NComputing launches a lower cost thin client for developing world
With more than 1.2 million thin-client computers sold in developing countries, NComputing has a big hit on its hands as it delivers low-cost computing to those who can’t afford or don’t need full-fledged computers.
Today, it’s launching a new model — consisting of a computer that connects to three thin clients (i.e., minimalist computers that allow the heavy-duty computing to occur on another device) — that is smaller and cheaper.
The Redwood City, Calif.-based company … Continue Reading
Nuventix snags $8M to cool LED lighting systems
Nuventix, provider of technology that cools light emitting diode lighting systems, just tacked $8 million onto its third round of funding. Basically, it’s able to silently pump air onto the lights to ensure they don’t overheat. With so much demand for LED lighting systems from the commercial sector and government infrastructure projects (e.g. street and traffic lights), they’re becoming a vital part of the new, more energy-efficient economy.
Based in Austin, Tex., the company says … Continue Reading
Accel Partner's Jim Breyer joins Dell board, brings internet connections
Accel Partners invests in areas like social networks, technology-driven media and advertising companies, mobile services and online storage outfits — so why would Jim Breyer, one of the firm’s better-known partners, be joining the board of PC maker Dell? He’s on the boards of ten companies, including startups like Facebook and Etsy, and public companies like Wal-Mart and Marvel — so is this just another board seat for him, or something more significant? I tried … Continue Reading
Qik to cut mobile costs for globe-trotters
Qik, a live video streaming service for cell phone users, has a solution for traveling mobile users who get socked by big bills a month after they get home: Qik Roam.
The prepaid SIM card lets users make voice calls, stream video live, send e-mail, and web browse in 134 countries — with a 60 to 80 percent savings on roaming and data charges.
Qik announced a partnership with Irish communications outfit Cubic Telecom today … Continue Reading
Add True Knowledge's semantic answer engine to your website
True Knowledge, which uses natural language processing to understand and answer complex factual questions, is one of the coolest websites I’ve seen in a while. The answer engine is still locked up in a private beta test, but now third-party developers can add the service to their websites and applications.
Perhaps the best way to illustrate True Knowledge’s potential is with a couple of sample queries — about me, of course. When founder and chief … Continue Reading
Roundup: Amazon's 'ham-fisted' error, Facebook's baseball surge and more
Here’s the latest action:
Gay books disappear from Amazon’s sales rankings — What caused the incident now known as “amazonfail”? The online retailer first blamed a glitch, and is now saying a “ham-fisted” cataloging error is at fault. Meanwhile, a hacker claims to be responsible.
With the start of baseball season, teams see a surge in Facebook fans — The Boston Red Sox’s page grew from 1,173 fans to more than 46,000 in under a … Continue Reading
Imbera gets $15 million to help pack more functions onto small devices
Chip-packaging company Imbera Electronics is announcing today that it’s raised $15 million in a second round of funding for its 3-D packaging solutions for semiconductor chips.
The company hopes to make 3-D chip packaging more economical, which, in turn, will allow electronics makers to pack more functions into smaller gadgets such as cell phones. It’s an important area of innovation in a time when smartphones are taking over people’s lives.
Chip packaging is becoming a … Continue Reading
Forget the G1, the Android invasion is landing in Asia
Google’s Android operating system has promised to help mobile manufacturers and carriers offer high-quality interfaces for smartphones — if not for netbooks and many other devices. But since its initial release last year, the only phone to carry the OS is the G1 made by HTC and carried in the U.S. by T-Mobile. Despite some market share growth through the G1, Android has yet to live up to its game-changing potential.
Because Android is free … Continue Reading
Ravenflow lands $6M for app development intelligence
Ravenflow, a company that offers software and consulting services to help client businesses develop applications more efficiently , has raised $6 million in capital to open two new offices in Reston, Va. and Raleigh, N.C.
It’s primary product, a software package called RAVEN, helps teams at large companies like IBM agree on standards, requirements and specifications — streamlining the process for launching applications online. In addition to its new offices, the Emeryville, Calif.-based company has … Continue Reading
Study: Windows 7 could follow Vista to an early grave
Redmond’s latest and greatest — the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system — runs the risk of following a similar path its last version, Vista, according to a study being released this week by Dimensional Research. InformationWeek, which got an early look at the study and was first to report on it today, relayed some key results: 83 percent of corporate IT departments plan to hold off on upgrading to Windows 7 for at least 12 … Continue Reading
BookTour gets $350K for author event directory
BookTour, a web site that aggregates author events like readings, book signings and the like, making them easily searchable, has landed $350,000 in a first round of funding from Amazon.com, among undisclosed others, according to PE Hub. Equally notable is that its chairman is Christopher Anderson, editor in chief of Wired magazine.
The site lets authors create their own profile pages so they can keep their fans abreast of any updates, events, biographical information, etc. … Continue Reading
StumbleUpon leaves eBay, starting up again on own two feet
Social news discovery site StumbleUpon can be a great way to find interesting stories, which is why some of us wondered why auction site eBay bought it for $75 million in late 2007. Perhaps it was going to offer ways for news readers to buy eBay products? Apparently things never ended up fitting. StumbleUpon has spun itself out of eBay and is once again a startup, it announced today. This follows rumors last fall that … Continue Reading
SandForce emerges from stealth with new flash chip line
SandForce, maker of flash memory processors, has left stealth mode to release its first line of products tailored to enterprise applications like data centers and personal computers. The Saratoga, Calif. company says its SF-1000 model is more reliable and allows for more data retention than other chips of its kind. It previously raised an undisclosed amount of funding over two rounds from DCM and Storm Ventures.
SandForce uses flash memory in enterprise and mobile computing … Continue Reading
Philanthropic fund of funds Legacy closes $276M
Legacy Venture, the Palo Alto, Calif. firm that holds a portfolio of other investment funds and distributes returns to charities, announced that it closed a new $276 million fund, its fifth, despite adverse economic conditions. Basically, Legacy takes money from limited partners who commit their profits to charities of their choice. This allows these partners to amplify philanthropic contributions that they would make regardless.
In the past, Legacy has worked with well-established firms like August … Continue Reading
ScanScout nabs $5.1M for contextual video advertising
ScanScout, an online advertising network that places ads in contextually relevant video content, just brought in $5.1 million of an anticipated $8.1 million third round of financing, according to PE Hub. Based in Cambridge, Mass., the company’s backers include General Catalyst Partners, Time Warner, First Round Capital and famed Silicon Valley investor Ron Conway.
ScanScout last raised funding in May 2007, bringing in $7 million. Created by two MIT graduates, it was initially seeded in … Continue Reading
Survey: Everyone's using their iPhone to check Facebook and the weather
Despite all the excitement over flashy applications like mobile games and location-based social networks, iPhone owners are actually more interested in checking the weather, according to a survey from Compete. At the same time, when it comes to individual apps, it looks like Facebook is the most popular.
Compete’s survey is compelling, because although Apple occasionally releases its own lists of the most downloaded apps, it hasn’t published any official numbers on usage. In some … Continue Reading
VCs already eyeing potential in new Chinese health care reforms
Last week, China’s State Council approved sweeping reform of its health care system, infusing it with $125 billion to provide universal medical coverage by 2011. And already venture capitalists all over the world are anticipating the opportunities in life science fields — pharmaceuticals, device making, etc. — that this avalanche of new funding will make possible.
Medical care in China has been somewhat of a disaster since the demise of the state-run system of the … Continue Reading
Why developers are more excited about the iPhone
AdMob threw an iPhone meetup last Thursday night. The meeting was surprisingly well attended as developers showed strong interest in understanding what business models are working on the iPhone platform. The excitement of the developer community prompted some important questions about why the iPhone is getting a disproportionate amount of developer attention compared to Nokia’s Ovi, Google Market, Blackberry Appstore or Microsoft’s Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
Ewan MacLeod started the discussion with this post.
Mike … Continue Reading
Car battery maker A123 scores $15M more from GE
A123 Systems, maker of lithium-ion batteries — primarily for hybrid and electric cars — has nabbed another $15 million in funding from General Electric, marking the seventh time the conglomerate has invested in the capital-rich startup. This brings the total of A123′s recent round of financing to $69 million.
The Watertown, Mass.-based company says it plans to use the money to construct battery factories in Michigan close to its key automotive clients. These days, it’s … Continue Reading
Schooner joins the flash memory battle
A startup called Schooner Information Technology emerged from stealth mode today with the announcement of two new products featuring smaller, cheaper, faster servers built using flash memory chips. The Menlo Park, Calif. startup has also raised $15 million in a first round of venture funding, according to VentureWire.
Schooner says it’s targeting the data centers of social networking sites and cloud computing companies, among others, because it’s crucial for them to store and retrieve their … Continue Reading
