I had to wonder today, reading this Wall Street Journal article about the latest foreclosure prevention plan creating an opening for scammers, if maybe requiring home owners to take a course in “reading the fine print” might be a better strategy to prevent this kind of mess in the future. Firms that charge big fees [...]
Wondering where the venture capital is going right now? It appears, at least this week, it’s moving towards video game related companies. Today, Burbank-based Steamboat Ventures just re-invested in an in-game, mobile advertising firm, Greystripe; and Pasadena-based California Technology Ventures invested in video game engine developer Blade Games. Yesterday, Los Angeles-based Rotohog.com, which develops fantasy [...]
It’s clear to me that we’re all bootstrappers now — not in the sense that you can’t find funding (good companies are still getting funded) — but in the sense that there’s a clear view in this economy that the hallmarks of bootstrapping are now (once again) in vogue. Some of those traits: 1. Frugality [...]
Welcome to our newest sponsor, Murano Software. Murano is an Agoura Hills-based software outsourcing firm, with operations in Russia. Murano offers a wide range of consulting services, including a specialized group working on Google Android phone applications. You can learn more about Murano on their web site, www.muranosoft.com. Welcome!
With the economy in shambles, people scared for their jobs, and layoffs to the left and right, I was struck by a story that Scott Painter (currently CEO of Zag and TrueCar, and prior CEO of CarsDirect) made in a recent private gathering I was at of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and service providers. He explained [...]
Buy.com pointed out this week a study, done by a group at Carnegie Mellon, which shows that buying products online is better for the planet than retail stores. The study reports that buying online saves 35% in energy, and carbon emissions, versus a traditional retail purchase. Interestingly enough, it looks like your carbon-spewing, gasoline sucking [...]
The Technology Council of Southern California, one of the nonprofit groups here in the area helping to support the high tech industry, has just opened its application process for its annual awards event, the Technology Industry Awards. More info from them below. (We’re helping to sponsor the event): Call for Candidates Annual Technology Industry Awards Deadline [...]
It looks like your odds of getting seed funding for your business idea right now is very high, at least if you’ve got some clean energy/technology idea up your sleeve. Recently, the X PRIZE foundation gave $25,000 to two UC Irvine students for their green idea for a idea they submitted through Youtube. They only [...]
Thoughts and commentary from Benjamin F. Kuo, publisher of socalTECH.com.
