Want a tough computer?
Then Xplore Technologies might be the ticket. The Austin-based companies bills its computers as “the world’s most suggest tablet PCs” and this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it’s going to prove it.
Throughout the show, Xplore will drop its iX104CS rugged tablet computers onto concrete and submerge them for up to a half hour in extreme temperatures.
Xplore is also introducing a wireless and smart docking system.
Category: Austin (Page 309 of 318)
CrunchFund announced its investment in Austin-based Socialware in an extension to a $7 million venture capital round.
Michael Arrington, founder of TechCrunch, created CrunchFund along with Patrick Gallagher and MG Siegler, to invest in early stage startups.
Socialware, which was founded in 2008 and has raised $14 million, is a mature company with 50 employees and 125 customers, according to this story in the Austin American-Statesman.
But the investors reported they see potential in Socialware’s business. The company provides software and services to businesses that allow their employees to post to social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Other investors in Socialware include Floodgate, G-51 Capital, Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital and Silverton Partners.
How do you keep an acquisition quiet for almost a year?
Ask Jeff Stephens, president of Bibble Labs.
Stephens last week announced in a company blog post that Ottawa, Canada-based Corel bought Bibble Labs last year.
Eric Hyman founded Bibble Labs in Austin in 2000.
“All of us at Bibble have joined the Corel team,” Stephens wrote. “We’re keeping Mac and Linux support and we’re staying in Austin.”
Stephens runs “product development for Corel’s new photo workflow solutions that is based on the core Bibble technology.” Corel will no longer sell Bibble 5 and it has released its last update for the product, Stephens said.
The news broke at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Corel announced its new Corel Aftershot Pro, a photographic workflow solution for professional and hobby photographers based on Bibble’s technology. The product competes with Adobe’s Photoshop, Lightroom and ACD Systems ACDSee Pro.
“Corel AfterShot Pro provides Windows, Mac OS and Linux users with the tools they need to get the most out of their photos,” according to Corel’s news release.
A new Austin-based startup, Give As You Get, wants to make it easy for people to support their favorite nonprofit organization while shopping for items online.
“We’ve gotten a great response from the community,” said David Sandal, who launched the site late last year.
More than 50 organizations have signed up and Give As You Get has raised more than $2,200. Sandal keeps a running total of all funds raised updated on the site.
So far, Emancipet has raised the most money with $349.37. The nonprofit organization provides free and low-cost spay and neuter services throughout Central Texas from mobile and regular clinics.
Give As You Get operates through what’s known as an affiliate program with a variety of online retailers. That means when a shopper makes a purchase through one of the retailers like Amazon or Expedia, Give As You Get receives a percentage of the sale for referring the shopper to the site. The referral fee varies depending on the retailer, but can be as much as 1 to 4 percent of the sale. Give As You Get receives a payment from the retailer and sends 50 percent to the designated organization.
Give As You Get has affiliate programs with BestBuy, Amazon, iTunes, PetSmart, Barnes and Noble, Sears, Sam’s Club and others.
The organizations signed up include Austin Partners in Education, Austin Planetarium, Austin Police Operation Blue Santa, Cancer Connection, Central Texas SCPA, Colin’s Hope, Family Eldercare, Girl Scouts of Central Texas, Girls Rock Camp and others.
Dara Quackenbush, board member of the Austin chapter of the Association of Women in Communications uses Give As You Get to buy goods on Amazon.com so that the proceeds will go to the organization’s scholarship fund.
http://giveasyouget.com/Default.aspx?p=Shop
Tip of the hat to Bryan Menell at AustinStartup for bringing this new “Shipping Wars” show to our attention. The reality show debuts on Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. on A&E and it features a competition among some of the best haulers with UShip, an Austin-based company that created a global marketplace for shipping items.
“From rookie haulers to seasoned veterans, no shipment is too big or bizarre for these carriers, who compete in a high-stakes, deadline-driven race where any setback can cost big bucks,” according to UShip. In the first episode, the haulers compete to get a “4,000 lbs., 22-foot steel horse and an oversized 7-foot-long Venus Flytrap” across country on deadline or lose money.
The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce has culled through its list of Austin startups and tapped into its Technology Partnership to come up with an A-List of startups for 2012.
Ever dreamed about giving a TEDxAustin speech?
This year, you’ve got a chance. Stacy Weitzner, one of the TedXAustin organizers, has dreamed up a way to let more people participate by presenting their idea in an 18-second post to Youtube.
TEDxAustin, an invitation-only event, which sells out every year, is being held at the Austin Music Hall on February 11th.
I’ve embedded their video below for the instructions. But it sounds easy.
This year’s TEDxAustin’s focus is titled “Beyond Measure” to ponder “the implications of an ever-accelerating pace of innovation in technology, information and the way we live our lives.”
“Think about what BEYOND MEASURE means to you, and then use your phone, camera or web-cam to record an 18-second TED talk and post your video to youtube. VERY IMPORTANT: make sure to tag or title your video with the keyword tedxaustin18, and we’ll make sure to feature it either on our website or at our live event!”
Tech Ranch Austin is working with serial entrepreneur Gary Hoover to deliver his “Art of Enterprise” course
It’s the fourth time he has delivered the course with TechRanch.
The first class is free. He’s offering it at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 11 or Saturday, Jan. 14th at 1 p.m. at Tech Ranch’s offices at 9111 Jollyville Road. You can RSVP for the first class at Eventbrite.
Hoover has run four startups and a is a former entrepreneur in residence at University of Texas McCombs School of Business.
During the 11-week course, Hoover covers all kinds of skills needed to run your own business.
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