Woburn, Mass.-based chipmaker Skyworks Solutions Inc., which has an executive base in Irvine, and Irvine-based business software maker Mavenlink Inc. were among the big winners at the 23rd Annual OC Tech Alliance Award Gala at Westin South Coast Plaza.
Skyworks was named outstanding public company, and Mavenlink took home honors in the private category.
Other winners included:
• Irvine-based Proove Biosciences’ Brian Meshkin—Outstanding CEO in Emerging Technology Company.
• Jeff Erle, chief executive of Irvine-based card game app maker MobilityWare—Outstanding CEO in Private Technology Company.
• Aliso Viejo-based startup Verismic Software Inc.—Outstanding Emerging Technology Company.
• Microinvesting app developer Acorns Inc. in Newport Beach, Fountain Valley-based D-Link Systems Inc., and Irvine-based software maker Numecent were among the product category winners.
For a full list of honorees, check out www.octechalliance.com/high-tech-innovation-awards-2016-winners/.
Ultra-Private Phone Calls
An Irvine-based startup that collaborated with the National Security Agency for years to develop a private mobile network has tweaked its business model in an effort to gain traction among consumers.
USMobile Inc.’s Scrambl3 app, which relies on a dedicated “dark tunnel” network that’s not connected to public telephone networks, is now free of charge for all users.
The product, available on iOS and Android devices, was first released in late February with a free 30-day trial, followed by a $10-per-month plan.
“We wanted to get a little bit of a user base going,” said founder Jon Hanour. “We’ve taken a little bit of pivot of the original plan.”
The service, unlike market leaders
WhatsApp and Viber, doesn’t require a typical sign-up, only an anonymous Scrambl3 username. It says it doesn’t access a user’s cellphone number or personal phone contacts.
The app has been launched in North and South America, South Africa, Europe, Asia and parts of the Middle East.
USMobile plans to launch a social media and ad campaign that highlights other privacy and security differences between its app and those of WhatsApp and Viber, which both were acquired in 2014. WhatsApp fetched $19 billion from Facebook, and Rakuten bought Viber for $900 million.
USMobile has worked with high-level NSA officials since 2011 to create encrypted voice, video and data communication that employs the agency’s top-secret Suite B encryption and authentication architecture.
The technology initially was developed to protect classified U.S. government communication.
The company is among a growing cohort of software and hardware makers that have created a cybersecurity hub in OC.
VR Niche Gets Company
Count Google Inc. among the latest entrants in the hot virtual-reality segment. The Mountain View search giant touted VR headset Daydream at a recent event in San Francisco. The device, which holds a smartphone and features a hand-held remote control, will cost $79 when it launches next month. The price is lower than others on the market, including Oculus’ VR headset, which sells for $599; HTC Vive, with a price tag of $799; and Samsung Gear VR, which retails at $99. Samsung Gear is powered by Laguna Beach-based startup NextVR Inc. and Oculus.
The company also promoted its new line of Pixel smartphones, which feature an artificial intelligence assistant and 4K video and are expected to compete against the iPhone and Samsung’s higher-end models.
