Daily Business Report-Sept. 5, 2013
Paul Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm, talks about the new Toq smartwatch at the Uplinq 2013 conference Wednesday in San Diego.
Qualcomm Enters Smartwatch Market
San Diego wireless giant Qualcomm unveils a device aimed squarely at the tech-savvy consumer.
Qualcomm officially entered the race to convince consumers that smartwatches are the next big electronic marvel, KPBS reports. The San Diego-based wireless technology company unveiled the Toq smartwatch. Chairman Paul Jacobs took advantage of a gathering of mobile technology professionals to publicly launch the wireless company’s newest product.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m proud to show you for the first time, the Qualcomm Toq,” said Jacobs. “So this smartwatch brings together a bunch of new technologies in this really cool package.”
The Qualcomm device features an always on color face. The touch-screen device links to an Android smartphone and can take calls, send messages and play music. It uses wireless headphones and features wireless charging, which will power the phone for days. Tech blog Cnet reported it will sell for $300, similar to Samsung’s $299 price tag for Gear.
The news comes the same day Samsung unveiled its smart watch in Germany. Sony and Apple are also developing smart watches and so are several smaller companies.
Technology watchers expect these devices to be the next must-have gadget for tech-savvy consumers.
Shares of Qualcomm gained 0.8 percent to close at $67.28 on the Nasdaq on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney to Seek Faulconer’s District 2 Seat on San Diego City Council
Up until a few weeks ago, Sarah Boot was an assistant United States Attorney in San Diego, prosecuting an array of federal crimes. But she resigned in order to make a run next year for the District 2 seat on the San Diego City Council, which Kevin Faulconer will relinquish because of term limits. (Faulconer will run for San Diego mayor in the Nov. 19 special election.) Boot intends to run in the June 3, 2014 primary election for the District 2 post, and one of the opponents she’ll face will be Councilwoman Lorie Zapf, who is seeking re-election. Zapf now lives in the district after boundaries were changed in the recent redistricting process. Boot has previous political experience. She was the finance director for the campaign of a Washington, D.C., city council member and served as the regional field coordinator for a New Hampshire presidential primary campaign. She received her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. Besides Zapf, other council members up for re-election in 2014 are David Alvarez and Myrtle Cole.
Faulconer, Aguirre Joining Mayor’s Race Against Fletcher
City Councilman Kevin Faulconer and former City Attorney Mike Aguirre announced Wednesday that their names will be on the ballot in the November special election to finish the mayoral term of Bob Filner, who resigned in disgrace after nine months as the city’s chief executive, City News Service reports. Faulconer’s decision was widely expected. The senior member of the City Council in length of service, he is to be termed-out next year, and it’s been long believed that he aspires to the mayor’s office. “I stand with my fellow San Diegans and I’m ready to do my part to make sure San Diego’s next chapter is our best yet,” Faulconer said. Aguirre, interviewed on “Wake Up San Diego” on San Diego 6, said he feels like he has unfinished business following his one term as city attorney. The city’s resources are not being matched up with its needs, he said. “I want to use the campaign to get people to know me a little better in hopes that they can see there’s a little softer side than they had seen before,” Aguirre said.
Corner Bakery Café Plans to Open Nine New Restaurants Here
Dallas-based Corner Bakery Cafe announced plans Wednesday to open as many as nine new restaurants in the San Diego area as part of a new multi-unit restaurant franchise agreement with FEAST California Cafe LLC. Corner Bakery Café restaurants offer hot breakfast scramblers, paninis and sandwiches, homemade soups, salads, pastas and sweets. The group of hospitality operators, which through its FEAST Foods partnership owns and operates 170 Jack in the Box restaurants in Southern California and the Pacific Northwest U.S., as well as several Denny’s restaurants in Southern California, plans to open its first restaurant next year. Three Corner Bakery Cafe locations currently operate in the San Diego area.
Governor Offers Pension Deal to Unlock Transit Funds
Gov. Jerry Brown has offered the Obama administration a compromise that would keep $1.6 billion in federal transit dollars flowing into California in return for temporarily exempting unionized public transportation workers from being forced to contribute more to their pensions, U-T San Diego reports. Read more…
Biologists Uncover Details of How We Squelch Defective Neurons
New research from biologists at UC San Diego is shedding light on how, during development, we destroy or repair defective neurons. It was discovered that one of the key proteins involved in the process is EBAX-1. Researchers hope that investigating the action of this protein will provide clues to develop remedies or drugs to retreat human disorders in the future.
“To be able to see, talk and walk, nerve cells in our body need to communicate with their right partner cells,” said Zhiping Wang, the lead author in the team of researchers headed by Yishi Jin, a professor of neurobiology in UC San Diego’s Division of Biological Sciences. “The communication is mediated by long fibers emitting from neurons called axons, which transmit electric and chemical signals from one cell to the other, just like cables connecting computers in a local wired network.
Campaign Begins to Bring Rainbow Crosswalk to Hillcrest
Pedestrians crossing streets in Hillcrest may soon be doing a double-take if a unique proposal goes through. “Any time we take on a project to improve the neighborhood, we try to brand the neighborhood as well,” Ben Nichols, executive director of the Hillcrest Business Association, told 10News. Nichols has launched a campaign to bring the rainbow colors to a crosswalk at Normal Street and University Avenue. Two years ago, in West Hollywood, two rainbow-colored crosswalks were put in. A month ago, a rainbow crosswalk was installed in Vancouver, Canada. Now, San Diego may be next. “We want to create a sense of place here,” said Nichols. The cost of the project could run about $20,000 for the installation, but it is expected to be funded by private donations.
Summa Education Completes Building Signage
Summa Education, a college admissions, enrichment and SAT test preparation company headquartered in San Diego, has completed the installation of building signage for its new Rancho Bernardo office at 12230 World Trade Drive, Suite 150. The 5,175-square-foot Summa office, located across the street from Rancho Bernardo’s Costco and next to the Home Depot near Carmel Mountain Road, was designed with student-teacher interaction as a priority, with a dedicated tutoring room, a smart board classroom, extensive glass and natural light. It was designed by Hurkes Harris Design Associates and built by Ed Fernandes of ICS Pacific Builders.
Trial Date Set for Water Authority’s Public Records Suit Against Riverside County Agency
A Superior Court judge has set March 5, 2014, as the trial date for the San Diego County Water Authority’s lawsuit seeking records about an alleged covert public relations campaign in San Diego County run by the Eastern Municipal Water District on behalf of the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and its member agencies. The Water Authority filed its lawsuit under the California Public Records Act in January after Eastern, based in Riverside County, blacked out portions of documents it released and refused to produce all relevant records. The state constitution and state law require public agencies to promptly provide complete copies of documents, emails and other records relating to the conduct of the public’s business.
Donna Frye to Receive Woman of Courage Award
Former Councilwoman Donna Frye, one of the first San Diegans to urge Bob Filner to resign as mayor over sexual harassment accusations, will receive the Woman of Courage Award on Sept. 16 from Run Women Run (RWR), a political action committee. Frye, who currently is president of Californians Aware, also will receive an honorary lifetime membership. The Run Women Run’s annual membership meeting will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at Fifty-Seven Degrees, 1735 Hancock St. in Mission Hills. Frye also will speak at the meeting about the importance of electing women officials and standing up to sexual harassment issues in the workplace.
“Donna has shown her courage by supporting the need to expose and vocalize the challenges that are keeping women behind in equal access to opportunity and growth in political and private industry workplaces,” said RWR President Michelle Burton.
