Facebook aims to boost advertising clout with Nielsen partnership

To boost its presence in big brand advertising, Facebook will unveil a partnership with media research firm Nielsen tomorrow to give better analytics on how ads fare on the social network.

Called Nielsen Brand Lift, the program will let advertisers who are also Nielsen customers figure out how their campaigns are performing by polling Facebook users who have seen the ads on the social network’s site.

[Update: The surveys will be in the sponsored messages … Continue Reading

Elster partners with Blue Line, Augusta to beef up its Smart Grid offerings

Elster is one of the largest companies making smart meters that wirelessly beam energy consumption data between utilities and their customers — making them an integral player in the development of the cleaner, more efficient Smart Grid. The Raleigh, N.C. company had a big news day today, announcing partnerships with Blue Line Innovations, maker of monitor displays showing homeowners how much energy they are using, and Augusta Systems, provider of technology that ties together devices … Continue Reading

MaxiScale launches file system for data-heavy web applications

With web applications demanding ever-increasing amounts of data, a startup called MaxiScale is launching what it describes as the best solution for serving and storing those files. And it has already signed up a big-name customer –leading mobile ad startup Admob.

The Sunnyvale, Calif, company says its MaxiScale FLEX Software Platform can be installed on cheap hardware. Using what it calls its Peer Set architecture, and its ability to serve file operations on a single … Continue Reading

MySpace adds two-way Twitter connection

Social network site MySpace is jumping on the Twitter bandwagon. It’s letting users sync their status updates with Twitter, adding another social networking service to the list of companies integrating with the fast-growing microblogging network. (See right for an example.)

The News Corp.-owned property is using OAuth to share limited data with Twitter. Tweets originating from MySpace will include a link to drive traffic back to the social network.

The move comes as other services … Continue Reading

Intel to launch Core i7 mobile processors for screaming fast notebook computers

If you’re buying a laptop, you might want to wait for a bit.

Hoping to spur some excitement for the fall computer-buying season, Intel is announcing its long-awaited Core i7 mobile processors for the fastest notebook computers on Tuesday. The world’s biggest chip maker is making the announcement at its Intel Developer Forum conference.

The new machines are based on the code-named Clarksfield processors that are based on Intel’s Nehalem architecture introduced in servers earlier … Continue Reading

FCC chair proposes net neutrality rules, says commission must be "smart cop"

Updated
Julius Genachowski, the Federal Communications Commission chairman appointed by President Barack Obama, just came out strongly in favor of net neutrality (the principle that providers must treat all Internet traffic equally, regardless of the content or users involved). During his speech this morning at the Brookings Institution, Genachowski said he wants to formalize the FCC’s position on the issue into six rules.

“I believe the FCC must be a smart cop on the beat, … Continue Reading

Tesla's founder and CEO bury the hatchet after short lawsuit

Only three months after filing suit against Tesla Motors and its chief executive, Elon Musk (right), the company’s own founder, Martin Eberhard (left), has given up the fight. Tesla announced today that the dispute has been resolved — without saying much else. It’s unclear whether a settlement was reached or if the suit was dropped, but this post will be updated as details emerge.

[Update: The San Jose Business Journal reported last month that … Continue Reading

Spinal Kinetics raises $5.3M to treat degenerative spine diseases

Spinal Kinetics, maker of artificial disks used to treat spine injuries and degenerative diseases, has brought in $5.3 million of an anticipated $9.5 million round of debt, rights and securities, according to a filing with the SEC. The Sunnyvale, Calif. company did not list investors in this round, but has been previously backed by the Ascent Group, BA Venture Partners, De Novo Ventures, HLM Venture Partners, International Life Sciences Fund, Ivy Capital Partners, Lumira Capital … Continue Reading

Dell buying Perot Systems for $3.9B

Dell announced today that it’s acquiring Perot Systems, the IT services provider founded by former presidential candidate H. Ross Perot, for $3.9 billion.

Perot Systems has more than 1,000 customers, including the Department of Homeland Security and the US military, according to the Associated Press, with health care and government customers accounting for about 73 percent of its revenue. In the last year, the companies say they made a combined $16 billion in enterprise hardware … Continue Reading

Maskless Lithography takes $1M for circuit boards

Maskless Lithography, a company that prints circuit boards and surfaces for semiconductors, brought in $1 million of a targeted $1.5 million round of convertible promissory notes, according to a filing with the SEC. While the San Jose, Calif. company did not list investors in this round, it was previously backed by TL Ventures and U.S. Venture Partners. It has raised about $38 million to date.… Continue Reading

4Home logs $525K for central home electronics control

4Home, maker of software dashboards capable of remotely controlling all of the electronics and appliances in your home, has raised $525,000 in convertible promissory notes, according to a filing with the SEC. The company recently brought in another $770,000 in notes.

Indirectly related to the Smart Grid, the Sunnyvale, Calif. company makes technology that allows users to control some of their appliances remotely — particularly their thermostats. The system also serves as a hub for … Continue Reading

TradeBeam raises $7M for trade management software

TradeBeam Holdings, a San Mateo, Calif.-based provider of software that manages global trade agreements online, has brought in $7 million to extend a $3 million round earmarked for expansion of its operations in China. Its product helps companies make sure they are complying with export regulations, inventory their assets, track their products in transit and oversee segments of their supply chains.

Serving more than 7,000 clients, the company has raised about $70 million in capital … Continue Reading

Rennovia takes $6 million to turn organic feedstocks into specialty chemicals

While the idea of deriving biofuels from organic feedstocks (corn, sugarcane, switchgrass, for example), has been getting a lot of attention recently, there’s another, even more lucrative side of the business. Many of the same companies working on biofuels have also been converting these materials into biorenewable, sustainable chemicals for various industrial applications. But it’s the core focus of a company called Renovia, which just raised $6 million toward a goal of $12.3 million, according … Continue Reading

Jennerex lands $5.6M to advance cancer treatments

Jennerex, a developer of therapeutics for cancer patients, as well as viruses that infect cancer cells, finally closed its third round of funding at $5.6 million. The company announced its previous, $5.1 million close in mid-August. Since then, new investor Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation also contributed.

Based in San Francisco, it says the new money will be used to push its liver cancer treatments from phase two to phase three clinical trials. It is also … Continue Reading

Solexant plans 100 MW assembly line for solar-ink panels, looks for $50M

Solexant, maker of photovoltaic panels with solar cells so thin that they are literally printed onto the panels’ surfaces, announced plans today for a 100-megawatt, commercial-scale panel assembly line — enough to provide power for as many as 800,000 homes. It says it will try to raise $50 million in a third round of funding to finance the project.

Right now, the San Jose, Calif. company is working on a much smaller 3-megawatt assembly line … Continue Reading

EU releases dirty details of evidence against Intel in antitrust case

The European Union’s antitrust division released a public version of its May antitrust ruling against Intel, detailing for the first time the evidence that led to a record $1.45 billion fine.

The European Commission issued a press release and a summary of the ruling, and AMD has also released a snapshot of the 518-page ruling. The commission said, “On the basis of a significant amount of contemporaneous evidence and company statements, the Decision demonstrates how … Continue Reading

NextBio takes $8M for scientific search engine

NextBio, a search engine that scours the net specifically for information related to the life sciences, has raised $8 million in a third round of funding from Newbury Ventures. Targeted at researchers, the Cupertino, Calif. based service, provides mostly journal articles, scientific news, and updates on clinical trials. It plans to use the new financing to expand internationally and continue developing its technology. And because it is packaged as a software-as-a-service, it is easy to … Continue Reading

Fwix sorts out $2.75M to aggregate local news

Fwix, a site that allows users to find news impacting their local areas, has brought in $2.75 million in a first round of funding from BlueRun Ventures, among others. At the same time, it announced the launch of its API platform, allowing online publishers to add feeds of local news to their sites and widgets, enriching their own content for their local viewers, and helping to monetize their offerings.

Based in San Francisco, Fwix doesn’t … Continue Reading

RuggedCom buys WiMax equipment provider WiNetworks

RuggedCom, a public company that makes networking equipment that works in unfavorable environments, has acquired WiMax equipment developer WiNetworks for $9 million. It will also take on $5 million in debt from the Israeli company. Rugged hopes that the deal will add to its arsenal as it eyes the burgeoning Smart Grid sector. Many networking companies are looking to ride the wave toward a cleaner, more efficient electrical grid, offering their services to help transmit … Continue Reading