Silicon Valley Wire

World Wildlife Fund Launches "Green" Weddings Site

Washington, DC -- The World Wildlife Fund has unveiled a new web site aimed at engaged couples looking to add a bit of green to their white weddings. The WWF's Weddings and Celebrations site offers tips on how to plan an environmentally friendly wedding, such as choosing eco-friendly reception venues, flower arrangements and food caterers. It also includes a wedding gift registry where couples can give guests the option of donating to the organization's conservation programs in lieu of traditional gifts. Couples also can choose to donate to the organization in lieu of traditional party favors, then download printable table cards announcing the donation. "Instead of getting a truck load of items they don't really need, many couples are deciding to use the occasion to tastefully raise funds for a cause they care about, like environmental conservation," said Terry Macko, the WWF's vice president of membership and partner marketing.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/weddings

Michael Cannon Resigns as President and CEO of Milpitas-Based Solectron

Milpitas, Calif. -- Solectron, a Milpitas-based provider of electronics manufacturing and supply chain services, said on Wednesday that Michael Cannon has resigned as its president and CEO. Cannon is leaving to join computer giant Dell, in the newly created position of president of global operations. Solectron's CFO, Paul Tufano, has been named interim CEO while the company conducts its search for a replacement. "We have made great progress in returning Solectron to growth and profitability during Mike's four years as CEO," said Bill Hasler, the company's chairman.
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=74829&p=irol-newsArticle&t=Regular&id=963341&

Mountain View-Based Google Loses Belgian Newspaper Copyright Case

Mountain View, Calif. -- A Belgian court has ruled against Mountain View-based Google in a copyright case in which Belgian newspapers accused the search giant of infringement for posting their news articles without permission, the Associated Press reported. The Copiepresse coalition of Belgian newspapers complained that Google's cache offered free access to articles on their subscription-based sites, and that its Google News posted their content without permission. Google said that it will appeal the ruling. "We believe that Google News is entirely legal," the company said in a statement. "We only ever show the headlines and a few snippets of text and small thumbnail images. If people want to read the entire story they have to click through to the newspaper's web site." The court also ordered Google to pay a fine of about $32,400 for each day that it did not comply with the ruling, down from an earlier ruling in September that put the fine at $1.3 million a day.
http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/B/BELGIUM_GOOGLE_VS_NEWSPAPERS?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
http://www.copiepresse.be

YouTube Releases Identity of TV Show Uploader to Fox

Mountain View, Calif. -- Google's YouTube video-sharing service has complied with subpoenas from 20th Century Fox that sought the identity of a user who uploaded episodes of "24" and "The Simpsons" -- some before their initial broadcasts -- to the site, internetnews.com reported. In addition to YouTube, the video-sharing site Live Digital also complied with a Fox subpoena. YouTube user "ECOtotal" and Live Digital user "Jorge Romero" were targeted in the Fox court filings, and will now be identified by the companies for Fox. "We intend to use the information provided to pursue all available legal remedies against those who infringed our copyrights," Chris Alexander, 20th Century Fox Television's vice president of media relations, told internetnews.com.
http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/3659401
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ECOtotal   

S.F.-Based Digital Magazine Publisher Zinio Acquired by Gilvest

San Francisco -- Zinio Systems, a San Francisco-based provider of digital publishing services for books and magazines, said that it has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by Gilvest, an investment group owned by entrepreneur David Gilmour. Zinio distributes more than 1,200 digital magazine titles and textbooks from more than 240 publisher partners. Since 2002, the company has delivered more than 65 million digital publications. The company will retain its current management team. Gilmour's other ventures include FIJI Water, South Pacific Hotel Corporation, Barrick Gold, TrizecHahn and VIV Publishing.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070213/sftu082.html?.v=93
http://www.zinio.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070213/sftu082.html?.v=93

Cindy Johanson Named COO of San Rafael-Based George Lucas Foundation

San Rafael, Calif. -- Cindy Johanson, a former senior vice president at PBS, on Wednesday was named the new COO of the George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF), a San Rafael-based non-profit group that uses various forms of media to spread the word about exemplary programs in K-12 schools. Johanson's priorities will be to advance an integrated media strategy across platforms including the award-winning Edutopia magazine, Edutopia.org, and e-newsletters. Johanson most recently served as the senior vice president of interactive and education at PBS, where she led the creation and growth of its PBS.org web site and its other Internet services from their inception in 1995. Lucus, the filmmaker responsible for the "Star Wars" series, founded the organization in 1991.
http://www.edutopia.org/

New York Times Co. to Partner with Monster on Co-Branded Job Sites

New York -- The New York Times Co., publisher of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat and Petaluma Argus-Courier, said on Wednesday that it has formed a new marketing partnership with online employment firm Monster Worldwide. Under the deal, 19 of the Times Co.'s newspaper web sites, including The New York Times and The Boston Globe, will co-brand their online recruitment advertising sites with Monster. The expanded sites will feature Monster's career tools and content, and allow recruiters to post job listings locally as well as nationally. Janet Robinson, the CEO of The New York Times, said that the deal "will significantly increase our presence in the online recruitment space." The co-branded sites will begin to appear in March.
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=105317&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=963086&highlight=

Report: Online Sales of Valentine's Flowers, Greeting Cards Spike

Reston, Va. -- Though several online retail categories experienced significant sales increases in the week preceding Valentine's Day, flowers and greeting cards saw especially dramatic gains, according to new figures released by comScore Networks. Compared with the average of the previous four weeks, online sales in the category increased 98% to $24.5 million during the week ending Feb. 11.  Jewelry and watches also saw a bump in sales to $24.7 million, up 22%."In recent years, consumers have increasingly turned to the web for Valentine’s Day gifts," said Andrew Lipsman, a senior analyst at comScore Networks. "Flowers, which are always a sentimental favorite, have experienced the most noticeable spikes in online sales."
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1208

S.F.-Based Bridge Pharmaceuticals Raises $35 Million in Second Round

San Francisco -- Bridge Pharmaceuticals, a San Francisco-based provider of pre-clinical contract pharmaceutical, biologics and vaccine development services, said on Tuesday that it has secured $35 million in its second round of funding. New investor Granite Global Ventures joined the company's previous investors in the round, which the company plans to use to expand its preclinical operations in China. The capital also will help the company pay for its December acquisition of Maryland-based Gene Logic's Preclinical Division, as well as for a planned construction project in Beijing.
http://www.bridgecro.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070213/20070213005583.html?.v=1

South San Francisco-Based Trellis Bioscience Lands $10 Million in VC

South San Francisco -- Trellis Bioscience, a South San Francisco-based biotechnology company, said on Tuesday that it ha ssecured $10 million in its second round of venture capital financing. New investor Novartis Bioventures led the round, which also included participation from new investors Pac-Link Bio Venture Investment and Sagamore Bioventures, as well as previous investors Easton-Hunt Capital Partners and Morgenthaler Partners VII. The company plans to sue the proceeds to develop product candidates, bothj for itself and corporate partners. "This financing will help to transform Trellis from a technology platform company to a product-oriented biotechnology firm that generates its own therapeutic candidates in the areas of infectious disease and oncology," said CEO Brian Cunningham.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070213/20070213005769.html?.v=1
http://www.trellisbio.com/

Palo Alto-Based Telik to Cut 25% of Staff in Restructuring

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Telik, a Palo Alto-based biopharmaceutical firm, said on Tuesday that it will cut 25% of its workforce --  approximately 40 employees -- in a corporate restructuring aimed at significantly reducing spending. Following the moves, the company will have about 120 employees. Telik said that it wil record a $1.6 million charge for restructuring and severance costs in the current quarter. The company's most advanced drug candidate is designed to ovarian cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.
http://www.telik.com/pr/2007/pr_2007_0213.html

Palo Alto-Based LiveOps Raises $28 Million in Third Round of Funding

Palo Alto, Calif. -- LiveOps, a Palo Alto-based provider of distributed contact center services to companies, said on Tuesday that it has raised $28 million in its third round of funding. Benchmark Capital led the round, which also included participation from previous investors CMEA Ventures and Menlo Ventures. LiveOps, which in December brought in former eBay COO Maynard Webb as its CEO, said that it will use the infusion to help accelerate its growth through investments and acquisitions. The company provides its more than 150 clients with call center services through its network of more than 10,000 work-from-home customer service agents.
http://www.liveops.com/news_07-0213.html

San Jose-Based eBay Completes Acquisition of S.F.-Based StubHub

San Jose, Calif. -- More than a month earlier than expected, San Jose-based eBay said Tuesday that it has completed its $307 million acquisition of San Francisco-based StubHub, an online marketplace for the resale of event tickets. The companies first announced the deal in January, and expected it to close by the end of March. eBay said that the deal will allow it to expand its presence in the online tickets segment. Launched in 2000, StubHub last year sold more than $400 million worth of concert, event and sports tickets.
http://investor.ebay.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=229810

Bellrock Media Acquires S.F.-Based Mobile Entertainment Publisher Moderati

San Francisco -- Bellrock Media, a Santa Monica-based developer of premium entertainment content, said that it has acquired Moderati, a San Francisco-based publisher of mobile entertainment content. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Moderati was founded in 2001 as a unit of Japan-based Faith Inc., and has deals with 14 U.S. wireless carriers to distribute both its own ringtones and entertainment products, as well as partners' content. Founded in 2005, Bellrock develops and distributes original digital entertainment content; its backers include Intel and Faith, Inc. "Bringing Moderati and its management team under the Bellrock umbrella gives us tremendous credibility and a mature platform from which to execute in the U.S. mobile market," said Peter Levin, the president of Bellrock. "This acquisition accelerates our growth timeline domestically and gets us up to speed with our Japanese operation."
http://www.bellrockmedia.com/en/brmmod.html

San Francisco-Based GoFish to Acquire Bolt Media for $30 Million

San Francisco -- GoFish, a San Francisco-based video sharing site, said on Monday that it will acquire New York-based Bolt Media in a stock-for-stock deal worth as much as $30 million. The combined company will develop made-for-Internet programming geared toward 18-34 year-olds. Bolt reported sales in 2006 of approximately $7 million, and counts Coca-Cola, Verizon Wireless, Nike and Sony among its repeat advertisers. The deal is expected to close in March or April. "Bolt is one of the Internet’s great youth brands and a perfect fit for GoFish," said Michael Downing, the CEO of GoFish.
http://www.gofish.com/corp/press.gfp

Redwood City-Based EA Acquires San Francisco's SingShot Media

Redwood City, Calif. -- Electronic Arts, the Redwood City-based developer and publisher of video games, said on Monday that it has acquired SingShot Media, developer of a San Francisco-based online karaoke community. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. SingShot's web-based social networking platform allows site members to record their renditions of famous songs, share their recordings with friends and customize recordings with photos and videos. EA said that the acquisition will accelerate its efforts in community-building and promoting user-generated content.
http://info.ea.com/news/news.php

Sunnyvale-Based ShoreTel Files to Raise Up to $85 Million in IPO

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- ShoreTel, a Sunnyvale-based provider of Internet telephone systems for businesses, on Monday filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to raise up to $85 million in an initial public offering (IPO). Details such as the number of shares or their expected price range have yet to be disclosed. The company said that it has sold its telecommunications systems to over 4,000 corporate customers, including CNET Networks, Robert Half International and the City of Oakland. Last year, ShoreTel recorded net income of $3.95 million, its first profit, on $1.6 million in revenue.
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1388133/000089161807000066/f26847orsv1.htm

Mountain View-Based Dash Navigation Lands $25 Million in Funding

Mountain View, Calif. -- Dash Navigation, a Mountain View-based developer of Internet-connected GPS devices, said on Monday that it has raised $25 million in its second round of funding, led by Crescendo Ventures. New investors Artis Capital, ZenShin Capital Partners and Gold Hill Capital, as well as previous investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sequoia Capital and Skymoon Ventures also participated. The company said that it will use the capital to fund this fall's national consumer roll-out of its Internet-connected automotive GPS device, which was picked "Best of Show" by CNET and LAPTOP Magazine at the recent International Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
http://www.dash.net/news_pr-070212.php

San Jose-Based Cisco to Acquire San Francisco-Based Five Across

San Jose, Calif. -- Cisco Systems, the San Jose-based networking equipment giant, has announced its first foray into the social networking space with its deal to acquire Five Across, a San Francisco-based developer of technology that lets companies add social networking and user-generated content functionality to their web sites. Financial terms of the deal, expected to close by the end of April, were not disclosed. Founded in 2003, Five Across has 11 employees and a customer base that includes the National Hockey League (NHL), Alloy and Daily Comedy. Once the deal closes, the company will be integrated into the Cisco Media Solutions Group (CMSG).
http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/070209/0213454.html
http://www.cisco.com/go/media 

Cytyc to Acquire Sunnyvale-Based Adeza for $452 Million

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Cytyc, a Massachusetts-based provider of surgical and diagnostic products, has agreed to pay $452 million in cash to acquire Adeza Biomedical, a Sunnyvale-based maker of products for women's health. Adeza's key product is used to identify women at risk of preterm birth. The test is a single-use, disposable cassette run on Adeza's TLiIQ instrument, which assesses the level of a certain fetal protein associated with premature births.
http://ir.cytyc.com/ReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=229483

Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers Leads $16.5 Million Round for Vertica

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a Menlo Park-based private equity firm, has led a new $16.5 million funding round for Vertica, a Massachusetts-based developer of database management technology, Private Equity Week reported. Previous investors Bessemer Venture Partners and Highland Capital Partners also participated. Vertica was founded in 2005, and its first product is still in best testing.
http://www.vertica.com

Redwood City-Based EoPlex Technologies Raises $8 Million in Third Round

Redwood City, Calif. -- EoPlex Technologies, a Redwood City-based maker of miniature devices designed to generate and manage energy, said that it has raised $8 million in its third round of funding, led by ATA Ventures. Previous investors Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Labrador Ventures and Draper-Richards also participated. The company said that it will use the proceeds to expand its design and manufacturing capabilities. EoPlex is developing new technologies to manufacture miniature electronic components and subassemblies. The company said that its 3-D parts are printed in layers using special "inks" depositing materials in millions of locations.
http://www.eoplex.com/pr_feb0807.html

San Jose-Based Tripath Technology Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

San Jose, Calif. -- Tripath Technology, a developer of power amplification technology to the digital media, consumer electronics and communications markets, said that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company said that it will ask the court to allow it to continue operations. Tripath revealed in late December that it needed to either find a buyer or secure additional financing to prevent the holders of its debentures to potentially force it into an involuntary bankruptcy proceeding. The company also said that it did not have sufficient cash or other resources to even complete its financial statements for fiscal 2006, and had been able to operate since the end of August only by collecting advance payments from distributors, reducing its payroll expenses and delaying making payments to those it owed.
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=121527&p=irol-newsArticle&t=Regular&id=961125&

Filing: YouTube Investors Reap Sizable Windfalls in Google Deal

Mountain View, Calif. -- Several of YouTube's top investors experienced massive paydays when the video sharing company was acquired for $1.65 billion last year by Mountain View-based Google, according to a new filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among the largest beneficiaries were the three YouTube founders, venture capital firm Sequoia Capital and funds associated with Artis Capital Management. Company co-founders Chad Hurley and Steven Chen walked away with $345 millions and $326 million respectively, while fellow co-founder Jawed Karim made $64 million. The Sequoia Capital XI Fund reaped $442 million, and Artis Capital Management cleared $83 million.
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/sec?s=GOOG

Fremont-Based Pegasus Wireless Given OK to Begin Operations in Bahamas

Fremont, Calif. -- Pegasus Wireless, a Fremont-based maker of hardware and software for broadband wireless networking and Internet access, said on Friday that it has received the necessary licenses to begin operating its new manufacturing facility in the Bahamas. The company said that both the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the Bahamian government have granted their approvals. The facility, located in Freeport, will be used to further develop the company's manufacturing and distribution capabilities.
http://www.pegasuswirelesscorp.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070209/20070209005333.html?.v=1

Report: 73% of U.S. Companies Say They'll Advertise in New Media

Washington, DC - Seventy-three percent of U.S. companies plan to spend as much as a fifth of their advertising budgets on ads that appear in web sites, blogs, video games, virtual worlds and other "new media" sectors, according to a new survey by the American Advertising Federation (AAF). "The survey confirms a strong commitment among executives to complementing traditional media by allocating a portion of their budgets to new media properties and experimentation," said the AAF. The survey also revealed executives' belief that traditional media categories, such as newspapers, network television and radio, are in need of innovation if they are to remain competitive.
http://www.aaf.org/news/press20070206_01.html

Menlo Park-Based Promptu Raises $5.6 Million in New Funding Round

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Promptu, a Menlo Park-based provider of voice-powered search and navigation services to mobile operators and their subscribers, said that it has raised $5.6 million in a new round of funding. Previous investors Steelpoint Capital, Lauder Partners and other private investors participated in the round, which the company plans to use to further develop its technology that lets people use their voice to find and purchase content on mobile phones, as well as to expand its business development efforts globally. Founded in April 2000 as AgileTV, Promptu has raised a total of $17.3 million since transforming itself into a wireless company last year, including $11.6 million in a round that closed in September.
http://www.promptu.com/company/press-release-06.php

American Capital Invests $77 Million in Sunnyvale-Based EAG

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- American Capital Strategies, a Maryland-based investment and buyout firm, said that it has invested another $77 million in Evans Analytical Group (EAG), a Sunnyvale-based provider of analytical lab services to high tech companies. American Capital said that its investment, in the form of senior term loans and additional senior subordinated debt, supported EAG's acquisitions of five companies --Advanced Materials Engineering Research, Materials Analytical Services, Cascade Scientific, Shiva Technologies Group and Nano Sciences. American Capital also increased the company's revolving credit facility. The firm initially invested in EAG in late 2005.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070207/dcw055.html?.v=76
http://www.americancapital.com/

San Jose-Based Tessera Technologies Completes Acquisition of Eyesquad

San Jose, Calif. -- Tessera Technologies, a San Jose-based developer of miniaturization technologies for the electronics industry, said on Thursday that it has completed its $18 million cash acquisition of Eyesquad, an Israeli developer of digital auto-focus and optical zoom technologies for camera phones and other electronic products that integrate cameras. The deal was first announced late last month. Tessera said that combining its technology with Eyesquad's will allow it to offer greater capabilities in miniaturized cameras used in a broad range of electronic products.
http://www.tessera.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070208/20070208006005.html?.v=1

San Francisco-Based VIA Pharmaceuticals to Merge with Corautus Genetics

San Francisco --  VIA Pharmaceuticals, a San Francisco-based drug development company, said on Thursday that it has agreed to merger with Corautus Genetics, an Atlanta-based developer of gene therapy products for cardiovascular disease. Under the deal, VIA stockholders will own approximately 76.4% of the combined company, with Corautus' stockholders owning the remainder. "The merger is expected to create a drug development company focused on compounds that target inflammation in the blood vessel wall as an innovative approach to the treatment of cardiovascular disease," said a press release on Thursday announcing the deal. The combined company's lead product candidate will be a small-molecule drug that targets inflammation in the blood vessel wall, which is believed to be a key disease process in atherosclerosis.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070208/clth054a.html?.v=3

AOL, Former Execs to Pay $105 Million to Settle CalSTRS Suit

Sacramento, Calif. -- In a case dating back to the Internet bubble, Internet giant AOL, several of its former executives and a handful of banks have agreed to pay $105 million to a major California pension fund to settle claims that AOL artificially inflated the price of its stock prior to its merger with Time Warner. The deal follows a lawsuit by the Sacramento-based California State Teachers' Retirement System, commonly known as CalSTRS, which claimed that AOL's inflated prices in 2000 and 2001 cost its pension fund about $135 million. Time Warner previously agreed to pay a total of $510 million to settle similar shareholder suits and regulatory charges relating to the deal. CalSTRS said that the settlement did not resolve its claims against AOL's accountants, Ernst & Young.
http://www.calstrs.com/Newsroom/2007/news020707.aspx

TiVo, Amazon Enable Unbox Movie, TV Downloads to TiVo Boxes

Alviso, Calif. -- TiVo, the Alviso-based provider of digital video recorders and subscription services, said that it has partnered with Amazon.com, to enable TiVo users to rent and purchase movies and TV shows from Amazon's Unbox video download service and watch them on their televisions. The Amazon Unbox on TiVo service is currently in beta testing, and will soon be available on the more than 1.5 million broadband-ready TiVo boxes in consumers' homes. Launched in September, Amazon's Unbox service offers movies and TV shows from partners including CBS, Fox, Lionsgate, Paramount, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Entertainment. TiVo owners using the Amazon service will pay $1.99 to download TV shows, and between $9.99 and $14.99 for most movies. Users will also be able to rent movies on the service, starting at $1.99.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070207/20070206006495.html?.v=1   
http://www.amazon.com/unbox   
http://www.tivo.com/amazon

Study: Playing Video Games Can Improve Vision by 20%

Rochester, N.Y. -- Despite previous beliefs to the contrary, playing video games has been found to improve vision, according to a new study from the University of Rochester. The study found that those who played action games several hours a day over the course of a month saw their vision improve by about 20%. Researchers had one group play a high-action, first-person shooter game, and another play a less visually stimulating game over the month. None of the subjects chosen had played games much during the previous year. The researchers then tested the vision of all subjects, finding that those who played the shooter game showed improved vision. "These [action] games push the human visual system to the limits and the brain adapts to it. That learning carries over into other activities and possibly everyday life," said Daphne Bavelier, a professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester.
http://www.bcs.rochester.edu/people/daphne/visual.html#video   
http://www.bcs.rochester.edu/people/daphne/webdemos.html   

Mountain View-Based Intuit Completes $1.33 Billion Acquisition of Digital Insight

Mountain View, Calif. -- Intuit, the Mountain View-based maker of Quicken and TurboTax software, said on Wednesday that it has completed its $1.33 billion cash acquisition of  Calabasas-based Digital Insight, a provider of online banking services. With the acquisition, first announced in November, Intuit said that it will be able to combine work flows in its financial management tools with online banking capability. The company also will increase its customer base to more than 5,000 financial institutions, nearly 25 million consumers and nearly 7 million small businesses. Digital Insight will operate as a new division of Intuit from its existing facilities in California and Georgia. Intuit said that it financed the purchase price, in part, with a $1 billion bridge loan.
http://web.intuit.com/about_intuit/press_releases/2007/02-07.html

Santa Clara-Based Beceem Communications Raises $40 Million in Funding

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Beceem Communications, a Santa Clara-based maker of mobile WiMAX chipsets, said on Wednesday that it has raised more than $40 million in its fourth round of funding, led by Teachers' Private Capital. New investor NEC and all of the company's previous investors also participated. Beceem said that it will use the proceeds to invest in new product initiatives and strengthen its development capabilities. The three-year-old company has had little trouble drawing interest from investors, landing $20 million in its third round in late 2005 before landing a "substantial" investment from Intel Capital last March.
http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2167

San Ramon-Based Caritor to Acquire Keane for $854 Million

San Ramon, Calif. -- Caritor, a San Ramon-based provider of information technology services, said on Wednesday that it will pay $854 million in cash to acquire Keane Inc., a Boston-based business process and IT services firm. The deal is expected to close by mid-year. The combined company, to operate under the Keane name with headquarters in Boston, will have annual revenue of over $1 billion and employ about 14,000 workers. Mani Subramanian, chairman and CEO of Caritor, will retain those titles with the combined entity.
http://www.keane.com/about_keane/news_room/press_releases_1386.htm

Lockheed Martin Opens New Facility in North San Jose

San Jose, Calif. -- Lockheed Martin, the Maryland-based defense contracting giant, on Wednesday officially opened its newest facility, an operations building in North San Jose. that will prototype and test systems as part of a $2 billion Defense Department communications contract. The facility, known as the TSAT (Transformational Satellite Communications Systems) Missions Operations System building, eventually will house more than 300 employees, the company said. The project also includes an advanced network that will provide high-bandwidth, secure communications for the Air Force. San Jose mayor Chuck Reed performed a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new building on Wednesday.
http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/070207/0212636.html   
http://www.lockheedmartin.com

Santa Clara-Based SideStep Raises $15 Million in Third Round of Funding

Santa Clara, Calif. -- SideStep, a Santa Clara-based provider of travel search services, said on Wednesday that it has raised $15 million in its third round of funding, led by Norwest Venture Partners. Trident Capital, Leader Ventures and Saints Capital also participated. SideStep said that it will use the new capital to aggressively scale key areas of its business, as well as to expand its media and user-generated content offerings. Established in 1999, SideStep originally developed a downloadable toolbar that allowed consumers to compare travel options across multiple sites, and in 2005 launched its comparison shopping web site, which includes options from more than 600 airlines, 150,000 hotels and 30,000 car rental locations. The company acquired San Mateo-based TravelPost.com in October, adding user-generated hotel reviews, photos and blogs to its site.
http://www.sidestep.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/070207/20070207005458.html?.v=1

Apple's Steve Jobs Calls on Labels to Abandon Digital Rights Management

Cupertino, Calif. -- Steve Jobs, the CEO of Cupertino-based Apple, has published an open letter on the company's web site suggesting that record labels abandon their digital rights management (DRM) technology and release songs for sale in an unprotected format that can play on any device. "Imagine a world where every online store sells DRM-free music encoded in open licensable formats," Jobs wrote. "In such a world, any player can play music purchased from any store, and any store can sell music which is playable on all players. This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat." A number of consumer advocacy groups in Europe have complained that Apple has a digital music monopoly, since songs purchased from its iTunes Store will only play on its iPod. In his letter, Jobs suggested that these complaints might be better directed at the record industry, which insisted on the addition of digital rights management to songs before licensing them to Apple.
http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic   

Google's YouTube to Post Copyright Warnings on Japanese Site

Mountain View, Calif. -- Mountain View-based Google's YouTube video-sharing service has agreed to post warnings on the Japanese version of its web site that ask users not to upload copyrighted materials, Reuters reported. The Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) in October asked YouTube to remove 30,000 of its members' copyrighted clips. YouTube complied, and in December JASRAC followed-up with a letter asking YouTube to implement a copyright filtering system. YouTube executives traveled to Japan to meet with representatives of JASRAC and other copyright groups recently. One solution YouTube has reached with other copyright holders, such as NBC Universal and Warner Music Group, is an agreement allowing users to post copyrighted clips, with copyright holders receiving compensation from YouTube.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyID=2007-02-06T162420Z_01_FOR642306_RTRUKOC_0_US-YOUTUBE-JAPAN.xml&WTmodLoc=InternetNewsHome_C1_%5BFeed%5D-8
http://www.jasrac.or.jp/ejhp/index.htm

Santa Clara-Based Hitachi Data Systems to Acquire Archivas

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Looking to bolster its content services, Santa Clara-based Hitachi Data Systems, the data storage unit of Japanese consumer electronics giant Hitachi, said on Tuesday that it will acquire Archivas, a Massachusetts-based developer of digital archiving technology. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Hitachi Data Systems said that the acquisition builds on a product development and distribution deal that it signed with  Archivas last year. Under that agreement, the company developed an archiving platform built on Archivas' technology.
http://www.hds.com/press_room/press_releases/2007/gl070206.html

San Mateo-Based Greenplum Raises $19 Million; Hires Former Sun Exec as CEO

San Mateo, Calif. -- Greenplum, a San Mateo-based developer of an open-source database for business intelligence and data warehousing, said on Tuesday that it has raised $19 million  in equity and debt financing, and named former Sun Microsystems executive Bill Cook as its CEO. The company said that $15 million came from a round of venture capital financing round led by Sierra Ventures. Previous investors Mission Ventures, Dawntreader Ventures and EDF Ventures also participated. Greenplum also received a $4 million line of credit from Comerica Bank. The company said that it will use the new capital to continue development of its database, as well as to expand its sales and marketing efforts globally. Cook spent 19 years at Sun, finishing as its senior vice president of U.S. sales. He most recently served as the senior vice president of sales and services at Penguin Computers.
http://www.greenplum.com/news/pressRelease.php?item=20070206b

S.F.-Based HandHeld Entertainment Acquires Putfile.com for $7.1 Million

San Francisco -- HandHeld Entertainment, a San Francisco-based maker of portable media players, said on Tuesday that it has acquired Putfile.com a U.K.-based free digital media service featuring user-generated content, for about $7.1 million. Under the deal, HandHeld paid $500,000 in cash at closing, and will pay another $580,000 over the next 12 months. The remainder came in the form of stock. HandHeld said that the acquisition will enhance its stature in the online video market by significantly increasing its audience. The company now has more than 425,000 free and premium videos -- including music videos, anime features, television shows, movies, and other programming -- available on its network of web sites. "The Putfile acquisition clearly establishes our place in the online video world," said Jeff Oscodar, the president and CEO of HandHeld. "With more than 13.7 million monthly unique visitors and 83 million page views combined last month, we have a substantial and engaged audience." The company also said that the move will enhance its chances to reach cash-flow positive by the end of the year. 
http://www.hheld.com/news/20070205.php.

San Francisco-Based GroundWork Lands $12.5 Million in Third Round

San Francisco -- GroundWork Open Source, a San Francisco-based developer of open source systems and network management software, said on Tuesday that it has secured $12.5 million in its third round of funding. The round includes new investors JAFCO Ventures and SAP Ventures, as well as previous investors Canaan Partners and Mayfield Fund. The company, which last raised $8.5 million last March, said that it will use a portion of the proceeds to expand its partner network and broaden its product portfolio. GroundWork unifies open source projects into a software platform for monitoring and managing the performance and availability of IT infrastructure.
http://www.groundworkopensource.com/news/press_releases/20070206-seriesc.html

Los Gatos-Based TriCipher Raises $15 Million in Third Round of Funding

Los Gatos, Calif. -- TriCipher, a Los Gatos-based developer of user authentication security infrastructure designed to protect against fraud and identity theft, said that it has raised $15 million in its third round of funding, led by RBC Technology Ventures. Previous investors Arrowpath Venture Partners, Intel Capital, Trident Capital, Wasatch Venture Fund and Zions SBIC also participated, with Comerica also providing the company with a debt facility. TriCipher said that it will use the capital to expand its product development, sales and marketing activities, as well as diversify its customer service offering. TriCipher's authentication system allows companies to deploy and manage multiple types of credentials from a single infrastructure.
http://www.tricipher.com/news/pr132.htm

Milpitas-Based Aperto Networks Raises $19 Million in New Funding

Milpitas, Calif. -- Aperto Networks, a maker of wireless (WiMAX) base stations and subscriber units, said that it has raised $19 million in a follow-on round of funding, increasing its total capitalization to $139 million. The financing round, the third tranche in a series, was led by GunnAllen Venture Partners, and included participation from all previous investors including JK&B Capital, Canaan Partners, Alliance Ventures, Innovacom, JAFCO, Labrador Ventures and Tyco. "We intend to use these funds to enhance and expand our WiMAX products and to accelerate their deployment on a global basis," said Mike Pratt, the president and CEO of Aperto.
http://www.apertonet.com/news/archives013107.html 

Study: Internet-Connected Computers Attacked by Hackers Every 39 Seconds

College Park, Md. -- Computers with Internet access are attacked by hackers an average of every 39 seconds, according to a new study by the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering. The study, conducted by assistant professor Michel Cukier, profiled the behavior of "brute force" hackers, who use simple software-aided techniques to randomly attack large numbers of computers. "Most of these attacks employ automated scripts that indiscriminately seek out thousands of computers at a time, looking for vulnerabilities," said Cukier. In the study, Cukier and two of his graduate students set up weak security on four Linux computers with Internet access, then recorded what happened as the individual machines were attacked. They discovered the vast majority of attacks came from relatively unsophisticated hackers using "dictionary scripts," a type of software that runs through lists of common usernames and passwords attempting to break into a computer. "The computers in our study were attacked, on average, 2,244 times a day," said Cukier. "Root" was the top username guess by dictionary scripts, attempted 12 times as often as the second-place "admin." Other top usernames in the hackers' scripts were "test," "guest," "info," "adm," "mysql," "user," "administrator" and "oracle." All should be avoided as usernames, Cukier said.
http://www.eng.umd.edu/media/pressreleases/pr020607_hacker.html

Santa Clara-Based Transmeta Cuts 39% of Staff, Plans Further Layoffs

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Transmeta, a Santa Clara-based developer of computing, microprocessor and semiconductor technologies, said on Monday that it has cut 75 jobs -- or about 39% of its staff -- and plans to close its sales and support offices in Taiwan and Japan. Most of the affected employees worked in the company's engineering services business. Over the next two quarters,
Transmeta said that it plans to further reduce its headcount by 25-55 workers as it completes its existing engineering services work. The company said that the moves, estimated to save it $17-$23 million a year, are an effort to streamline operations as it focuses on its core business of developing and licensing intellectual property. "After a critical evaluation of all our lines of businesses, we have decided that IP development and licensing will be our core business activity going forward," said Lester Crudele, Transmeta's president and CEO.
http://investor.transmeta.com/ReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=228306

Cupertino-Based Apple Settles Long-Running Dispute with Beatles' Apple Corp.

Cupertino, Calif. -- Ending months of contentious negotiations over a trademark dispute between the two companies, Cupertino-based Apple said on Monday that it has reached a deal with Beatles record label Apple Corp. over use of the name "Apple" and apple logos. Apple Corps had previously sued Apple, claiming that the computing giant violated a 1991 agreement to not move into the music business when it opened its iTunes Music Store. Under the new agreement, Apple will own all of the trademarks related to “Apple” and will license some of those trademarks back to Apple Corps for their continued use. The ongoing lawsuit also will come to an end, with each party bearing its own legal costs, and Apple will continue using its name and logos on iTunes. Other financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed. "We love the Beatles, and it has been painful being at odds with them over these trademarks," said Apple  CEO Steve Jobs. "It feels great to resolve this in a positive manner, and in a way that should remove the potential of further disagreements in the future."
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/02/05apple.html

YouTube to Comply with Viacom's Call to Remove 100,000 Copyrighted Clips

Mountain View, Calif. -- YouTube, the popular video sharing site owned by Mountain View-based Google, said that it will comply with media conglomerate Viacom's request for it to remove more than 100,000 copyrighted clips from Viacom's properties, including MTV, Comedy Central and BET. Viacom last week called for YouTube to pull the videos, siring "months of ongoing discussions" with YouTube and Google that had yet to result in what the company terms a "fair market agreement." "Filtering tools promised repeatedly by YouTube and Google have not been put in place, and they continue to host and stream vast amounts of unauthorized video," Viacom said in a statement. In response, a YouTube spokesperson told MarketWatch.com, "It's unfortunate that Viacom will no longer be able to benefit from YouTube's passionate audience which has helped to promote many of Viacom's shows."
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070202/viacom_youtube.html?.v=3
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7b98A05519-C14E-4E1C-A961-BE146C4C55D8%7d&siteid=yhoo&dist=yhoo