Larta VOX Week of December 9 - December 15, 2002

California: A Wireless Powerhouse
In a report that came out earlier this year, California was found to be home to the greatest number of wireless companies in the nation, making it a wireless powerhouse.
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Recommended Reading From Larta University Instructors
At almost every Larta University class, participants ask the instructors for additional reading, not only to attain more information on the subject but also because they have enjoyed the knowledge and experiences shared by the individual instructors. In response to the numerous requests, the staff at Larta decided to embark on a project to compile a full list of books that have affected or influenced our instructors. The result is over 50 books on topics ranging from innovation, venture capital, leadership, marketing and more.
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~ Available This Week from Larta Research

The Wireless Industry
This paper will examine the current obstacles the wireless industry faces and provides key industry statistics. The paper will also examine the issue of 3G technology and industry consolidation.
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~Larta Announcements

Applications now being accepted for the Venture Forum 2003
We are seeking companies with innovative technologies to present at the Venture Forum 2003. Presenting companies from the past eight years have raised over $500 million in investment as a result of their participation in the Forum. If your company is selected to present, you will have an invaluable opportunity to showcase your business presentation to hundreds of potential investors and partners.
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December 10: Economic Research Briefing, Wireless Industry
Sponsored by Comerica
Larta's Economic Research briefings are high-level luncheon events featuring industry experts and major investors from the region's capital markets. Speakers discuss industry trends and the future of the industry, followed by an opportunity for audience discussion and networking. This month we will feature two leaders in the wireless industry who will discuss changes, trends, and predictions in the industry. JOHN BUCHER, a renowned analyst with Gerard Klauer & Mattison, covers Motorola, Nokia, Qualcomm, Ericsson and a number of other wireless equipment companies. Mr. Bucher will be joined by DR. RAJIT GADH, a Professor at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science at UCLA. Dr. Gadh is the director of the Wireless Internet for Mobile Enterprise Consortium.
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January 9: Larta and Pepperdine University Present: What's Next LA? Building a 21st Century Economy and Workforce
Larta and the Pepperdine Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology Law bring you the annual "What's Next LA" networking reception and panel discussion, featuring Larta's 2003 Southern California Technology Innovation Index, an economic report for Southern California that compares the LA region to other leading technology sectors in the US. After a networking reception, our panel of leaders from the LA region will discuss the impact and role of technology in education, and assess its role in promoting achievement and facilitating innovation.
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January 15-16: Larta University, Marketing and Sales
Effective marketing and sales for a company has to become a primary part of the business plan, as the company can fail or flourish depending on the marketing and sales strategy implemented. This workshop covers issues such as: determining and defining the total addressable market, competitive analysis, brand placement, P.R., viral campaigns, and the selling process. We will also be helping you refine your selling skills.
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February 7: China Compass Conference, Navigating U.S. - China Business Opportunities
China Compass Conference (C3) is a major conference that brings together executives, investors, innovators, and strategic players, interested in market trends in U.S. - China business and the reality of doing business today. C3 features incisive and provocative minds at the forefront of business and finance in the U.S. and China. Speakers include GARETH CHANG (Click2Asia; former Executive Chairman, Star TV); CHENG WEN CHENG (President & CEO, AcrossAsia Multimedia Limited; former COO, Philips Electronics China Group); WILLIAM OVERHOLT (RAND; author of "The Rise of China"); DESMOND SHUM (Skytian; former Chief Representative, ChinaVest); and HOMI KHARAS (Chief Economist, World Bank, East Asia and Pacific Region).
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~Other Articles

Sponsored By: Sponsored By: LATimes.com

Business, Investment, and Entrepreneurship:

Venture capitalists' forecast is pessimistic (Silicon Valley News)
If venture capital firms are only now scrambling to downsize, things in tech land must be worse than they expected.
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You, incorporated (Business 2.0)
Running your own business from home is back in--but not for lifestyle reasons. How to avoid getting stung when you leave the hive.
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Security:

Homeland agency holds line on tech spending (Washington Post)
The creation of the Homeland Security Department may be the most radical makeover of security agencies in 50 years, but experts say any increase in technology spending on the new agency will be tepid, at least for now.
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Marooned! (Red Herring)
Software pirates run aground in California.
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Digital Media:

Regal is ready for its digital close-up (Los Angeles Times)
Regal Entertainment Corp., the nation's largest movie theater chain, plans to retrofit nearly 80% of its locations by the end of next year with digital projectors, high-speed data networking equipment and satellite links, heralding the industry's most aggressive move yet to embrace a future without film.
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Fair use vs. copyright: all eyes on elcomsoft trial (Wired)
Opening arguments begin Tuesday in the copyright infringement case against the Russian coding firm, a trial expected to test the limits of federal copyright law. Programmer Dmitry Sklyarov will be on hand to testify for both the prosecution and the defense.
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Bioscience:

Biotech industry expansion slowing: panel examining ways to encourage growth (San Francisco Chronicle)
Twenty-five years ago, local scientists and financiers invented biotechnology. To this day, the Bay Area boasts the biggest concentration of biotech firms, the best venture capital network, and some of the brightest research institutes in the world. But high housing prices and horrible commutes are making the industry's birthplace unattractive to new growth--a weakness that allows metropolitan areas like Boston or San Diego to eat the Bay Area's biotech lunch.
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