AllThingsD » Santa Barbara

FindTheBest's Kevin O'Connor Talks About Comparison Engine, Now Running Hot on $6M in Funding (Video)

Kara Swisher — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:15:03 +0000

Last week, after FindTheBest nabbed $6 million in funding from Silicon Valley’s Kleiner Perkins, veteran entrepreneur Kevin O’Connor talked to me about the content platform, which structures data into a hopped-up comparison service for products and services.

Comparing, organizing and filtering everything from summer camps to mountain bikes to investment advisors to Hollywood agents, it’s a leads business for “considered decisions,” with added hopes of selling its technology to anyone in need of a human- and machine-powered curation engine.

The new venture funding for the Santa Barbara, Calif., company comes after a small seed round of $750,000 from O’Connor, who founded online advertising pioneer DoubleClick and others.

Here’s a screenshot of the service, which could take almost any topical direction, as well as the video of my interview with O’Connor:

[ See post to watch video ]

Sonos' John MacFarlane Talks About New Android Music Controller Rolling Out Today and More!

Kara Swisher — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:00:01 +0000

Yesterday afternoon, BoomTown pumped Sonos CEO John MacFarlane full of fancy tea and queried him about today’s rollout of its new Android controller for the innovative wireless music players.

As has been previously reported, the Santa Barbara, Calif. consumer electronics company will finally be launching an app for the Google mobile operating system.

Sonos will also be releasing a free software update for its software to make it easier to play Apple AirPlay music sources, as well as offer multitasking for the Apple iPad and Apple iPhone.

Until now, Sonos has been boosted by its Apple app that allows you to control its various players wirelessly with a smartphone or tablet.

The impact of the iPhone and the iPad on sales of its various devices has been clear enough, with just under one million sold. But the move to Android is key given the explosive growth of the mobile platform.

Here’s the video interview I did with MacFarlane, as well as an image of the app on an Android phone:

[ See post to watch video ]

Apple App Happy Sonos Also Goes Android

Kara Swisher — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:00:07 +0000

Sonos–the maker of innovative wireless music systems that has been boosted by its Apple iPhone and iPad Controller app–is set to roll out one for Google’s Android mobile operating system.

The Sonos Controller for Android will officially introduce the app at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week, although the Santa Barbara, Calif., company is announcing it today.

“It’s a no-brainer,” said Sonos CEO John MacFarlane in an interview with BoomTown yesterday. “It basically doubles our market space.”

The free app allows you to control Sonos’s various players wirelessly with a smartphone or tablet.

The impact of the iPhone and the iPad on sales of its various devices has been clear enough, said MacFarlane, as registrations of the app have escalated.

“There is more usage of the smartphone, but tablets are clearly happening, said MacFarlane. “But I have the same view of both that these devices are the Holy Grail everyone has always wanted.”

The move to Android will take longer to beta test, he said, since its ecosystem has a plethora of unit types from a variety of handset makers.

The app will be out in March.

Here’s an image of the app on an Android phone and the official press release:

ROCK THE HOUSE: SONOS INTRODUCES SONOS CONTROLLER FOR ANDROID

Wireless Music System for Android Provides Unlimited Music, Incredible Control and Amazing Sound in Every Room

SANTA BARBARA, CA–February 10, 2011–Sonos, the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today introduced the Sonos Controller for Android, a free app that transforms most Android™ smartphones into a wireless music controller for the award-winning Sonos Multi-Room Music System. The Sonos Controller for Android, available in late March as a free download from Android Market™, will make its public debut next week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. To watch a video introduction of the Sonos Controller for Android, please visit www.sonos.com/android.

With the award-winning Sonos S5 in any room and an Android phone in hand, music lovers will enjoy an unmatched wireless music experience in the home. You’ll be able to access and play all the music on earth–from the Internet and your personal music library–throughout the home, wirelessly. Use the free Sonos Controller for Android app to control all your music and rooms, all from the palm of your hand. And, Sonos Controller for Android features Sonos’ latest innovation in the home music experience–music voice search–allowing users to find any artist, album or track by simply speaking into the phone.

“Sonos’ mission is to fill every home with music,” said John MacFarlane, CEO, Sonos, Inc. “We are thrilled to bring the joy of music to the homes of Android fans worldwide.”

To get started enjoying music in any or every room of the home, all you need is a Sonos ZonePlayer and a Sonos Controller such as the free Sonos Controller for Android. The most popular Sonos ZonePlayer is the Sonos S5, an all-in-one wireless music system you can plug in anywhere. Now you can play any track you like, anytime you like, in any room you like. Wirelessly play the same song in every room of the house–perfectly synchronized. Or, mix it up and play different songs in different rooms.

When it comes to controlling Sonos, you simply reach into your pocket for your Android smartphone. With Sonos Controller for Android, you can search for songs and stations by typing or speaking, choose the music and control the volume in as many rooms as you like. And because your Android phone is controlling the music, and not the source of it, when a text comes in or you need to make a phone call, the music doesn’t stop.

Sonos connects directly to the Internet so you can access a world of music without ever turning on your computer. Search and play more than 100,000 Internet radio stations, shows and podcasts–from around the world. Play songs, playlists and radio from the most popular music services like Deezer, iheartradio, Last.fm, Napster, Pandora, Rdio, Rhapsody, SiriusXM Internet Radio, Spotify, Wolfgang’s Vault, and more. And of course, Sonos can play your entire digital music library (such as iTunes) stored on a computer or Network Attached storage drive.

The Sonos Controller for Android is designed to work on any Android smartphone running Android 2.1 or later with a screen size of HVGA 320 x 480, WVGA 480 x 800 or WVGA 480 x 854. Sonos Controller for Android joins the family of Sonos Controllers which includes free apps for iPhone and iPad, a dedicated touchscreen controller, the Sonos Controller 200, and free software for your Mac or PC, included with every ZonePlayer. All controllers work together seamlessly.

Sonos will be demonstrating the Sonos Controller for Android at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 13-17, 2011. For a demonstration in person, you’ll find Sonos at the following locations:
• Android: Hall 8; Booth 8C25
• Motorola: Hall 8, Booth 8A28
• Sonos: Hall 7; Suite 7HS11

For more information about Sonos or to locate an authorized Sonos dealer in your area, please visit www.sonos.com or call 877.80.SONOS.

SFund Invests in a Not-Particularly Social Site, FindTheBest.com

Liz Gannes — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:11:34 +0000

Kleiner Perkins last night closed one of its first publicly disclosed funding rounds coming from its new sFund, an initiative designed to bring the august firm into the realm of the social Web. The company at the receiving end of the dollars is FindTheBest.com, a vertical database creator.

But it seems a reach to say FTB is “social”–the company primarily relies on paid researchers to compile information tables on specific topics like GPS navigation systems or fast-food nutrition. Regular users are welcome to suggest topics and edits, but actual edits are only made by company staff and freelancers. (It’s kind of like Demand Media in chart form.)

A spokesperson for FTB said this morning that the company is planning to add more social stuff, but didn’t get more specific than that.

FTB is particularly notable because of its founder and CEO Kevin O’Connor, who also co-founded the ad network DoubleClick, and had been on a sort of 10-year break since then. To date he had funded the company himself out of Santa Barbara, Calif.

The Kleiner investment was led by partner Randy Komisar and is of an undisclosed amount.

Sonos Marches Its Wireless Music System Into China

Kara Swisher — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:00:09 +0000

Sonos, maker of the well-known wireless multi-room music system for the home, announced at a press conference in Beijing, China, today that it will soon be selling its products in the important Asian market.

The move by the Santa Barbara, Calif., consumer electronics company is a big expansion, putting its players in the hands of a growing base of more affluent Chinese customers by later this month.

“The consumer market is really developing and the Chinese customer wants the best products for music delivery,” said Sonos CEO John MacFarlane in an interview with BoomTown earlier this week. “We have had a fair amount of growth outside the U.S. and we expect it to only continue.”

MacFarlane said all Sonos products, which make a lot of use of Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices as controllers, will be localized in China.

The company said Sonos China will be headquartered in the southern China city of Shenzhen. The new managing director of the Chinese division will be Yaling Zhang, who previously served as managing director of Archos China.

Here’s the official press release from Sonos:

SONOS BRINGS WIRELESS MULTI-ROOM MUSIC TO CHINA

Sonos Controller for iPad and Entire Sonos Product Lineup Localized in Chinese
Sonos China Opens Shenzhen Office and Names Yaling Zhang Managing Director
Sonos China Launches www.sonos-china.com

BEIJING and SANTA BARBARA, California–November 2, 2010–Sonos, the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today announced that the award-winning Sonos Multi-Room Music System will be available in China beginning later this month. The Sonos system will be available for purchase in China at select audio video retailers.

At a press conference today in Beijing, Sonos founder and CEO John MacFarlane introduced the Sonos product family and the upcoming localized Sonos Controller for iPad. MacFarlane announced that Sonos China will be headquartered in the southern China city of Shenzhen, and will be the company’s second office in Asia.

MacFarlane also introduced the new Managing Director of Sonos China, Yaling Zhang. Zhang, who previously served as Managing Director of Archos China, is a consumer electronics veteran who has successfully introduced new brands and new ways of experiencing entertainment to the Chinese consumer.

“More than half of Sonos’ business is conducted outside of the United States,” said John MacFarlane, founder and CEO, Sonos, Inc. “As we enter the world’s largest music market, we have a tremendous opportunity to introduce the Sonos music experience to even more music loving consumers.”

MacFarlane continued “We’re committed to doing business in China the right way, with localized products, a local office, local leadership and a local Website. We’ve found that leader in Yaling Zhang who has both the background and experience in introducing new consumer electronics brands to the Chinese market.”

For more information about Sonos please visit www.sonos.com. To learn more about Sonos China and the Sonos Multi-Room Music System in China, please visit www.sonos-china.com.

And, apropos of nothing, here is an interesting video by Sonos of its also recent Apple iAd deployment:

Index Invests $25 Million in Sonos (Plus a Video Interview With VC Mike Volpi)

Kara Swisher — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:00:57 +0000

Earlier this week, BoomTown had lunch with Michelangelo “Mike” Volpi, the high-profile tech exec who turned into a venture capitalist recently at Index Ventures.

We also did a video interview (see below) about his new life as an investor, based in London, although Volpi managed to leave out the big news.

That would be a just-inked $25 million investment by Index from its growth equity arm in wireless home music system maker Sonos, as well as a new board seat there for Volpi. (Sonos’s hot new S5 unit is pictured here.)

In an interview this morning, Sonos CEO John MacFarlane said the money would be used for expansion at Sonos, which is just about to introduce its products to China and Japan.

“This investment is going to help us grow,” said MacFarlane. “We have wind at our back and this will help us a lot in keeping up that momentum.”

MacFarlane said the focus for Sonos, which has garnered $65 million–from BV Capital and mostly angel investors–with the Index investment included, is growth. He declined to give Sonos’s valuation in the new round.

The private company has been profitable, MacFarlane said, but its goal is to break even as it takes advantage of interest in its devices globally. Only about 35 percent of its business is now in the United States.

While running a small independent consumer electronics company is a dicey proposition, MacFarlane said Sonos is not interested in selling, as Pure Digital–maker of the Flip digital camera–did to Cisco (CSCO) a year ago for $590 million in stock.

In fact, Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Sonos, which is well known for its innovative top-line (and high-priced) music players, recently moved its business more mainstream with the introduction of the S5 unit in November.

The S5 allows control of the system via an Apple (AAPL) iPhone and only costs $399. (Here is a review of it by The Mossberg Solution’s Katie Boehret.)

The basic idea? A smart speaker paired with a smartphone.

The S5 has been a big seller and has increased product registration–when the software is activated by a user–by five times previous numbers so far, according to the company.

That could get a further boost with the April launch of the iPad, which seems perfect for controller software apps.

“The popularity of the iPhone is great for us,” said MacFarlane. “And we’ll do something great with the iPad.”

It will be nice to have a big score for Volpi, the former Cisco wunderkind. In fact, he invested in one of MacFarlane’s previous start-ups, Software.com, in 1995 when he was in charge of a variety of businesses there.

But the affable Volpi hit a bad patch recently while CEO of a much hyped but ultimately failed video service called Joost. It was that job that landed him in even hotter water.

In the wake of the decline of Joost, which he left to join Index, he was personally sued, along with Index, by its litigious co-founders over Index’s planned investment in Skype, the online telephony service they also co-founded.

Confused? Well, it was confusing.

And not the best start in the investment business for Volpi, after Index pulled out of the high-profile deal in a settlement of the lawsuits.

But, that’s “ancient history,” as Volpi said in the video interview below, which focuses on what’s next.

(News of the Index involvement in Sonos was first reported by TechCrunch earlier this week, though it did not have any details on the amount of funding.)

Although he did not mention the $25 million Sonos funding specifically in the video, Volpi does discuss his bullishness for consumer electronics.

Volpi presumably hopes others share his enthusiasm.

Here’s the video of my interview with him:

[ See post to watch video ]

Off to D7: The More Things Change, the More They, Well, Are A-Changin'

Kara Swisher — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:01:54 +0000

BoomTown will be driving the minivan–packed with my assistant Ed, my mom, two mannequins (don’t ask), a coffee machine and lots of coffee and some very nice outfits–down to the seventh D: All Things Digital conference today, so don’t expect much in the way of blog posts from me.

Thus, I hope Twitter doesn’t sell to [fill in the blank], Yahoo (YHOO) CEO Carol Bartz and Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer don’t agree to agree (until they are on the D stage next week) and Facebook’s valuation doesn’t ricochet up and down the blog-hyped scale once again.

But, in that event, the rest of the well-oiled All Things Digital machine will be in full force covering tech and media news, even as we gear up for the big event next week, which will feature pretty much all the major players in the digital space.

On my way to D, I will be stopping by the University of California at Santa Barbara to speak in its Tech Management Lecture Series, which is titled “The Tomorrow Makers: Change & Challenge for Entrepreneurs & Innovators.”

Ah, the makers of tomorrow! I shall have to mull exactly what that means on the ride south through change-loving California, which is now pretty challenged as a going concern from a government point of view.

I have done some version of this drive now for seven years, from Silicon Valley to Carlsbad, Calif., headed to all the many D conferences, which began in 2003 in the midst of some very serious shifts for the tech industry.

It’s still the same story today, of course, as new trends, start-ups and technologies have come and gone (most they go, with only the lucky few actually staying).

Which will be, of course, the same story tomorrow too, and at all the D events to come in the years ahead.

Until I check back into the matrix, here’s Bob Dylan in a video from way back in the day, singing that famous song of his about that very subject:

Off to D7: The More Things Change, the More They, Well, Are A-Changin'

Kara Swisher — Thu, 21 May 2009 07:01:17 +0000

It’s still the same story today, of course, as new trends, start-ups and technologies have come and gone (most they go, with only the lucky few actually staying).

Which will be, of course, the same story tomorrow too, and at all the D events to come in the years ahead.

Until I check back into the matrix, here’s Bob Dylan in a video from way back in the day, singing that famous song of his about that very subject:

Got a "Verifiable Paper Trail" for Those Phantom Voters?

John Paczkowski — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 23:40:06 +0000

If one set out to design electronic voting machines that undermine voter confidence and threaten the integrity and accuracy of the whole election process, it would be hard to outdo those of Premier Election Solutions, formerly Diebold Election Systems (DBD).

But Sequoia Voting Systems is trying–really trying. Earlier this week thousands of phantom votes were cast in a Washington D.C. primary election that used Sequoia’s machines. This not a week after the Computer Security Group at the University of California at Santa Barbara demonstrated how astonishingly simple it is to hack the company’s e-voting systems.

Election officials initially blamed the cock-up on some defective memory in one of Sequoia’s machines. But the company denies this. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the [District's election] database,” spokesperson Michelle Shafer insisted. “There’s absolutely no problem with the machines in the polling places. No. No.”

OK. But if that’s the case, why were thousands of phantom votes recorded in the election? The answer to that question is particularly troubling: Sequoia doesn’t know. Neither does the D.C. Board of Elections. “All I can tell you is that we’re looking into it,” said Daniel Murphy, a spokesman for the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics.

Well, that’s reassuring. Especially with the November elections nearly upon us …

Got a "Verifiable Paper Trail" for Those Phantom Voters?

John Paczkowski — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 23:40:06 +0000

Well, that’s reassuring. Especially with the November elections nearly upon us …