(Yes, we finally got tired of the “was your site designed in the 80’s” comments. I’ve always put information and substance — in our case, timeliness and content– ahead of glitz and flash, but there are plenty of people who think otherwise. I have more in common with the philosophy of Craig Newmark  and function-before-form of Craigslist, but I think we’ve come up with something that is more aesthetically pleasing yet doesn’t put anything ahead of getting timely information to you).

Thanks to Mason Yarnell of Yarnell Design for the work on the site. I’d highly recommend Mason and his work, and for providing the new look and feel you’ll see rolling out on our pages over the next few weeks.

Last year we kicked off an effort to survey the opinions of people in the high tech industry here in Southern California to get a better idea of people’s opinions and attitudes on the economy. As a followup, working with the David James Agency, we’re doing it again for the Second Annual socalTECH Industry Survey. Click here to take the short survey, and our thanks in advance for your help! Guaranteed to be funner than shoveling mud out of your driveway and putting buckets under those leaks in your roof.

Please email info@socaltech.com if you’re interested and want more
information. This is an unpaid position (but a great one for the
experience and the resume).

We’d like to invite you to answer a quick survey about your opinion and outlook on your business and the economy, which we’ll be analyzing and sharing with our readers. Thanks for your help in participating!

Go to the survey

So, a few years ago, we started tracking — as part of our database of deals and companies — who was servicing various high tech startups (mostly venture backed, but not exclusively). It was mostly a way for us to understand who the “real” players in the industry were, and because we were exposed to most of the data. That now shows up in our Services Directory. Unlike the Yellow Pages, or most of the directories you see, it’s not how much you pay for that gets you listed here, it’s entirely derived from our database data. (i.e. the top listing on Recruiting and Staffing firms, for example, is the provider with the most clients they have reported to us, and for Marketing and Public Relations are the most number of clients we’re aware they’re representing.)

So why do I mention this now? Well, we’re always maintaining our data, and if you aren’t listed (in particular, if you’re in web design, software outsourcing, business consulting, etc. — as an individual or a firm — and have a roster of local, high tech clients) we want to know… Email us at info@socaltech.com with your info and we’ll get it into the database. All we need is your full contact info and profile (name, address, web site, phone, etc.) and the names of your high tech clients here in Southern California.

It’s time again to come together for the holidays!

We invite you to the Second Annual Digital Family Reunion on Wednesday, December 2nd at Wokcano Restaurant in Santa Monica from 6-11pm.

In association with some of the region’s top trade associations/social networking groups and industry hosts, DFR ‘09 promises to be the largest holiday party of the season and help weave our various communities of interest into the larger collective family of professionals working in and around the technology industry.

Join us as we kick off the holiday season in grand style and bestow the Digital Family Outstanding Achievement Honor
on Scott Painter, Founder of CarsDirect and Entrepreneur.

Tell a friend, and purchase your ticket at www.digitalfamilyinc.com .
Use discount code: DFR30 to receive $30 price.

Win a ticket to digiday:APPS

digiday:APPS * December 10th * The Renaissance Hollywood Hotel

Toyota, Pizza Hut, NBA, Fandango, and More Share Their Success Stories with Mobile and Social Apps.
Please join us at digiday:APPS on December 10th, in Los Angeles. During this high-level event, Top Brand Marketers, Agency Executives, Publishers, and App Developers will come together to discuss and explore how brands can harness the power of the billion dollar app boom. The event will dive deeply into the challenges and success stories of the explosive mobile and social app market. This is an event you can’t afford to miss!

REGISTER TODAY! www.digidayapps.com

SOCALTECH READERS RECEIVE $100 OFF * DISCOUNT CODE: SOCALTECH

High-Level Sessions Include

Should Every Brand Have an App?

The Dollars and Sense of Apps as Commerce

Build vs. Buy: The Biggest Question

Customer Conversations: Are Apps A Shout Out or a Deep Discussion

Survival of the Fittest: Darwin’s Law of Apps

and packed with case studies!

Industry Leading Speakers Include

Doug Frisbie, National Social Media & Product Integration Manager, Toyota Motor Sales

Darren Cross, Director of Business Development, Fandango

Bernard Acoca, Senior Director, Digital Marketing & Loyalty, Pizza Hut

Mark Levien, Executive Dir of Digital Home Entertainment, 20th Century Fox

Bryan Perez, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NBA Digital

Marty Collins, Group Marketing Manager, Windows Digital Marketing, Microsoft

“digiday:APPS is a one of a kind event. Nowhere else can you find the top app experts converging with the biggest names in advertising and marketing. If you have an app, are thinking about building one or better, yet, parterning with one, this is a must attend conference. It will change the way you thinkand the way you connect with your customers.”
- Chris Cunningham, CEO / Co-Founder, Appssavvy

To enter to win a ticket to digiday:APPS, send your name, title, company, city, and email address to: info@socaltech.com with the subject “digiday tickets”

Schmoozd – Social Media Mixer – January 14th

The first-ever Schmoozd event, a new Social Media Mixer event in Los Angeles will be held at the Xbar in Century City, CA on January 14th, 2010. X bar’s environment is the perfect place to network – a lounge designed with spots for hanging out as well as socializing and action. Whether closing the deal or sharing ideas, X bar’s renowned design, cuisine and location means X marks the spot. For more information, please visit www.schmoozd.com.

socalTECH readers get 50% off ticket price. Discount code is “socaltech”.

Thanks to Gemini Partners, and all of our other sponsors, for making our web site  and news coverage of Southern California’s high tech companies possible!

That said, we wanted to point out our Facebook fan page, which until recently was just that (a page pointing to our site, and no more). (No, we don’t have a vanity URL, but given that we’ve got a measly 30 people who mysteriously stumbled upon the page, that’s expected). So, why this blog post? Well, if you’re a socalTECH fan and Facebook user, you can become a fan of our page. And, if you’re a Facebook pro, you can send your grand ideas for how to make this page valuable to socalTECH readers.