Universal Electronics, Logitech Team to Develop New Controls
It looks as if there’s no such thing as a King Midas, even in the fanciful world of dot-com valuations.
Despite the high-profile backing of high-tech luminary and idealab! founder Bill Gross,a name behind Internet Cinderella stories as eToys, NetZero and Ticketmaster Online,eMachine’s long-anticipated public offering underperformed most technology IPOs, falling 8% on its first day of trading.
Through his personal holdings and those of idealab!, Gross controls a little more than 24% of eMachines, more than any other stakeholder. Other shareholders include the Irvine-based American subsidiary of Korean computer manufacturer TriGem Corp., the Garden Grove subsidiary of Korea Data Systems America Inc., America Online Inc., eMachines chief executive Stephen Dukker and Technology Crossover Ventures general partner Tom Newby.
But don’t cry for Gross just yet. His personal holdings were valued at more than $148 million in the IPO, not counting the $140 million-worth his idealab! holds.
Dukker found himself with more than $65 million, while Newby realized about $29 million.
Analysts say the lackluster IPO was the result of intense competition in the low-end computer manufacturing arena, which will make it difficult for eMachines to make a profit.
UEI Puts on Game Face
Cypress remote control maker Universal Electronics Inc. might get into the gaming market with a two-year relationship with joystick and mouse manufacturer Logitech to “evaluate” opportunities for new interactive television controls.
The two companies will look into a variety of co-branded controls such as gamepads, joysticks and steering wheels for the budding interactive-television market, which includes digital cable and satellite TV.
Though UEI makes a variety of remote control devices for the new interactive systems, this Logitech deal would represent its first foray into game-playing gizmos. The two companies have yet to develop actual products, or come up with pricing and distribution details.
Logitech officials said they were attracted to UEI because of the company’s innovations in the remote-control market.
For more: www.uei.com.
Flying at Internet Speed
Being on a cross-country flight might not be good enough reason not to return e-mail anymore, thanks to Sextant In-Flight Systems of Irvine.
The company is contracting with a Canadian company called Den-o-Tech to develop a line of Internet services for Sextant’s airline entertainment systems.
The system will allow passengers to browse, send e-mail or do anything else they usually do over the Internet, all from their seats. The Internet functions will be integrated into Sextant’s in-flight movie and game systems.
Initially, the system will display only pre-stored (or “cached”) web pages, but both companies expect to offer real-time Internet service soon.
For more: www.den-o-tech.com.
Ultera Aims for DVD market
Ultera Systems Inc., Laguna Hills, is pushing hard into the DVD market with its line of storage products, though a distribution agreement with NewWave Technologies, a big distributor of digital video and mass-storage products.
Ultera officials expect DVD-based storage products to be the industry’s fastest-growing segment next year and say the NewWave agreement will put their company’s product line at the forefront of that explosion.
Recordable DVDs will allow users to store six times the information on a standard CD-ROM in the same amount of physical space.
For more: www.ultera.com
Bits:
Irvine printer-equipment maker Printronix Inc. has signed a deal that will make Sony Chemicals Corp. a distributor of the OC company’s thermal ribbons ZLand.com, Aliso Viejo, has released a suite of Internet-based business software. For more: www.zland.com Associated Components Technology Inc., Garden Grove, has released a line of low-cost power transformers. For more: www.act1.com BivarOpto, the optoelectronics division of Irvine’s Bivar Inc., has added “ultra blue” and “white” light-emitting diode products to its lineup. For more: www.bivar.com Irvine game maker Interplay Entertainment Corp. has released the Sega Dreamcast title “Incoming,” in the first of what the company hopes to build into a console gaming business. Until now the company has concentrated on PC-based games. For more: www.interplay.com Laguna Hills product-engineering company Productivity Enhancement Products Inc. said it won a $1 million bonus from one of its customers for meeting a deadline for an Internet security device. For more: www.pepinc.com OhGolly.com, Newport Beach, has launched a premium version ($25 per month) of its free business web site service. Unlike OhGolly’s basic service, the premium package includes customized design and one-on-one coaching Simple Technology, Santa Ana, has released its first Rambus-compatible memory modules for Intel’s 1GHz Pentium III chips.
