Silicon Valley Wire

Haiti Benefit Concert to Stream on Over 30 Sites, Sell on iTunes

Los Angeles -- The "Hope for Haiti Now" benefit concert to aid earthquake relief in Haiti will be streamed live Friday night on more than 30 web sites, with downloads of the event also available for sale on iTunes. Sites streaming the two-hour event, scheduled to start at 8 p.m., include ABC.com, AOL, Bebo, CBS.com, Hulu, Huffington Post, Hulu, MySpace and YouTube. The event will also be accessible through a range of mobile TV applications, including MobiTV, FLO TV and the iPhone. A "Hope for Haiti Now" album will sell on iTunes, Amazon MP3 and Rhapsody for $7.99. Hosted by George Clooney, the event will feature performances from artists including Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Wyclef Jean, A live chat social widget provided by Gigya will run alongside the live stream on both MTV.com and VH1.com, and in a first Twitter will promote the event on every user profile page.
http://www.hopeforhaitinow.org

Palo Alto-Based Facebook Breaks Ground on Oregon Data Center

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Facebook, the Palo Alto-based social networking giant with more than 350 million members, said that it has broken ground on a new custom data center in Prineville, Ore. The $180 million facility will be the first of its kind for Facebook, which had leased data center space since its inception. "The new data center will help us by adding more computing and storage capacity, which we expect to help us deliver a faster, more reliable experience worldwide," wrote Jonathan  Heiliger, the company's vice president of technical operations, in a blog post.
http://www.facebook.com/prinevilledatacenter
http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=262655797130

Investments in Silicon Valley Firms Drop 35% in '09, Improvement Seen

San Francisco -- Venture capitalists invested $1.9 billion in Silicon Valley companies during the fourth quarter, down slightly from the previous quarter but still well above levels from earlier in this year, according to the latest MoneyTree Report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). The $6.98 billion invested in local firms during the year was a 35% drop from 2008 levels. Nationally, Venture capitalists invested $17.7 billion in 2009, marking the lowest level of dollar investment since 1997. Investments for the year fell 37% from 2008 figures. "The venture capital industry had no choice but to slow the investment pace in 2009," said Mark Heesen, president of the NVCA.  "The weak exit environment… sent a strong message to the venture community to pull back the reins -- and the VCs listened." With the economy now showing signs of improvement, however, Heesen said "we expect to see dollars flow more freely back into those sectors that offered the most promise before the recession began -- clean technology, life sciences and IT."
http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?recipient_id=157364061&message_id=913826&user_id=NVCA

European Commission Approves Oracle's Acquisition of Sun

Redwood City., Calif. -- Following a three-month investigation into the potential impact of the deal, the European Commission on Thursday formally approved Redwood City-based Oracle's $7.4 billion acquisition of Santa Clara-based Sun Microsystems. "I am now satisfied that competition and innovation will be preserved on all the markets concerned," said Neelie Kroes, the European Union's competition commissioner. "Oracle's acquisition of Sun has the potential to revitalize important assets and create new and innovative products." Business software giant Oracle first announced plans in April to acquire the struggling server maker. The two companies have been partners for more than two decades, with Oracle using Sun's Java language and software and Solaris operating system as the basis of some of its core products.
http://www.oracle.com/sun
http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/043873

San Jose-Based Mobixell Networks Acquires 724 Solutions

San Jose, Calif. -- Mobixell Networks, a San Jose-based provider of mobile multimedia and advertising services, said on Thursday that it has acquired Santa Barbara-based mobile Internet firm 724 Solutions. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Mobixell said that the acquisition "will create a global organization with local sales and support capability in the U.S., U.K., China, Switzerland, India, Israel and other countries, and with a customer base of over 350 mobile operators worldwide." Founded in 2000, Mobixell provides multimedia processing and multi-channel advertising to over 300 mobile operators and content producers.
http://www.mobixell.com
http://www.724.com
http://www.mobixell.com/news/131/

San Francisco-Based Rixty Lands $1.24 Million in Seed Funding

San Francisco -- Rixty, the San Francisco-based developer of an alternative payment platform designed to let people without credit cards make online entertainment purchases, said on Thursday that it has raised $1.24 million in seed funding, led by San Francisco-based Javelin Venture. Partners Accelerator Ventures, First Round Capital, Freestyle Capital, Nueva Ventures, Soft Tech VC and several angel investors also participated. Rixty's platform lets people convert their cash into online credits at more than 20,000 Coinstar kiosks and retail locations. They then can spend those credits on games, virtual worlds, social networks, ringtones, and MP3 downloads. The company said that it will use the financing to fuel the growth of its publisher network, expand its product offering and increase its user base.
http://www.rixty.com
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100121006102/en/Rixty-Raises-%241.24-Million-Seed-Capital-Fuel

WSJ: Apple Seeks to Reshape Print, TV with Tablet

Cupertino, Calif. -- Apple is hoping that the new tablet computer it's expected to introduce next week will "reshape businesses like textbooks, newspapers and television much the way his iPod revamped the music industry," The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation. Cupertino-based Apple intends for multiple people to be able to share the device, which is expected to feature a 10- or 11-inch touch-screen, virtual keyboard and possibly a webcam. The company has reportedly held recent discussions with publishers including The New York Times, Conde Nast and News Corp. on getting their various publications on the device. One source said that the company is discussing possibly charging for access through its iTunes Store. Apple also is said to be working with Redwood City-based Electronic Arts to bring games to the tablet, and speaking to networks about a "best of TV" subscription service. Analysts believe that the device eventually will go on sale for about $1,000.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703405704575015362653644260.html (subscription required)

YouTube to Test Movie Rentals Through Sundance Partnership

San Bruno, Calif. -- Google's YouTube online video site plans on Friday to test the waters with movie rentals, as it launches a partnership with the Sundance Film Festival to make five films from this year's and last year's festivals available for rental to U.S. users. The film rentals, which include "The Cove," "Homewrecker" and "Bass Ackwards," will cost $3.99 for 48 hours access. The company also issued a call for more independent filmmakers to join its new rental program.
http://ytbizblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/youtube-to-sundance-independent.html  

Opera Software Acquires San Mateo-Based AdMarvel

San Mateo, Calif. -- Opera Software, the Norway-based developer of web browser technology for mobile phones, said on Wednesday that it has acquired San Mateo-based AdMarvel, a provider of mobile advertising services. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Opera said that the acquisition will allow it to offer ad monetization services for its mobile products and services. Founded in 2006 by a team of mobile veterans led by CEO Mahi de Silva, AdMarvel offers services designed to let mobile publishers and operators source, provision, manage and track advertising. "Every month, nearly 50 million people access the web using Opera on their mobile phones and together with AdMarvel, we think we can play an important role in the evolution of mobile advertising," said Lars Boilesen, the CEO of Opera Software.
http://www.opera.com
http://www.admarvel.com
http://www.opera.com/press/releases/2010/01/20_2/

The New York Times to Begin Charging Frequent Online Readers

New York -- In a move that could signal a fundamental change in the business model of major newspapers, The New York Times announced on Wednesday that it will begin charging frequent readers of its online articles beginning in 2011. Under the plan, users will get free access to a limited number of articles each month, but would be charged once they exceed that number. Home subscribers would not be charged extra. "This process of rethinking our business model has also been driven by our desire to achieve additional revenue diversity that will make us less susceptible to the inevitable economic cycles," said Janet Robinson, president and CEO of The New York Times Company. "We were also guided by the fact that our news and information are being featured in an increasingly broad range of end-user devices and services." The company plans to release more details of the plan over the coming months.
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=105317&p=irol-pressArticle&ID=1377114&highlight=

SMS GupShup Raises $12 Million in New Round of Funding

Cupertino, Calif. -- SMS GupShup, an India-based social network with U.S. offices in Cupertino, said on Wednesday that it has raised $12 million in a new round of funding led by Globespan Capital Partners. Previous backers Charles River Ventures and Helion Venture Partners also participated. The company said that the new funding will allow it to expand into new territories, as well as to roll out new features aimed at small businesses and corporate brands. Launched in 2007, SMS GupShup now boasts approximately 26 million users. It has raised $37 million since its inception.
http://www.smsgupshup.com
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100120006490/en/SMS-GupShup-Secures-%2412Million-Additional-Funding-India%E2%80%99s

White House Launches iPhone App; To Carry State of the Union

Washington, DC -- With a growing number of Americans using mobile devices, the White House said that it has released its own iPhone app. The free program, known simply as "White House App," allows users to see content from the WhiteHouse.gov web site, including live video feeds, through their iPhone or iPod touch devices.  The app provides access to White House public events, speeches and press briefings, and will even carry a live feed of President Obama's State of the Union address next week. The administration also plans to launch a mobile version of WhiteHouse.gov in the coming weeks.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/01/19/whitehousegov-anywhere

Peace Corps Launches Online Effort to Aid Haiti Recovery

Washington, DC -- As potent aftershocks continue to devastate Haiti, the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA), an alumni organization for Peace Corps volunteers and staff, said that it has launched a new section of its web site dedicated to earthquake relief. The idea, said the group, is to leverage the expertise and knowledge of former Peace Corps members to help support ongoing recovery efforts. All told, more than 500 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Haiti since 1982. The NPCA said that the effort "can contribute in beneficial ways to the ongoing discussion on how to best pave a road to recovery for a country in havoc."
http://community.peacecorpsconnect.org/

Survey: Most U.S. Entrepreneurs Not Planning to Hire This Year

Kansas City, Mo. -- The majority of American entrepreneurs do not expect to create jobs in 2010, according to a new survey commissioned by the Kauffman Foundation. The study found that 71% of entrepreneurs don't plan on hiring this year, nearly two-thirds have seen decreases in sales volume and profitability and 36% have reduced head count in the past year, compared with just 8% who have added employees. "Entrepreneurs are still the primary engine of job creation in the United States," said Carl Schramm, the foundation's president and CEO. "In the last 30 years, literally all net job creation in this country has taken place in firms less than five years old."
http://www.kauffman.org/soe

San Francisco-Based Boku Lands $25 Million in Third Round

San Francisco -- Boku, a provider of mobile payments technology, said on Tuesday that it has raised $25 million in its third round of funding, led by DAG Ventures. Previous backers Benchmark Capital, Index Ventures and Khosla Venture also participated in the round. Since launching last June, Boku has developed mobile payment processing partnerships with more than 1,000 game and application developers, including many on Facebook. The company's Paymo service is enabled across 190 wireless carriers in 58 countries. Boku previously had raised $13 million. 
http://www.boku.com
http://eon.businesswire.com/portal/site/eon/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100119005788&newsLang=en

Apple Sets Jan. 27 Product Launch Event; Tablet Expected

Cupertino, Calif. -- Apple has invited the media to a product release event on Jan. 27, when the Cupertino-based company is expected to introduce its long-rumored tablet PC. "Come see our latest creation," reads the invite from Apple to the event, to be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco. The tablet, expected to begin shipping this spring, is said to include many of the same feature's found in the company's popular iPod touch, able to surf the web on Wi-Fi while offering a larger screen. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is in talks with publisher HarperCollins to make e-books available on the devices. Sales for the tablet are expected to be substantial, according to a study by Deloitte. "While it is difficult to forecast sales of devices whose specifications are unknown, some analysts estimate 12-month sales from launch of over one billion dollars," Deloitte said. "This is larger than global sales of personal navigation devices."
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/01/apple-special-event
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541004575011092145509872.html
http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GX/global/article/30a15cfc9fec5210VgnVCM200000bb42f00aRCRD.htm

Text Messaging Provides Boon to Red Cross Haiti Relief

Washington, DC -- Text-message donations are playing a larger-than-expected role in the push for earthquake relief in Haiti, The New York Times Reported. As of late Sunday, the American Red Cross said that it had collected pledges of about $103 million, including $22 million through a program in which cell phone users can donate $10 by texting "90999." "I need a better word than ‘unprecedented’ or ‘amazing’ to describe what's happened with the text-message program Red Cross spokesman Roger Lowe told the paper. Lowe said that the National Football League (NFL) greatly aided the effort over the weekend by promoting the texting program during its playoff broadcasts. Spearheaded by the State Department in conjunction with Colorado-based mobile technology firm mGive, the effort raised $5 million in its first day, breaking the previous one-day record of about $450,000, according to The Washington Post.
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/us/19charity.html?sudsredirect=true  
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2010/01/a_record_22_million_has.html