Novartis is doubling down on vaccine research. The Basel, Switzerland-based drug giant is announcing today that it is opening a new facility and hiring an additional 150 people by the end of 2009 for a Research Center of Excellence in Virology in Cambridge, MA. That will boost the company’s employment in Cambridge to more than … Continue reading “Novartis To Beef Up Vaccine Research in Cambridge”
Arzeda, a University of Washington Spinout, Sees Future in Directed Evolution
Arzeda sees a future in which it will custom design enzymes, on a computer, to do things in the body that biologists now can only dream about. The technology, emerging from David Baker‘s lab at the University of Washington, has generated enough interest from biotechnology industry partners that three of his young apprentices have decided … Continue reading “Arzeda, a University of Washington Spinout, Sees Future in Directed Evolution”
Getting the Gist of Gist, from Entrepreneur T.A. McCann
T.A. McCann has been on my list of people to talk to for months. So when I heard the Seattle-area entrepreneur, a former Microsoftie and pro sailor, has a new website in beta trials, I had to get the scoop from him. The site, and company, is called Gist, and this is its first week … Continue reading “Getting the Gist of Gist, from Entrepreneur T.A. McCann”
ZvBox’s Unhappy Marriage of PC and HDTV
I really wish that I could write a positive review of the ZvBox—the appliance from Littleton, MA-based ZeeVee that taps into your house’s TV cables, allowing you to watch videos playing on your Windows PC from any high-definition TV in your house. When I first profiled ZeeVee back in May, I had high hopes for … Continue reading “ZvBox’s Unhappy Marriage of PC and HDTV”
UIEvolution Inc. Garners $5,000,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ce832caa-3613-43fa-a3c0-009077c13f45&Preview=1 Date 9/12/2008 Company Name UIEvolution Inc. Mailing Address 11245 SE 6th Street Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description At UIEvolution® we see a future where our software technology and solutions power dynamic application experiences for any device, platform or network enabling consumers to access their content anytime, anywhere. Website http://www.uievolution.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “UIEvolution Inc. Garners $5,000,000 Series A Financing Round”
Big Fish Games Receives $83,300,000 New Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=52fb4d70-5931-4a94-9a23-c90648a44e99&Preview=1 Date 9/12/2008 Company Name Big Fish Games Mailing Address 333 Elliott Avenue West Seattle, WA 98119 Company Description Big Fish Games is a global leader and innovator in the online games industry, producing and delivering the world’s best games and game experiences. The Big Fish Games portal at BigFishGames.com distributes more … Continue reading “Big Fish Games Receives $83,300,000 New Financing”
Zetta Secures $10,680,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=61d9c64a-f1f2-4917-8193-53d3159639f0&Preview=1 Date 9/12/2008 Company Name Zetta Mailing Address 1362 Borregas Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94089 Company Description Zetta delivers storage solutions to enterprises that increase productivity, data availability and data protection while reducing the costs, complexities and risks of traditional storage hardware and software solutions. Website http://www.zetta.net Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount … Continue reading “Zetta Secures $10,680,000 Series A Funding Round”
Envivio Obtains $25,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=050ed840-1266-4c9a-b2f7-bb2b663ec174&Preview=1 Date 9/12/2008 Company Name Envivio Mailing Address 400 Oyster Point Boulevard South San Francisco, CA 94080 Company Description Envivio’s goal is to make the world’s video content universally enjoyable by all viewers, on any device, across any network, at any time. From live news and sports to catching up with a … Continue reading “Envivio Obtains $25,000,000 New Funding”
Trubion Wins Patent Dispute With Genentech, Biogen Idec
Trubion Pharmaceuticals just scored a victory in the world of patents over a couple of biotech heavyweights. The Seattle biotech company (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TRBN]]), which is developing a drug for rheumatoid arthritis, said today that the European Patent Office granted its request to revoke a patent held by Genentech and Cambridge, MA-based Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: [[ticker:BIIB]]) … Continue reading “Trubion Wins Patent Dispute With Genentech, Biogen Idec”
Biofuels: The Wild West of Today, As a New Industry Takes Shape
There was a sense of urgency in the air yesterday in Vancouver, B.C., about biofuels. It’s no surprise, with gas at $4 a gallon, that some smart people have gotten motivated to come up with alternatives. So I hopped in a rented 2008 Toyota Yaris (estimated 36 highway mpg) and joined about 450 people at … Continue reading “Biofuels: The Wild West of Today, As a New Industry Takes Shape”
Daily TIPs: Wind Bubble, Stronger Steel, Climate Cooperation, & More
Is There a Wind Bubble Coming? Wind power is booming, with capacity last year growing by 45 percent and wind power companies being bought and sold. The Atlantic displays an interesting map showing where the wind and the windmills are, but worries that the current optimism in the wind market may turn sour. It cites … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: Wind Bubble, Stronger Steel, Climate Cooperation, & More”
Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Sets Up Stem Cell Registry With $570,000 Grant
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center said today it has provided a $570,000 grant to establish an international stem cell registry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The registry will be an online resource for academic researchers, companies, and members of the public looking for information on stem cell research. The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center … Continue reading “Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Sets Up Stem Cell Registry With $570,000 Grant”
Tech Square Block Party
Show off your gaming skills in the Wii Tournament, your knowledge in the Science Pub Trivia contest, or just relax and enjoy the free food & drinks at the Tech Square Block Party. Admission is free, too. Sponsored by Alexandria Real Estate, AstraZeneca, Charles River Laboratories, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Millipore, Novartis, Pfizer and Xconomy. The … Continue reading “Tech Square Block Party”
Targeted Growth Sees Future in Your Breakfast Bowl
Targeted Growth has a business strategy that leads straight to your morning bowl of cereal. The Seattle-based biotech company is taking its technology to the market with a high-yield seed crop that can be turned into biodiesel, but it sees a bigger future in boosting production of what it calls “small grain cereals,” the type … Continue reading “Targeted Growth Sees Future in Your Breakfast Bowl”
Prism Leads $11M Round for GuardID
Needham, MA-based Prism VentureWorks is the lead investor in an $11 million Series B venture financing round for Guard ID Systems, a fraud prevention company in San Mateo, CA, the company announced yesterday. GuardID makes ID Vault, a USB device for consumer PCs that stores encrypted personal data such as credit card numbers and brokerage … Continue reading “Prism Leads $11M Round for GuardID”
Wiggio Offers Free Groupware for Harried College Students
When I was in college in the late 1980s, the apex of communications technology was the answering machine. Nobody had a mobile phone. Nobody even had an e-mail account, aside from a few computer-science majors. (And since there was no data connectivity in the dorms, even the geeks had to go to the computer room … Continue reading “Wiggio Offers Free Groupware for Harried College Students”
Living Proof’s Frizz-Busting Technology Unveiled, Sort Of
When I wrote last month that MIT professor Robert Langer and Polaris Venture Partners had teamed with veterans of the beauty industry, the burning question on my mind was: What would their product be? Well, I’ve just learned the answer (most of it, anyway). Living Proof, the Cambridge, MA, startup formed to apply innovations in … Continue reading “Living Proof’s Frizz-Busting Technology Unveiled, Sort Of”
Game On: The Greater Seattle Gaming Cluster
The Seattle area is known for many things. But right up there with the coffee, the weather, and the music scene would have to be the gaming community. If you’ve ever played a video game like Halo on an Xbox console, or a multiplayer online game like World of Warcraft, or an online “casual” game … Continue reading “Game On: The Greater Seattle Gaming Cluster”
How IRobot Took the Plunge into Underwater Vehicles
Every company chairman likes to grow her business—and one common way to do that is by finding new revenue streams. It’s just that for most companies, that stream doesn’t turn out to be the ocean. IRobot isn’t most companies. On Monday, the Bedford, MA-based maker of land-based military and consumer robotics dived deeper into the … Continue reading “How IRobot Took the Plunge into Underwater Vehicles”
Sensory Medical Obtains $2,500,000 Series A Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=089a7e5b-fc97-49f7-a3b3-47a50666d567&Preview=1 Date 9/11/2008 Company Name Sensory Medical Mailing Address Undisclosed San Clemente, CA 92672 Company Description Sensory Medical is a medical device firm focused on treatments for Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). Website Undisclosed Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $2,500,000 Transaction Round Series A Proceeds Purposes The funding will go towards launching … Continue reading “Sensory Medical Obtains $2,500,000 Series A Financing Round”
NeoMend, Inc. Obtains $15,000,000 Series C Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=555249ae-c2c1-4a21-ac91-7dc087a6a79a&Preview=1 Date 9/11/2008 Company Name NeoMend, Inc. Mailing Address 13900 Alton Parkway Irvine, CA 92618 Company Description NeoMend, Inc. (“NeoMend”) is a privately held, clinical stage biomedical device company engaged in the development and commercialization of advanced surgical wound healing products. Website http://www.neomendinc.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $15,000,000 Transaction Round … Continue reading “NeoMend, Inc. Obtains $15,000,000 Series C Financing”
Legend Films, Inc. Secures $5,000,000 Series E Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=06074234-d075-44ca-a57f-c25aa5a43506&Preview=1 Date 9/11/2008 Company Name Legend Films, Inc. Mailing Address 5075 Shoreham Place San Diego, CA 92122 Company Description The company operates as a studio specializing in restoring & colorizing classic films. Website http://www.legendfilms.net Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $5,000,000 Transaction Round Series E Proceeds Purposes The proceeds are being used … Continue reading “Legend Films, Inc. Secures $5,000,000 Series E Funding Round”
TrueCar Obtains Series A Financing
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5f2d8113-e7cb-483a-a613-cd1f47bf841b&Preview=1 Date 9/11/2008 Company Name TrueCar Mailing Address Undisclosed Santa Monica, CA 90040 Company Description TrueCar is the authority on new-car pricing. It aggregates multiple data sources to show car buyers and dealers how much people actually paid for a particular car in their geographic area. Website http://www.truecar.com Transaction Type Venture Equity … Continue reading “TrueCar Obtains Series A Financing”
bioMérieux sa Acquires AviaraDx Inc. for $60,000,000
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3bd19d1b-f943-4afe-8bad-7931f1d58bc3&Preview=1 Date 9/11/2008 Company Name AviaraDx Inc. Mailing Address 11025 Roselle Street San Diego, CA 92121 Company Description AviaraDx discovers, develops, and commercializes new molecular diagnostic tests in oncology, enabling physicians to personalize cancer treatment through better understanding of the molecular biology underlying a patient’s tumor. Our tests improve the classification of … Continue reading “bioMérieux sa Acquires AviaraDx Inc. for $60,000,000”
SquareTrade Receives $4,000,000 New Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=65e86885-a68a-4284-bef4-f779bbff7da0&Preview=1 Date 9/11/2008 Company Name SquareTrade Mailing Address 575 Market Street San Francisco, CA 94105 Company Description SquareTrade makes warranties that make sense. With lower prices (40% less on average than retail warranties), a no-pressure way to buy online, and no-hassle 5-day service guarantee, SquareTrade is the smart choice for warranty coverage. … Continue reading “SquareTrade Receives $4,000,000 New Funding Round”
Why Startups Should Quit Silicon Valley
I couldn’t help but notice that Yankee Group founder and Xconomist Howard Anderson, in a blatant act of disloyalty (just kidding, Howard), has blogged today for GigaOm, penning a post entitled: “5 Reasons to Move Your Startup Out of Silicon Valley.” The post is vintage Anderson, quippy and pointed—just the way he teaches at MIT’s … Continue reading “Why Startups Should Quit Silicon Valley”
Microsoft Opens Development Center Near Vancouver
Microsoft officially opened its Vancouver, BC-area development center today. The company announced the center, which is located in Richmond, BC, in July of last year. It is expected to add about 300 jobs to the region. Software developers there will work on products that include Windows, Windows Mobile, Office, and Xbox 360.
Echo Nest Launches Musical Brain, Raises Capital
Somerville, MA-based Echo Nest, a startup focused on Web-based software for music search, personalization, and interactivity, made its public debut Monday at the Demo Fall 08 conference in San Diego. The company’s “Musical Brain” software, developed by MIT Media Lab graduates and company co-founders Brian Whitman and Tristan Jehan, automatically “listens” to and classifies digitally-stored … Continue reading “Echo Nest Launches Musical Brain, Raises Capital”
Daily TIPs: Hurricane Software, Stem Cell Fights, Animal Dating, & More
Software Could Aid in Hurricane Evacuations Researchers at MIT are testing new software that uses vast amounts of information to guide officials in planning how and when to evacuate a city if a hurricane is coming. After Katrina, officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency started using software that estimates how long it would take … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: Hurricane Software, Stem Cell Fights, Animal Dating, & More”
EmergInvest Emerges, UpDown Raises More Dough, Geezeo Grows—Is Boston a New Hub for Finance and Investing Sites?
Here at Xconomy, there are a lot of mornings when we have to decide whether to publish a bunch of brief stories, or lump the related ones together into what we call “roundups” or trend stories. Today was a pretty clear roundup/trend day, as news piled up from several Boston-area websites that help customers manage … Continue reading “EmergInvest Emerges, UpDown Raises More Dough, Geezeo Grows—Is Boston a New Hub for Finance and Investing Sites?”
Mobliss and Reaxion Merge, Realign Goals
Seattle mobile-gaming companies Mobliss and Reaxion have announced they are merging into a new company called PressOK Entertainment, which will be led by Reaxion CEO Colin Prior. Mobliss is known for its existing-brand titles like Deal or No Deal, while Reaxion makes original titles like Detective Puzzles. The deal is being viewed as a sign … Continue reading “Mobliss and Reaxion Merge, Realign Goals”
New(ish) on Xconomy: More Venture and M&A Deals Than You Can Shake a Stick At, Thanks to Our Friends at VentureDeal
Habitual visitors to our Boston and Seattle homepages might have noticed something new about a month ago—a pretty blue box perched right on top of the event-listings box and packed full of headlines about venture financings and M&A deals. Click a headline, and you get a tidy little summary of the transaction, complete with information … Continue reading “New(ish) on Xconomy: More Venture and M&A Deals Than You Can Shake a Stick At, Thanks to Our Friends at VentureDeal”
X-Prize Goes Energy—With “Crazy Green Idea” Prize to Debut at MIT Today
A prize for a prize. That’s essentially the reason a trio of heavyweights—Ray Kurzweil, Xconomist George Church, and Saul Griffith—will be on hand at MIT this afternoon, as they help announce a $25,000 prize for whomever comes up with the best idea for a $10 million energy and environment prize to be awarded by the … Continue reading “X-Prize Goes Energy—With “Crazy Green Idea” Prize to Debut at MIT Today”
ACT to Vacate Facilities in Boston and California
Advanced Cell Technology (OTB:[[ticker:ACTC]]), a developer of stem cell treatments, says it has not renewed its lease on a facility in Alameda, CA, and has vacated labs in Boston as part of a plan to cut annual operating expenses by $5 million to $6 million. The company maintains operations in Worcester, MA, and in Los … Continue reading “ACT to Vacate Facilities in Boston and California”
The Infinite Canvas: An Interview with Scott McCloud, the Google Chrome Comic Guy
Over the last week, I’ve had several people tell me that the most interesting thing about Google Chrome isn’t the browser itself, but the way Google chose to present it to the world: via a comic book. Indeed, for at least a day or two, Scott McCloud’s Google Chrome comic—which was accidentally leaked to journalists … Continue reading “The Infinite Canvas: An Interview with Scott McCloud, the Google Chrome Comic Guy”
Millennium CEO Dunsire Juggles Growing Pipeline, Works to Maintain Nimble Culture—as New Owner Takeda Makes the Company its Center for Cancer Drug Development
Four months have passed since Cambridge, MA-based Millennium Pharmaceuticals was taken over by Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceutical for $8.8 billion. Now that some of the dust has settled, we checked with CEO Deborah Dunsire to see just how much has changed at one of Cambridge’s leading biotech companies. Quite a bit, although it’s not the usual … Continue reading “Millennium CEO Dunsire Juggles Growing Pipeline, Works to Maintain Nimble Culture—as New Owner Takeda Makes the Company its Center for Cancer Drug Development”
AVI Biopharma Out to Reinvent Itself, Making RNA-based Drugs for Ebola and Other Nasty Things
The first five minutes of digging on Portland, OR-based AVI Biopharma turns up some jaw-dropping facts. It’s been in business since the dawn of biotechnology in 1980. Never has it developed an FDA-approved drug. Never has it become profitable. It has burned through $243 million in investor capital in its history, according to its most … Continue reading “AVI Biopharma Out to Reinvent Itself, Making RNA-based Drugs for Ebola and Other Nasty Things”
Alnylam Adds Another RNA Approach, Vertex Tackles Hardest Hep C Cases, Zafgen Places Big Bet on Fat Shrinkers, & More Life Sciences News
New England life sciences firms have been making some fascinating strategic moves recently, and a lot of our coverage this last week was focused on understanding these new strategies. —Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALNY]]) made its name with technology for turning genes off with a technique called RNAi, but now the company is also working on … Continue reading “Alnylam Adds Another RNA Approach, Vertex Tackles Hardest Hep C Cases, Zafgen Places Big Bet on Fat Shrinkers, & More Life Sciences News”
Ontela Signs Up Wireless Carriers and Websites, Wants To Send Your Camera-Phone Pictures with Nary a Click
Today marks the start of CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2008, the world’s largest wireless-data event, in San Francisco. A host of local wireless companies are peddling their products there, and at least one of them has some interesting news. Seattle startup Ontela, which makes software to transmit digital photos from camera phones, is announcing … Continue reading “Ontela Signs Up Wireless Carriers and Websites, Wants To Send Your Camera-Phone Pictures with Nary a Click”
UIEvolution Inc. Receives $5,000,000 New Funding
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ce832caa-3613-43fa-a3c0-009077c13f45&Preview=1 Date 9/10/2008 Company Name UIEvolution Inc. Mailing Address 11245 SE 6th Street Bellevue, WA 98004 Company Description At UIEvolution® we see a future where our software technology and solutions power dynamic application experiences for any device, platform or network enabling consumers to access their content anytime, anywhere. Website http://www.uievolution.com Transaction Type … Continue reading “UIEvolution Inc. Receives $5,000,000 New Funding”
Nusym Technology Secures $8,000,000 Series B Financing Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f066e740-2734-4c48-a94a-7a65e0a0131b&Preview=1 Date 9/10/2008 Company Name Nusym Technology Mailing Address 420 Blossom Hill Road Los Gatos, CA 95032 Company Description Nusym Technology was founded by Chris Wilson, Kenneth Imboden and David Gold in February 2004 in Los Gatos, California. The company has attracted funding from individuals who are legends in both the EDA … Continue reading “Nusym Technology Secures $8,000,000 Series B Financing Round”
Nevro Corporation Obtains $22,000,000 Series A Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=973546c8-97d2-40f5-a863-81d3d584068e&Preview=1 Date 9/10/2008 Company Name Nevro Corporation Mailing Address 411 Acacia Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94306 Company Description Nevro is a medical device company developing novel neuromodulation therapies for multiple indications. The company’s initial focus is the development of an implantable device for the treatment of chronic pain. Website http://nevrocorp.com/ Transaction Type … Continue reading “Nevro Corporation Obtains $22,000,000 Series A Funding Round”
GuardID Systems Secures $11,000,000 Series B Funding Round
Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=0c569bdd-4436-4956-9c64-87b19b61fc26&Preview=1 Date 9/10/2008 Company Name GuardID Systems Mailing Address 1825 S. Grant St. San Mateo, CA 94403 Company Description GuardID Systems, a privately held company, designs, develops and markets anti-phishing and pharming products to help consumers protect themselves against online identity theft and other forms of fraud. Website http://www.guardidsystems.com Transaction Type Venture … Continue reading “GuardID Systems Secures $11,000,000 Series B Funding Round”
Parametric Seeks a Buyer
Needham, MA-based Parametric Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PMTC]]), which makes software for computer-aided design and product lifecycle management, has hired Goldman Sachs to recruit potential buyers willing to consider a price tag in the neighborhood of $2 billion, according to a report this week in the Financial Times of London. The report said Goldman Sachs has sent … Continue reading “Parametric Seeks a Buyer”
New York Times Looks Under VMware’s Hood
If EMC CEO Joe Tucci’s dismissal this summer of VMware founder Diane Greene was intended to shore up investor confidence in the Hopkinton, MA, company’s once high-flying virtualization subsidiary, it backfired: VMware’s stock has been trading this week at roughly $35 per share, down about 33 percent from its price before Greene’s firing was announced … Continue reading “New York Times Looks Under VMware’s Hood”
The Sky Isn’t Falling on Venture Capital in Washington State, VCs Say
The national economy may be limping along, and IPOs seem like a distant dream, but that doesn’t mean it’s doomsday for the people who invest in startup businesses. Two prominent local venture capitalists—Chad Waite of OVP Venture Partners in Kirkland, WA, and Matt McIlwain of Madrona Venture Group in Seattle—both said their industry is getting … Continue reading “The Sky Isn’t Falling on Venture Capital in Washington State, VCs Say”
Daily TIPs: New Bugs for Ethanol, Satellite Internet, Cloud-Spewing Ships, & More
Debate Continues on Biofuels Versus Food Some critics of biofuels contend that the growing demand for ethanol made from corn is helping to drive up food prices and could divert farmland from growing food to growing fuel. Others argue that much of the recent spike in food prices was caused by soaring oil costs and … Continue reading “Daily TIPs: New Bugs for Ethanol, Satellite Internet, Cloud-Spewing Ships, & More”
Washington Is Number One—in Slowest Internet Connections
Wade wrote today about Cambridge, MA-based Akamai’s second quarterly “State of the Internet” report, which details such trends as broadband connections by state and country, number of Internet-connected devices, and amounts of attack traffic and malware. In terms of Internet connection speeds, South Korea is tops with 64 percent of all connections (to Akamai’s content … Continue reading “Washington Is Number One—in Slowest Internet Connections”
If You Want a Faster Internet Connection, Move to Delaware, Akamai Report Says
The global network of 34,000 content distribution servers built by Cambridge, MA-based Akamai allows the company to gather massive amounts of data on Internet usage—information that it distilled and published for the first time back in May. Now the company has published its second quarterly “State of the Internet” report, detailing trends such as the … Continue reading “If You Want a Faster Internet Connection, Move to Delaware, Akamai Report Says”
Ignite Boston 4
O’Reilly Media sponsors its fourth Boston-area event featuring a dozen or more “lighting talks” by local technology entrepreneurs and personalities. This time, the keynote speaker is none other than Tim O’Reilly, who’s joined by Rails developer Dan Chak. More information here; RSVP to [email protected].