in the U.K. newspaper Mail on Sunday reported that workers there toil 15-hour days for $50 a month in wages. One plant in Longhua, owned by Foxconn, reportedly houses 200,000 workers who live in dormitories that do not permit outside visitors, while another in Suzhou, Shanghai reportedly pays workers $100 a month but subtracts food and accommodations fees. Apple responded in a statement saying that it is "currently investigating the allegations regarding working conditions in the iPod manufacturing plant in China," adding that the company is "committed to ensuring that working conditions in our supply chain are safe, workers are treated with respect and dignity, and manufacturing processes are environmentally responsible." Apple also said that its workplace conditions are modeled on the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct.
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=14915
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?home&NewsID=14935
http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1815

AOL to Transition Netscape Into Blog-Style News Site

Mountain View, Calif. -- AOL has announced plans to transition its Netscape.com Internet portal into a site that combines blog-style news updates with user-submitted content and discussion. The new site was developed by a team led by Jason Calcanis, the publisher of Silicon Alley Reporter who sold his Weblogs Inc. blog company to AOL last year for $25 million. In its previous life as a developer of web browsers, Mountain View-based Netscape Mountain View-based Netscape was a top rival of Microsoft's Internet Explorer during the height of the Internet boom. Later, after being acquired by AOL, the company began offering low-priced dial-up Internet services. "We want to marry the great editorial skill of humans and what systems and software can do to create something that is different and better," AOL CEO Jonathan Miller told The New York Times. The Times reported that the new Netscape will maintain a team of bloggers to attend news events with video crews.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/15/technology/15aol.html
http://www.netscape.com

Bill Gates to Transition Out of Day-to-Day Role with Microsoft

Redmond, Wash. -- In a late-breaking development being closely watched in the Bay Area, software giant Microsoft said on Thursday that co-founder Bill Gates will transition out of his day-to-day role with the company over the next two years. Gates, 50, who started Microsoft in 1975 with childhood friend Paul Allen, plans to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an organization the couple founded in 2000 and which now has assets of $29.1 billion. After July 2008, Gates will continue to serve as the company's chairman, as well as an advisor on key development projects. In preparation, Microsoft has given expanded roles to top executives Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie. Ozzie will immediately assume the title of chief software architect and begin working alongside Gates on all technical architecture and product oversight issues. Mundie will take the new title of chief research and strategy officer, working closely with Gates to assume his responsibility for the company's research and incubation efforts. He also will partner with general counsel Brad Smith to guide Microsoft's intellectual property and technology policy efforts. Gates served as Microsoft's chairman and CEO until 2000, when Steve Ballmer took over as CEO. For the past six years, Gates has focused on the company's software development as chairman and chief software architect.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060615/sfth059.html?.v=61

San Jose-Based IPLocks Raises $11 Million in Fourth Round of Funding

San Jose, Calif. -- IPLocks, a San Jose-based provider of database security and compliance tools, said that it has raised $11 million in its fourth round of funding from institutional and individual investors. The company's software, used by clients such as E&Y, NEC and WesCorp, is designed to protect company and customer data by detecting vulnerabilities, monitoring user behavior and providing an independent audit trail to support regulatory compliance. All told, the company said that it has more than 130 customers in North America, South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region.
http://www.iplocks.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060614/sfw078.html?.v=55

Palo Alto-Based Symphony Services Acquires Strategy VMOplus

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Symphony Services, a Palo Alto-based provider of outsourcing services for the "commercial-grade" software and embedded product engineering lifecycle and analytics industries, said on Thursday that it has acquired VMOplus, a Massachusetts-based provider of consulting services to businesses seeking to establish international operations. Financial terms between the two privately held firms were not disclosed. Symphony called its acquisition "a perfect complement" to its current offerings.
http://www.symphonysv.com/newsroom/pop_press_releases.asp?id=41

Cupertino-Based BioImagene Acquires Pittsburgh-Based TissueInformatics

Cupertino, Calif. -- BioImagene, a Cupertino-based maker of products designed to help researchers manage and analyze large numbers of images and their associated metadata, said on Thursday that it has acquired Pittsburgh-based tissue image analysis firm TissueInformatics from Icoria. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. TissueInformatics is a developer of automated pathology software used in the quantitative analysis of tissue changes in drug discovery, disease assessment, toxicology and tissue engineering research. BioImagene said that the deal will benefit it on several fronts, including giving it a broad pipeline of potential products, a stronger East Coast presence the chance to serve  "significant unmet needs" in the tox-path market.
http://www.bioimagene.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060615/20060615005619.html?.v=1

Google Launches New Government News and Information Search Tool

Mountain View, Calif. -- Google, the Mountain View-based Internet search giant, on Thursday announced the launch of a new search tool designed to help users more easily find government information and news. The company said that the tool, called Google U.S. Government Search, will search through official federal, state and local government sites from a single search box. The site also will feature constantly updated news content from government and commercial news sources, including the White House, Department of Defense, The Washington Post and Google News. Google currently has several hundred government clients for its search and geospatial products. The company also said that it has added Mike Bradshaw as its head of federal sales. Bradshaw, who has more than 20 years experience selling technology to federal agencies, will be located in Google's office near Washington, DC.
http://www.google.com/ig/usgov
http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/annc/govsearch.html

Blockbuster Files Counterclaim Against Los Gatos-Based Netflix

Los Gatos, Calif. -- Video rental giant Blockbuster has filed a countersuit against Los Gatos-based online DVD rental firm Netflix, claiming that the patent infringement lawsuit filed against it by Netflix is "based on unenforceable patents." "For Netflix to claim exclusive rights over subscription movie rentals is like a fast-food restaurant trying to patent selling hamburgers through a drive-through window," said Marshall Grossman, an attorney representing Blockbuster. Netflix currently claims 4.9 million subscribers, while Blockbuster counts 1.3 million subscribers to its online rental service. Blockbuster's suit also claims that Netflix failed to inform the Patent Office of prior innovations by NCR that related to the technology it intended to patent -- a legal duty of patent applicants. Netflix sued NCR in March to have those patent claims invalidated.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060613/nytu074.html?.v=54
http://www.netflix.com

U.S. International Trade Commission to Investigate Creative-Apple Dispute

Milpitas, Calif. - Creative Technology said that the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has answered its complaint and will launch an investigation into the possible infringement of its MP3 player patents by Cupertino-based Apple. Creative, which is based in Singapore but has a U.S. unit based in Milpitas, filed the complaint in May, and at the same time sued Apple in federal court for infringement of its "ZEN Patent," which covers the user interface design on two of its MP3 players. The company is seeking an injunction against the import of Apple's iPods from the company's Asian manufacturers, as well as additional damages. Apple, for its part, has filed two countersuits against Creative, alleging that the company's MP3 players infringe on several of its own patents. The ITC will likely hold an evidentiary hearing on Creative's complaint within the next eight months, and offer a ruling within 15 months. 
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060614/sfw146.html?.v=6

Backfence Launches First Bay Area Site in Palo Alto

Palo Alto, Calif.. -- Two months after acquiring San Francisco's Bayosphere, Backfence, a Virginia-based company building a network of community web sites on which readers contribute the content, said on Thursday that it has formally launched its first site in the San Francisco Bay Area. The company's new site, in Palo Alto, features local news, photographs, reviews and events contributed by members of the community, as well as a blog on local issues and technology by journalist Dan Gillmor, the founder and director of grassroots media organization the Center for Citizen Media. The company also has named Mark Loundy, a veteran of UPI, the AP and the Los Angeles Times, as its Bay Area content manager. Backfence launched its first sites in McLean and Reston in May 2005 and has since added sites in Bethesda and Arlington. The sites provide localized news coverage of the communities, as well as event listings, reviews and ratings of local businesses and free classifieds. Backfence plans to launch four additional community sites in the Bay Area over the next few months
http://www.backfence.com

Winners Deliverable Memorable Speeches at 10th Annual Webby Awards

New York -- The people behind some of the Internet's hottest sites were honored Tuesday night at the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences' 10th Annual Webby Awards in New York, where winners delivered what's become a hallmark of the event -- five-word acceptance speeches. When accepting his Webby Lifetime Achievement Award, Prince told attendees, "Everything you think is true." Other stand-out speeches included NationalGeographic.com (Best Science Website): "More than just bare breasts"; Arianna Huffington (Best Political Blog): "Darlings. Make blogs, not war"; Thomas Friedman (Webby Person of the Year): "The world really is flat"; and ESPN.com (Best Sports Site): "Sports? Pornography? Sports? Pornography? Sports!" A full list of winners and speeches is available at the link below.
http://www.webbyawards.com/press/speeches.php

Cupertino-Based Qpixel Technology Raises $25 Million in Second Round

Cupertino, Calif. -- Qpixel Technology International, a Cupertino-based developer of video and audio encoders and decoders for the digital consumer electronics and digital video communication industries, said on Wednesday that it has secured $25 million in its second round of funding, led by venture capitalist Bandel Carano. Other participants included Oak Investment Partners, Technology Associates Management Company (TAMC), Acorn Campus and iD SoftCapital Group. The company said that it will use the proceeds to expand its sales and marketing efforts, as well as accelerate its business and product development. Qpixel's technology is used in next-generation consumer electronics products, such as digital camcorders, digital still cameras, video phones and DVRs.
http://www.qpixeltech.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060614/20060614005207.html?.v=1

Sunnyvale-Based Novalux Lands $21.7 Million in New Financing

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Novalux, a Sunnyvale-based developer of laser technology, said on Wednesday that it has landed $21.7 million in its second round of funding, led by Switzerland's Unaxis Optics. The two companies also have entered into a joint development and licensing deal to develop new projection display products. Previous investors, including Crescendo Ventures, Morgan Stanley Venture Partners, Dynafund Ventures and Tredegar also participated. Novalux said that it will use the capital to complete product development and enhance its production infrastructure. Under the joint development deal, Novalux will license its laser reference design and supply Unaxis with its semiconductor chips. Unaxis will then mass produce and distribute laser modules to be used in cutting-edge projection displays, such as laser-based rear-projection TVs.
http://www.novalux.com/
http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/537479/unaxis_optics_makes_strategic_investment_in_novalux/index.html?source=r_technology

Santa Clara-Based Symyx Technologies to Acquire Autodose

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Symyx Technologies, a Santa Clara-based developer of research technologies and software, said on Wednesday that it will pay about $6.9 million in cash to acquire Switzerland's Autodose, a maker of precision powder-dispensing equipment. Symyx could wind up paying as much as $6.2 million more if Autodose's products hit certain revenue targets. The two companies have worked together since 2000, with Symyx incorporating Autodose's products into systems that it has sold to both chemical and pharmaceutical customers. "This acquisition underscores our commitment to serving the European market, as it provides access to a significant installed base and potential new customer relationships as well as production facilities and a strong field support team," said Paul Nowak, the executive vice president and COO of Symyx Technologies. The deal is expected to close in July.
http://www.symyx.com/news/news.php?nid=215&page=89

San Francisco-Based InterSearch Group Acquires Web Properties

San Francisco -- Looking to expand its direct navigation business, InterSearch Group, a San Francisco-based provider of Internet search services and operator of industry specific destination portals, said on Wednesday that it has acquired a portfolio of web properties. The acquired domains include www.camps.com and www.summercamp.com. The company said that the deal expands its presence in the high-value travel and vacations market, gives it a chance to make "significant revenue" and helps mitigate some of the seasonality related to its tax domains. InterSearch acquired www.irs.com late last year.
http://app.quotemedia.com/quotetools/popups/story.jsp
http://www.intersearch.com.

ZigBee Member Ember Corp. Raises $12 Million in Third Round

San Jose -- Ember Corp., a Boston-based provider of wireless mesh networking semiconductors and software, and member of the San Jose-based ZigBee Alliance, has raised $12 million in its third round of venture capital. Investors include Polaris Venture Partners, GrandBanks Capital, RRE Ventures, Vulcan Capital, DFJ ePlanet Ventures, DFJ New England, WestLB Mellon Asset Management and ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures. Ember was spun out of MIT in 2001. Its technology is used in various applications such as automating home appliances, lowering energy consumption in buildings, keeping borders and infrastructure secure and controlling industrial processes. ZigBee is an association of companies working together to develop wireless monitoring and control products based on an open standard.
http://www.ember.com/company/press/press-061406.html

Official Yahoo World Cup Site Draws 5 Million Visitors on First Day

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- The official World Cup soccer site drew more than 5 million unique visitors worldwide on the tournament's first day last Friday, according to new figures from comScore Networks. The multi-language site, hosted by Sunnyvale-based Yahoo, also served more than 400,000 video streams on the day. comScore said that 57% of the page views on opening weekend were from the English language section of the site. Of the non-English content, the Spanish section proved the most popular (14%). The BBC's online coverage of the tournament's opening days also proved popular. On opening day, the network's World Cup site received more than 1 million visits, including more than 450,000 from Internet users in the U.K.
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=896

Survey: Father's Day to Account for $9 Billion in Consumer Electronics Sales

Arlington, Va. -- Father's Day consumer electronics gifts could account for more than $9 billion in spending this year, according to a new report from the Consumer Electronics Association. Then industry organization said that 24% of adults and 38% of teens are planning to purchase a consumer electronics device for their fathers this holiday. Though fathers surveyed far and away chose a "nice restaurant meal" as their most desired gift, 42% of them said that they'd like a consumer electronics device -- led by MP3 players and digital cameras --  beating out traditional options such as clothing (40%) and grilling equipment (30%).
http://www.ce.org/Press/CurrentNews/press_release_detail.asp?id=11051

Agilent Spin-Off Verigy Prices $127.5 Million IPO; Stock Falls 5%

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Verigy, a semiconductor test company recently spun off from Palo Alto-based Agilent Technologies, on Tuesday priced its $127.5 million initial public offering (IPO), selling 8.5 million shares at $15 each, the middle of its expected price range. Investors, however, sent shares down 5% on its first day of trading, and it closed at $14.25. Verigy, which officially began to operate as a separate company on June 1, makes advanced test systems and software for the semiconductor industry. The company is based in Singapore, but maintains U.S. headquarters in Santa Clara. After the offering, Agilent will own about 85.5% of the company's shares.
https://www.verigy.com/portal/page/portal/Internet%20Highlights/Highlights%20(Final)/Press%20Release%20Repository/Verigy%20Ltd.%20Announces%20Initial%20Public%20Offering

San Mateo-Based Vendio Acquires Majority Stake in Sunnyvale's Andale

San Mateo, Calif. -- Vendio, a San Mateo-based provider of services to online merchants, said on Tuesday that it has acquired a controlling interest in Sunnyvale-based Andale, one of the largest providers of listing management and research services for sellers on eBay. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The two companies said that they are working on several new initiatives that will produce new and expanded services for the seller community. Vendio recently launched a comparison shopping search that incorporates eBay listings, traditional auctions and fixed price storefront listings into its search results. With the deal, Vendio has appointed five directors to Andale's seven-member board of directors. 
http://www.vendio.com/siteupdate.html?popid=477

Redwood Shores-Based Oracle Acquires Telephony@Work

Redwood Shores, Calif. -- Oracle, the Redwood Shores business software giant, said on Tuesday that it has acquired La Jolla-based Telephony@Work, a developer of software infrastructure for hosted contact center services. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Oracle said that the acquisition will make it the first provider of customer relationship management (CRM) applications to unify contact center technology and CRM software.
http://www.oracle.com/corporate/press/2006_jun/telephonyatwork.html

Fremont-Based Asyst Technologies to Delay Annual Report for Options Inquiry

Fremont, Calif. -- Asyst Technologies, a Fremont-based maker of hardware and software used by semiconductor and flat-panel display manufacturers, said on Tuesday that it will delay filing its annual report for the fiscal year ending March 31 while the company conducts an internal review into its past stock option grants and practices. The company is one of several being informally investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company said that it received a letter from the SEC requesting documents relating to stock options granted from since 1997. Asyst said that it is cooperating with the inquiry. The company said that it expects its internal inquiry to be completed in time for it to file its annual report by June 29.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060613/20060613005977.html?.v=1
http://www.asyst.com/

Mountain View-Based Simply Hired to Power MySpace Jobs Section

Mountain View, Calif. - Social networking site MySpace said that it has launched an employment search service powered by Mountain View-based Simply Hired. The service will usewWeb-crawling technology to aggregate more than 5 million job listings from online job boards, as well as newspaper and company web sites. "More than half of all jobs are still found via personal connections," said Gautam Godhwani, the CEO of Simply Hired. "MySpace has a tremendous opportunity to help its users tap the power of their social networks to find work that excites and engages them."
http://www.simplyhired.com/press/archives/2006/06/myspace_launche.php

Jerry Rice to Co-Host Football Show on Sirius Satellite Radio

San Francisco -- Sirius Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite radio programming with 4 million subscribers, said that it has signed former San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders star Jerry Rice to co-host a daily football show. The former receiver began co-hosting "The Afternoon Blitz" with Adam Schein on Tuesday. He will be heard three days a week on Sirius NFL Radio.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060612/nym015.html?.v=59 
http://www.siriusradio.com

San Francisco-Based Palamida Raises $8 Million in Second Funding Round

San Francisco -- Palamida, a San Francisco-based a provider of software intellectual property management and compliance products, said on Monday that it has raised $8 million in its second round of venture capital financing. Menlo Park's Mitsui & Co. Venture Partners led the round, which also included participation from previous investors Hummer Winblad Venture Partners and WaldenVC. The company has now raised a total of $13 million. Through multi-pattern search technology combined with advanced filtering and ranking, Palamida's products are designed to comb through billions of software fingerprints to detect and report on the content of software products. Customers include Avaya, Cisco Systems, EMC, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems.
http://www.palamida.com/newsevents/press_061206_1.html

Redwood City-Based One True Media Lands $5 Million from Kleiner Perkins

Redwood City, Calif. -- One True Media, a Redwood City-based provider of services that allow people to share video, photos and music, said on Monday that it has raised $5 million from Menlo Park-based Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The company didn't disclose specific plans for the investment. Since going live in December, its site now has more than 335,000 registered users who upload, edit and share video stories they have set to music. The company has relationships with online communities such as BabyCenter and SixApart/Typepad, providing members with user generated video capabilities.
http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/aboutus

Livermore-Based Adept to Sell $10 Million in Stock to Crosslink Capital

Livermore, Calif. -- Adept Technology, a Livermore-based maker of robotic systems, said on Monday that it has signed a deal to sell $10 million of its stock to San Francisco-based Crosslink Capital. At $13.68 a share, Crosslink will own approximately 11% of the company. Adept said that it will use the proceeds to fund a series of initiatives aimed at expanding its customer base. The deal is expected to close by the end of this month. Adept's robots, controllers, and software are used for small parts assembly, material handling and packaging.
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=89610&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=871318&highlight=

San Francisco-Based TutorVista Lands $2 Million in First Round

San Francisco -- TutorVista, a San Francisco-based provider of online tutoring and test preparation services, said on Monday that it has secured $2 million in its first round of funding, led by Sequoia Capital India. The company's previous angel investors also participated. TutorVista said that the new capital will help it to expand its operations in the U.S. Launched in 2005, TutorVista offers online tutoring that uses voice and whiteboard features. The company, which operates in the U.S. and U.K., charges a flate rate of $99.99 a month for unlimited online tutoring in all subjects.
http://www.tutorvista.com/index.php
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060612/20060612005854.html?.v=1

House Approves Bill Facilitating Telecom Digital TV Services

Washington, DC -- The House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a measure that would allow telecom providers like AT&T and Verizon to apply for a nationwide license to offer digital TV services. Currently, telecoms must apply for licenses in each individual city or county to offer services such as Verizon's FiOS TV. Proponents say the bill will increase competition with cable TV providers, providing consumers with more choices and lower prices. The House bill must now be brought in line with a Senate version that contains much different language -- a feat that may not be accomplished in this election-year Congressional session.
http://fitzpatrick.house.gov/News/DocumentPrint.aspx?DocumentID=45072

Sweden, Norway, U.K. Petition Apple to Open iTunes to iPod Rivals

Cupertino, Calif. --  Several European countries have filed legal complaints against Cupertino-based Apple over the company's refusal to let songs purchased from its iTunes Store play on devices other than its iPod players, The New York Times reported. Government consumer protection groups in Norway and Sweden have said that the service violates their laws, and Denmark is expected to follow suit. Apple spokesman Fredrik Hallstan told a Norwegian news web site that the company hopes to settle the complaints, rather than shutter its iTunes stores in Scandinavia. The British Phonographic Institute (BPI), the U.K.'s version of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), also has petitioned Apple to open its digital music store to rival portable devices.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/09/technology/08cnd-apple.html

San Jose-Based Cisco to Pay $47.8 Million to Acquire Metreos, Audium

San Jose, Calif. -- Cisco Systems, the San Jose-based network equipment giant, said on Friday that it has reached deals to acquire Texas-based Metreos and New York-based Audium for a total of $47.8 million in cash. Both companies offer drag and drop, application creation and integration tools, which Cisco said will help its development partners more easily create and deploy new business applications. While Metreos's tools focus on the development of IP communication applications, Audium's focus on the development of speech self-service applications. Cisco said that it will pay $28 million in cash for Metreos and $19.8 million in cash for Audium. Metreos was founded in 2001 and has 19 employees, while Audium, founded in 1999, has 26 employees. Once the deals close by the end of July, their products will be integrated into Cisco's Voice Technology Group.
http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2006/corp_060806c.html

San Jose-Based PortalPlayer Cuts 45 Jobs Following Apple Setback

San Jose, Calif. -- Nearly two months after learning that Apple won't be using its latest chips in its flash-based iPods, San Jose-based PortalPlayer said that it has cut 45 jobs, or about 14% of its workforce. The majority of the cuts have taken place in the company's U.S. operations. "In light of the product transition setback we announced on April 19th… we have re-organized our operations to focus on our key initiatives," said Gary Johnson, the president and CEO of PortalPlayer. The company, which makes chips for personal media players, said that it expects to save $6-$7 million a year as a result of the cuts, which are in addition to conservative spending measures that it put in place earlier in the year.
http://www.portalplayer.com/news-and-events/PPI_Streamline.htm

Lockheed Completes Acquisition of Sunnyvale-Based Savi Technology

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- A little more than a month after first announcing the deal, defense contracting giant Lockheed Martin said that it has completed its acquisition of Sunnyvale-based Savi Technology, a maker of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 1989, Savi is a developer of hardware and software designed to track shipments in transit. The company, which has about 300 employees, also holds a majority interest in Savi Networks, a company building a public network in ports that can be used by shippers to monitor the status and security of cargo. Savi will now operate as a subsidiary of Lockheed, managed by Gaithersburg-based Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems & Solutions.
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findPage.do?dsp=fec&ci=17717&rsbci=0&fti=111&ti=0&sc=400

Pleasanton-Based Red Prime Technologies Lands Funding, Opens Facility

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Red Prime Technologies, a Pleasanton-based developer of "smart" video surveillance encoder products for the security industry, said on Friday that it has received an unspecified amount of funding from Robert David Ventures, which the company has used to open its first design and operations facility in Pleasanton. "This facility will enable us to focus on bringing our designs and products to market," said Mike Kozuch, Red Prime's CEO. Kozuch said that the investment will help the company accelerate its product development. 
http://www.redprimeinc.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060609/20060609005180.html?.v=1

Palo Alto-Based Lala.com Launches CD Trading Service

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Lala.com, a Palo Alto-based start-up that facilitates CD trading between members through the mail, said that it has officially launched its service. The company claims a catalog of 1.8 million album titles available from its members, who pay Lala.com $1.49 for each CD they receive from another member. Lala.com said that it also has established a charitable foundation for musicians -- the Z Foundation -- to which it will contribute 20% of its CD trading revenue to compensate artists. The company estimates monthly contributions of between $10,000-$50,000 to the foundation, which will focus on providing health and dental care to working musicians.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060608/sfth049.html?.v=61
http://www.lala.com