Silicon Valley Wire

Google to Bid on Wireless Spectrum at FCC Auction

Mountain View, Calif. -- Ending months of speculation, Mountain View-based Google on Friday announced that it will take part in the Federal Communications Commission's upcoming wireless spectrum auction -- a move that could eventually put the company in position to begin offering wireless phone and Internet services. January's action for space in the 700 megahertz spectrum likely will pit Google against such industry heavyweights as Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Earlier this week, Verizon Wireless announced that it would become the first major mobile service in the U.S. to open its network to outside wireless devices and software -- requirements being imposed on spectrum bidders by the FCC, largely as a result of Google's influence. "We believe it's important to put our money where our principles are," said Eric Schmidt, the chairman and CEO, Google. "No matter which bidder ultimately prevails, the real winners of this auction are American consumers who likely will see more choices than ever before in how they access the Internet."
http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/pressrel/fccspectrum_20071130.html

San Francisco-Based AdBrite Lands $23 Million in Third Round

San Francisco - AdBrite, a San Francisco-based provider of online advertising services, announced on Friday that it has raised $23 million in its third round of venture capital financing from Sequoia Capital, DAG Ventures and Mitsui Ventures. Founded in 2002, AdBrite operates an auction-based marketplace for the buying and selling of online ads, and says it serves ads on over a billion pages a day. The company also announced that former Coca-Cola CMO Peter Sealey has joined its board. "This additional funding and new board expertise will help accelerate our expansion," said Ignacio Fanlo, the CEO of AdBrite.
http://www.adbrite.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071130/aqf014.html?.v=31

Facebook Lands $60 Million Investment from Hong Kong Billionaire

Palo Alto Calif. -- Facebook, the Palo Alto-based online social network, has received a $60 million investment from Li Ka-shing, the Hong Kong billionaire and chairman of network operator Hutchison Whampoa and Chinese portal Tom Online, AllThingsD reported. Li Ka-shing, who ranked ninth on Forbes' 2007 World's Billionaires list, also reportedly has an option to invest another $60 million in the company. The funding comes on the heels of Microsoft's $240 million investment in Facebook last month.
http://kara.allthingsd.com/20071130/facebook-nabs-60-million-investment-from-li-ka-shing/
http://www.facebook.com

Sunnyvale-Based Yahoo, AOL May Shutter Web Radio Services

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Facing a 38% increase in music royalties at the hands of the Copyright Royalty Board, Sunnyvale-based Yahoo and AOL may shutter their Internet radio services, Bloomberg reported. "If the rates remain as they are, it would be very challenging to sustain a business that is profitable," Lisa Namerow, the managing director of AOL Radio, told Bloomberg. Ian Rogers, the general manager of Yahoo Music, told the new service that his company won't stay in the business if "cost is more than we make long term." Both companies are appealing the royalty rates proposed by music industry organization SoundExchange and approved by the Copyright Royalty Board, though the U.S. Court of Appeals may not rule on the matter until 2009. Since the new rates went into effect, Yahoo and AOL have each stopped promoting their web radio services.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a0pKOrcpw6yE&refer=us
http://music.aol.com/radioguide/bb
http://music.yahoo.com/launchcast/setup.asp

Patent Office Upholds TiVo Patent; EchoStar Appeal Still Pending

Alviso, Calif. -- TiVo, the Alviso-based provider of digital video recorders and programming services, said that the U.S. Patent Office has upheld its "Time Warp" patent on digital video recording technology after a reexamination was requested by rival EchoStar. TiVo is suing EchoStar for infringing the patent on its recorders. Though EchoStar won't be able to appeal the PTO's decision, it won't impact EchoStar's separate appeal of a federal court ruling, which found the company guilty of patent infringement. EchoStar is the operator of the DISH Network satellite TV service.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071129/aqth099.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/071129/132286.html
http://www.echostar.com
http://www.tivo.com 

AT&T Chief: 3G Apple iPhone Coming in 2008

Cupertino, Calif. -- Cupertino-Based Apple plans to introduce a 3G version of its iPhone sometime next year, according to Randall Stephenson, the CEO of AT&T, Bloomberg reported. Stephenson added that Apple CEO Steve Jobs "will dictate what the price of the phone is." The current version of the iPhone in the U.S. operates on AT&T's EDGE network, which provides mobile web access that is decidedly slower than a 3G connection. Apple sold 1.4 million iPhones through September, and expects to sell 10 million worldwide next year.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aAoHevYzQJgw&refer=us
http://www.apple.com/iphone/

Glu Mobile to Acquire Chinese Mobile Game Developer MIG

San Mateo, Calif. --  Glu Mobile, a San Mateo-based publisher of mobile games, said on Thursday that it will pay $14.7 million in cash to acquire MIG Information Technology, a developer and publisher of mobile games for China. The value of the deal could rise by as much as $25 million, depending on MIG's performance in 2008. Glu said that the acquisition will accelerate its presence in China, as well as deepen its relationship with China Mobile, the country's largest wireless carrier. As part of the acquisition, which is expected to close within three weeks, MIG CEO Wang Bin will join Glu as its general manager focused on China.
http://www.glu.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071129/20071129005281.html?.v=1

Fremont-Based U4EA Technologies Acquires J6 Technology

Fremont, Calif. -- U4EA Technologies, a Fremont-based maker of devices that allow service providers to deploy Internet voice, data and video services to customers, said on Thursday that it has acquired J6 Technology, an Ireland-based supplier of network signaling gateways. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. U4EA said that the acquisition will add additional voice signaling capabilities to its product portfolio. "By adding the J6 signaling gateways to U4EA’s portfolio, U4EA will enable service providers and carriers to connect to other signaling networks or customer equipment," said Ken Epps, the CEO of U4EA Technologies.
http://www.u4eatech.com 
http://www.j6technology.com/
http://www.u4eatech.com/news_press_J6acquisition

LaserCard CEO to Retire, New Chairman Named

Mountain View, Calif. -- LaserCard, a developer of biometric ID cards, said on Thursday that Richard Haddock will retire as its CEO on March 31. The company plans to launch a formal search for his replacement. LaserCard also has named Bernard Bailey as its new chairman, replacing Don Mattson, who will become vice chairman. Bailey is expected to assume a more active role in company operations until a successor to Haddock is found. Haddock has been with LaserCard for more than 26 years, serving as its CEO for the past three.
http://www.lasercard.com/newsReleases.php?key=50&release=123&yr=2007
http://www.lasercard.com/

Google Adds Location Finder to Mobile Map Service

Mountain View, Calif. -- Mountain View-based Google has announced the beta launch of a new service that will enhance its mobile mapping system by calculating the position of cell phone users, based on information broadcast from cell towers. The My Location feature, basically a workaround for non-GPS-enabled mobile devices, is accurate to within about 1,000 meters, and will initially work with all color BlackBerry devices, all Symbian Series 60 3rd Edition devices, most Windows Mobile devices, newer Sony Ericsson devices and some Motorola devices. Notably absent is Apple's iPhone, which uses Google Maps and does not have GPS.
http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/annc/20071128_maps_mobile_my_location.html http://www.google.com/mobile/gmm

"Cyber Monday" Retail Spending Hits Record $733 Million

Reston, Va. -- Online bargain-hunters spent $733 million on "Cyber Monday," a 21% increase over last year, according to new data from comScore. It marked the first time that a single day of online retail spending has broken the $700 million threshold. "While that makes it the heaviest online shopping day on record, we expect that a number of individual shopping days during the coming weeks will surpass the Cyber Monday total, with some days potentially surpassing $800 million," said Gian Fulgoni, the chairman of comScore. The most visited retail sites on the day included Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target, Dell and Best Buy. The Monday after Thanksgiving was coined "Cyber Monday" by the industry in 2005, and now marks the unofficial kick-off of the online holiday shopping season.
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1921

San Francisco-Based Amobee Lands Investment from Vodafone

San Francisco -- Amobee Media Systems, the San Francisco-based developer of ad-serving software used by mobile operators, said on Wednesday that it has landed a minority investment from European mobile carrier Vodafone. Two-year-old Amobee said that it also has received investments from Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners and Globespan. Financial terms were not disclosed. The company said that its software can deliver ads to all mobile content and communication types, including WAP and mobile web, mobile games, mobile video and mobile messaging. It launched its first live consumer trial in March 2006, and now counts several commercial operators among its clients, including Vodafone in Greece, the Czech Republic and Spain.
http://www.amobee.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071128/20071128005571.html?.v=1

Sunnyvale-Based Platform Solutions Raises $37 Million in Third Round

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Platform Solutions Inc. (PSI), a Sunnyvale-based developer of mainframe computers for data centers, said that it has raised $37 million in its third round of funding. Investors in the round, which the company plans to use to expand its engineering, sales and marketing activities, included Blueprint Ventures, Goldman Sachs, Intel Capital, InterWest Partners, InvestCorp and Microsoft. In related news, PSI also announced that it will enter into a joint sales agreement with Microsoft to promote Windows Server technology to clients operating in a mixed mainframe and server environment. PSI's servers are designed to help customers virtualize their server computing requirements.
http://www.platform-solutions.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/071127/0332655.html

WSJ: Google Developing Online File Storage Service

Mountain View, Calif. -- Mountain View-based Google is developing a web-based file storage service that would allow users to store all of their word-processing documents, music, video and photos on the company's servers, The Wall Street Journal reported. The service, which could be released as early as a few months from now, would provide some storage space for free, and charge a fee for additional space, people familiar with the matter told The Journal. Once users upload their files, they would be to access them from various computers and mobile devices, as well as share them with others. Google already offers consumers online storage of email (Gmail), video (via YouTube), photos (Picasa Web Albums) and documents (Google Docs). The company faces several challenges with the project, including "data privacy, copyright, the economics of adding storage capacity and the technical challenges of offering service without interruption," according to The Journal.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119612660573504716 (subscription required)
http://www.google.com

Menlo Park-Based Evalve Raises $60 Million in Fourth Round

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Evalve, a Menlo Park-based developer of devices used to repair heart valves, said that it has raised $60 million in its fourth round of funding, led by BBT Fund. Previous investors Delphi Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, Split Rock Partners and Abbott Laboratories also participated. The company said that it will use the proceeds to begin preparations for the commercialization of its MitraClip device in Europe, as well as to complete a study that could lead to its approval in the U.S. Evalve's initial products are designed to reduce the risks, trauma and costs associated with current open-heart surgical options.
http://www.evalveinc.com/press/13.html
http://www.evalveinc.com/

Menlo Park-Based eXpresso Acquires Swiss Rival Xcellery

Menlo Park, Calif. -- eXpresso Corp., a Menlo Park-based provider of hosted online workspaces for businesses, with a focus on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, said that it has acquired Switzerland-based competitor Xcellery for an undisclosed sum. Under the deal, Xcellery will cease operation effective Dec. 31, endorsing eXpresso to its customers. Reto Laemmler, the CEO of Xcellery, will join eXpresso as a consultant, helping the company expand its business into Europe, the Middle East and Africa. eXpresso's service makes a user's spreadsheets available through any PC with an Internet Explorer web browser. Users can authorize others to view or edit their spreadsheets, as well as simultaneously work on spreadsheets together.
http://www.expressocorp.com
http://www.expressocorp.com/news.html

NBC Universal to Utilize TiVo Interactive Ads

Alviso, Calif. -- TiVo, the Alviso-based provider of digital video recorders and programming services, said that NBC Universal has signed a multi-year deal to offer its advertisers the ability to buy interactive TiVo ads in combination with other NBC products. Under the deal, NBC Universal's 14 TV networks and 10 NBC-owned stations will be able to sell TiVo interactive tags, which allow viewers to click on an icon when watching a commercial during a program to obtain more information. The tags also will enable one-click recording of NBC shows when a promotional spot for a particular show appears. The companies also plan to co-develop new ad products and share ad revenue "where appropriate."
http://www.tivo.com/abouttivo/pressroom/pressreleases/2007/release_112707.html

Palo Alto-Based Qwaq Secures $7 Million in First Round

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Qwaq, a Palo Alto-based developer of virtual workspaces, said on Tuesday that it has landed $7 million in its first round of funding, co-ed by Alloy Ventures and Storm Ventures. The company said that it will use the proceeds to expand its sales, marketing, product and engineering teams. "These funds will help us meet staffing and investment requirements in critical areas," said Greg Nuyens, Qwaq's CEO. The company earlier this year released Qwag Forums, a virtual workspace application, and is currently working with Intel to integrate Intel's Miramar technology into a new desktop visualization edition.
http://www.qwaq.com
http://www.qwaq.com/press/release_2007-11-27.html

Redwood City-Based Gigle Semiconductor Raises $20 Million

Redwood City, Calif. -- Gigle Semiconductor, a Redwood City-based developer of multimedia home networking chips, said on Tuesday that it has raised $20 million in its second round of funding, led by a new investor SEP. Previous investors Accel Partners and Pond Venture Partners also participated in the round, which the company plans to use to support the development and launch of its integrated circuits. which Gigle said will allow users to use any wire -- powerline, coax or phone line -- for home networking. The company also has offices in Spain and the U.K.
http://www.gigle.biz
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071127/20071127005693.html?.v=1

Sunnyvale-Based Quantenna Communications Raises $12.7 Million

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Quantenna Communications, a Sunnyvale-based start-up developing chipsets for wireless technology, said on Tuesday that it has raised $12.7 million in its second round of funding, led by new investor Sigma Partners. New investor Grazia Equity and previous investors Sequoia Capital and Venrock Associates also participated in the round, which increased the company's total funding to $25 million. Quantenna's management team is led by Behrooz Rezvani, the founder of Ikanos Communications. and Andrea Goldsmith, a professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University.
http://www.quantenna.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071127/aqtu105.html?.v=28

Mountain View-Based Intuit to Acquire Homestead Technologies

Mountain View, Calif. -- Intuit, the Mountain View-based developer of business and financial management software, said that it will pay $170 million in cash to acquire Homestead Technologies, a Menlo Park-based developer of tools designed to help small businesses create web sites and online stores. "This acquisition supports our growth strategy in small business by addressing an underserved need," said Brad Smith, the senior vice president of Intuit's small business group. The deal is expected to close by the end of March, when Homestead will become part of Intuit's small business group. Justin Kitch, the founder and CEO of Homestead, will continue to manage the business.
http://www.homestead.com
http://www.intuit.com
http://www.intuit.com/about_intuit/press_room/press_release/2007/1126.jhtml

Verizon Wireless to Open Network for Outside Devices, Software

Mountain View, Calif. -- Verizon Wireless said on Tuesday that it will become the first major mobile service in the U.S. to open its network to outside wireless devices and software by the end of 2008. The move follows Mountain View-based Google's call for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make that a requirement of any company taking part in the government's upcoming wireless spectrum auction. Verizon Wireless said that early next year it will publish technical standards that developers can use to design products that work with its network. "Any device that meets the minimum technical standard will be activated on the network," the company said. The company said that the move is in response to a "small but growing number of customers who want another choice without full service."
http://news.vzw.com/news/2007/11/pr2007-11-27.html

San Bruno-Based InsideView to Acquire TrueAdvantage

San Bruno, Calif. -- InsideView, a San Bruno-based provider of web-based sales intelligence services, said on Tuesday that it will acquire Massachusetts-based counterpart TrueAdvantage. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. "We’re working closely with InsideView executives to make the transition for our customers as easy as possible," said Jake O’Leary, the vice president of technology at TrueAdvantage. The deal comes nearly six months after InsideView raised $7.4 million in its first round of funding, led by Emergence Capital Partners.
http://www.insideview.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071127/20071127005445.html?.v=1

Palo Alto-based Carbylan BioSurgery Raises $20 Million

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Carbylan BioSurgery, a Palo Alto-based developer of bioresponsive medical products for osteoarthritis and chronic rhinosinusitis, said on Monday that it has raised $20 million in its second round of funding, led by Vivo Ventures. Previous investors Alta Partners and InterWest Partners also participated. The company said that it will use the proceeds to advance its technology, which allows doctors to inject patients with chemically engineered polymers that enable controlled drug release. "This financing provides us sufficient capital to demonstrate the unique benefits of the Carbylan technology in significant clinical trials in two large markets," said George Daniloff, the company's president and CEO.
http://www.carbylan.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071126/20071126005344.html?.v=1

Macrovision Acquires Blu-ray Security Technology from CRI

Santa Clara, Calif. - One week after first announcing the deal, Santa Clara-based Macrovision, a provider of media anti-piracy and distribution technologies, said on Monday that it has completed its $45 million acquisition of Blu-ray disc security technology from San Francisco-based Cryptography Research Inc. (CRI). Macrovision now owns CRI's SPDC (Self-Protecting Digital Content) technology, which forms the basis of BD+, a "key element of Blu-ray's content security platform," the company said. Macrovision also said it will hire certain CRI employees involved with the technology. More than 20 consumer electronics manufactures and motion picture studios are using the technology as an added layer of content protection for movies and other entertainment released on Blu-ray discs. Macrovision said that the technology compliments its existing ACP and RipGuard video security systems.
http://www.macrovision.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071126/20071126005356.html?.v=1

Foster City-Based EFI Invests in San Jose-Based Rasta Printers

Foster City, Calif. -- Electronics for Imaging (EFI), a Foster City-based maker of color digital print servers and superwide format printers, said on Monday that it has invested an undisclosed amount in San Jose-based Raster Printers. Launched in 2004, Raster makes environmentally friendly UV wide format printers marketed under the brand name Daytona. EFI said that the investment will help it to expand the array of products it offers the printing industry, "especially in the growing display graphics market."
http://www.rasterprinters.com
http://www.ir.efi.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=117454&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1080781&highlight= 

Cyber Monday Expected to Generate $700 Million in Online Sales

Reston, Va. -- Online retailers on Monday were expected to generate more than $700 million in sales -- an all-time single-day high -- according to comScore. The day, coined as "Cyber Monday" by the industry in 2005, represents the unofficial kick-off of the online holiday shopping season. Sales were projected to outpace the $531 million spent by consumer on "Black Friday," a figure that itself was up 22% from a year ago. "The Friday after Thanksgiving is known for heavy spending in retail stores, but it’s clear that consumers are increasingly turning to the Internet to make their holiday purchases," said Gian Fulgoni, the chairman of comScore. "Online spending on Black Friday has historically represented an early indicator of how the rest of the season will shake out. Online retailers will also certainly be paying close attention to what happens on Cyber Monday, which will provide an even clearer indication of what lies ahead for the rest of the season."
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1914

San Jose-Based FSA Announces Nominees for Annual Awards

San Jose, Calif. -- The San Jose-based Fabless Semiconductor Association (FSA) on Monday announced the nominees for its annual awards, which recognize the achievements of fables companies. The organization will present its awards on Dec. 6 in Santa Clara. A complete list of the nominees is available at the link below.
http://www.fsa.org/awardsdinner/2007/awards.asp

Shares of San Mateo-Based SuccessFactors Jump After IPO

San Mateo, Calif. -- Shares of San Mateo-based SuccessFactors rose more than 35% by late Tuesday after the developer of web-based performance and talent management software priced its initial public offering (IPO). The company is selling 10.8 million shares for $10 each -- the high end of its expected price range -- and expects to raise $107.9 million by the time the offering closes on Monday. SuccessFactors said that it has more than 1,400 customers, including American Airlines, Kimberly-Clark, Lowe's Companies, T-Mobile USA and Wachovia. Company shares are trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol "SFSF." 
http://www.successfactors.com/
http://www.successfactors.com/press-releases/detail/?id=1080116

Mountain View-Based SolFocus Adds $11.6 to Second Round

Mountain View, Calif. -- Nearly three months after initially raising $52 million in its second round of funding, Mountain View-based SolFocus, a developer of systems that generate electricity from solar panels, said on Tuesday that it has raised another $11.6 million to close the round at $63.6 million. New Enterprise Associates (NEA) led the round. The company also named five members to its European board of directors, including Gary Conley: the chairman and CEO of SolFocus. The company, which launched Madrid-based SolFocus Europe in September.
http://www.solfocus.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071120/aqtu058.html?.v=29

San Francisck-Based Buzzlogic Lands $2.5 Million in Funding

San Francisco -- Buzzlogic, a San Francisco-based provider of blog analysis tools that attempt to track the most-influential blogs on various topics, has raised $2.5 million in new financing, VentureBeat reported. Investors in the round reportedly included Adams Capital Management, Transcosmos and Ackerley Partners. In May, Buzzlogic debuted its blog analysis tools, which it provides to marketers, advertisers and others. The company has to date raised a total of $11 million.
http://www.buzzlogic.com
http://venturebeat.com/2007/11/19/buzzlogic-helps-place-ads-on-influential-blogs-raises-cash/

Applied Signal Announces Resignation of COO, Board Member

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Applied Signal Technology, a Sunnyvale-based provider of digital signal processing products and services, said on Tuesday that Bani Scribner Jr. has resigned as its COO, in anticipation of his future retirement. The company has promoted William Van Vleet III, its deputy COO, to fill the void. Van Vleet is the former president and CEO of Dynamics Technology. In addition, Applied Signal said that Stuart Whittelsey Jr. has resigned as a member of the board of directors. He had been a board member for 17 years. The board has voted to reduce its number of members from eight to seven.
http://www.appsig.com/
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071120/20071120005737.html?.v=1

LiveDeal Merges Online Properties Following Summer Acquisition

Santa Clara, Calif. -- LiveDeal, the Arizona-based operator of a combined local online classifieds and Yellow Pages marketplace, with significant operations in Santa Clara, said on Tuesday that it has fully integrated its two online properties -- LiveDeal.com and YP.com. The two sites will now share the same user interface and offer the same marketing and advertising services for merchants and consumers. The move comes five months after Arizona-based YP, a provider of nationwide Internet yellow pages, acquired Santa Clara-based LiveDeal, a provider of online local classifieds services, for $12.8 million in stock. The combined company retained the LiveDeal name. "The complete integration of our two online properties was a natural next step for us," said Daniel Coury Sr., the CEO of LiveDeal.
http://www.livedeal.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071120/20071120005335.html?.v=1

Poker Products Again Top List of Most Searched Toys

Waltham, Mass. -- For the third straight year, poker chips, cards and other related accessories top search engine Lycos' list of the most-search toys this holiday season, based on Internet search activity. Naruto, Pokemon, Harry Potter, Webkinz, iPod, Barbie, Bratz, Neopets and Hannah Montana round out the top 10. The most-search videogames include RuneScape, The Sims and WWE Smackdown, while Amazon, Target and Toys R Us topped the list of online toy, department and specialty store searches.
http://50.lycos.com
http://lycos50.tripod.com/blog/

Santa Clara-Based Applied Materials to Buy Solar Company Baccini

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Applied Materials, a Santa Clara-based developer of nanomanufacturing technology, said on Monday that it will pay about $330 million in cash to acquire Italy's Baccini, a supplier of automated metallization and test systems for manufacturing solar cells. The company said that it combining Baccini's equipment with its own technologies will allow it to offer automated production technology for fabricating advanced solar cells. The deal is expected to close early next year.
http://www.appliedmaterials.com 
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071119/20071119005398.html?.v=1

Santa Clara-Based Macrovision to Acquire San Francisco-Based CRI

Santa Clara, Calif. - Macrovision, a Santa Clara-based provider of media anti-piracy and distribution technologies, said on Monday that it will acquire San Francisco-based Blu-ray Disc security technology from Cryptography Research Inc. (CRI) for about $45 million. Upon completion of the deal, Macrovision will own CRI's SPDC (Self-Protecting Digital Content) technology, which forms the basis of BD+, a "key element of Blu-ray's content security platform," the company said. Macrovision also said it will hire certain CRI employees involved with the technology.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071119/20071119005575.html?.v=1
http://www.cryptography.com 
http://www.macrovision.com 

Sausalito-Based Right Sized Media Lands $5 Million in First Round

Sausalito, Calif. -- Right Sized Media, the Sausalito-based developer of a media search service that lets users discover and share pop culture quotes, has raised around $5 million in its first round of venture capital financing, PEHub.com reported. The company did not disclose its investors. Right Sized Media's Entertonement service has recently concluded beta testing, and is gearing up for a public launch. The company is headed by David Mandelbrot, Yahoo's former general manager of media and entertainment.
http://www.pehub.com/article/articledetail.php?articlepostid=8916
http://www.entertonement.com

AT&T Acquires San Francisco-Based Ingenio

San Francisco -- Telecommunications giant AT&T said on Monday that it has acquired Ingenio, the San Francisco-based developer of an advertising platform that combines Internet and telephony technologies to track calls to businesses generated by specific ads. Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close in early January, were not disclosed. Founded in 1999, Ingenio has raised a total of $109 million in venture capital. AT&T plans to integrate Ingenio's technology into its directory service and local search advertising sites, including YellowPages.com, AT&T Real Yellow Pages and 1-800-Yellow Pages. "As advertisers add performance-based advertising to their marketing mix, this investment makes sense for our business," said Ray Wilkins, president of AT&T's diversified business group.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071119/aqm116.html?.v=25 
http://www.ingenio.com

Report: U.S. Video Game Sales Rise 73% in October

San Francisco -- U.S. video game sales rose 73% in October to $1.1 billion, according to Reuters, citing data from market research firm NPD Group. Nintendo's Wii reclaimed the top console spot from Xbox 360, selling 519,000 units, with the Nintendo DS leading in sales of handhelds (458,000). Sony Computer Entertainment, which bases its U.S. operations in Foster City, also is expecting strong holiday sales after dropping the price of its PlayStation 3 by $100 earlier this month. Microsoft's "Halo 3" was the top-selling game on a single console in October, though Activision's "Guitar Hero 3" sold 1.4 million copies across all platforms in just six days.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071116/tc_nm/videogames_sales_dc_3
http://www.npd.com 

Sausalito-Based Blowtorch Launches with $50 Million in Funding

Sausalito, Calif. -- Blowtorch Entertainment, a San Francisco-based media company focused on the youth audience, said on Friday that it has secured more than $50 million in initial funding, including an equity investment from Ignition Partners. Blowtorch said that the investment will enable it to launch a three-year stream of feature films and short-form content, as well as to build the Blowtorch.com online social community. The company's co-founder include CEO Kelly Rodriques, the former founder and CEO of interactive ad agency Novo; and Executive Vice President Dominic Ianno, formerly with Artisan Entertainment and Sony Music Online Ventures. Blowtorch said that its online community will help create and influence the content the company produces. The company's first film, "You Are Here," was produced by board member Paul Schiff, and is scheduled for theatrical release in the spring of 2008. "Everything Blowtorch does is focused on the 18- to 24-year-old market, from creating and distributing content to developing branded entertainment and selecting venues for live events," said Renetta McCann, the CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group and a member of Blowtorch's board of directors.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20071116005120&newsLang=en
http://www.blowtorch.com 

Sunnyvale-Based AMD Lands $622 Million Investment from Abu Dhabi

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Getting a needed infusion of cash, AMD, the Sunnyvale-based chipmaker, said on Friday that it has sold an 8.1% stake in the company to Mubadala Development Company, an investment arm of the Abu Dhabi government, for $622 million. Under the deal, AMD sold the firm 49 million shares for $12.70 each. Mubadala won't receive any representation on the company's board. AMD, which received about $608 million after reimbursing the firm for expenses, said that it will use the proceeds to accelerate its long-term growth strategy. Amid rising costs, AMD reported a net loss of $396 million during the most recent quarter.
http://www.amd.com
http://www.mubadala.ae
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/VirtualPressRoom/0,,51_104_543_15008~122154,00.html

Menlo Park-Based Kana Software to Raise $9.8 Million in Offering

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Kana Software, a Menlo Park-based developer of technology that allows companies to offer customer service through multiple channels, said on Friday that it will raise $9.8 million through a new equity offering. The company said that it has obtained commitments from institutional investors to purchase 4 million shares of its stock for $2.45 each. The deal is expected to close on Wednesday, with Kana using the proceeds to repay borrowings under its loan agreement with Bridge Bank, as well as for general corporate purposes.
http://www.kana.com/news.php?pressID=467
http://www.kana.com/

Santa Clara-Based Agilent to Repurchase Up to $2 Billion in Stock

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Agilent Technologies, a Santa Clara-based provider of communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis technology, said that it will repurchase up to $2 billion of its stock over the next two years. The company copmpleted its previous $2 billion share buyback in October, and has repurchased nearly $6.5 billion in stock since 2005. "The board's decision reflects our confidence in Agilent's operating model and strong cash flow," said Bill Sullivan, the company's president and CEO.
http://www.agilent.com/about/newsroom/presrel/2007/15nov-gp07031.html
http://www.agilent.com

Redwood City-Based Openwave to Sell Musiwave Unit to Microsoft

Redwood City, Calif. -- Openwave Systems, a Redwood City-based developer of communications software, said on Thursday that it will sell its Musiwave unit, which provides mobile music entertainment services to operators and media companies, to Microsoft for $46 million in cash. Musiwave's software and infrastructure are used by 30 mobile operators in 25 countries, and power more than 20 full-track mobile music services. Robert Vrij, the president, CEO and interim chairman of Openwave, said that the divestiture will allow his company's board and management team to focus on the "core assets of our business, including service management, messaging, client and location." Microsoft said that the move deepens its position in the mobile entertainment market. 
http://www.musiwave.net
http://www.openwave.com/us/news_room/press_releases/2007/20071115_opwv_musiwave_1115.htm

Santa Clara-Based Vobile Lands Funding from AT&T, Steamboat

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Vobile, a Santa Clara-based developer of video anti-piracy technology, has received an investment pegged at below $10 million from AT&T and Disney's Steamboat Ventures, The Wall Street Journal reported. The company also recently announced investments from Facebook CFO Gideon Yu, former Liberty Digital CEO Jarl Mohn, Vernon Altman of Bain & Co., former Fox TV chairman Brian Mulligan, Nicholas Moore and David Wargo. Founded in 2005, Vobile has developed VideoDNA, a content identification and management technology that can track video and associated audio on the Internet. AT&T is currently testing Vobile's technology, the Journal reported.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119500284778692143.html (subscription required)
http://www.vobileinc.com/news_11_5_07.htm

San Francisco-Based GrubHub Lands $1.1 Million in First Round

San Francisco -- GrubHub, a San Francisco-based online food delivery site, said that it has secured $1.1 million in its first round of funding, led by Origin Ventures. Several others Silicon Valley investors also participated, including Bob Zipp of Amicus Capital. Established in Chicago in 2005 and recently launched in San Francisco, GrubHub allows individuals to use the Internet to conduct local searches and place orders, online or by phone, for restaurant food delivery. The free service also provides the ability to view menus as well as rate and review local neighborhood restaurants. The company said that it will use the funding to increase its visibility in San Francisco and Chicago, as well as to expand into as many as four urban markets in 2008. 
http://www.grubhub.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071113/aqtu205.html?.v=18

Santa Clara-Based Power Analog Microelectronics Raises $6 Million

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Power Analog Microelectronics (PAM), a Santa Clara-based developer of LED display driver semiconductors and digital audio amplifiers, said on Thursday that it has raised $6 million in its second round of funding, co-led by Hotung Investment Holdings and H&Q Asia Pacific. CVM Capital, VentureTech Alliance and company management also participated in the round, which increases PAM's total backing to $12 million since its inception in 2004. PAM's integrated circuits are used in flat panel displays, consumer audio, solid state lighting and automotive applications. The company maintains technical support centers in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Taipei.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071115/aqth089.html?.v=29
http://www.poweranalog.com/

Santa Clara-Based Billeo Lands $7 Million in Second Round

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Billeo, the Santa Clara-based developer of a free service designed to help consumers simplify the process of paying their online bills, said on Wednesday that it has raised $7 million in its second round of funding, led by ATA Ventures. Previous investors Altos Ventures, Claremont Creek and Pacifica Fund also contributed to the round, which the company will use for product development, marketing and scaling operations. Billeo has developed online tools that memorize and auto-fill passwords for online accounts, automatically fill out online forms and create shortcuts to online accounts.
http://www.billeo.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071114/20071114005327.html?.v=1

Fremont-Based Silicon Clocks Secures $8 Million in New Funding

Fremont, Calif. -- Silicon Clocks, a Fremont-based developer of timing technologies for electronic systems, said on Wednesday that it has secured $8 million in a new round of financing. Participants included New investor Lux Capital and previous investors Charles River Ventures, Formative Ventures and Tallwood Venture Capital. Silicon Clocks' timing technologies are integrated into a range of electronic systems, including: high speed serial data, wireless communications, and consumer products.
http://www.siliconclocks.com
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071114/20071114006344.html?.v=1

Palo Alto-Based Skyline Ventures Closes $350M Healthcare Fund

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Skyline Ventures, a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm, on Wednesday announced that it has raised $350 million for a new fund focusing on healthcare and life science businesses. The firm said that it will target about 15 investments with the new fund, investing about $15-$35 million per cpmpany. Skyline also announced that its new fund has co-led an investment in Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, a Boston-based biotechnology company focusing on the field of RNA interference. 
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071114/20071114005666.html?.v=1
http://www.skylineventures.com/