Invitrogen Settles Arcane Patent Dispute

by The Editors on May 29, 2007

And from the wide world of Carlsbad businesses that we don’t understand or know anything about comes this stunner:

Invitrogen Corporation and Clontech Laboratories, Inc. have jointly announced a confidential settlement of their patent litigation, following a jury decision last week in federal district court in Greenbelt, Maryland. As part of the settlement, Clontech has agreed that Invitrogen Patent Nos. 5,244,797, 5,668,005, 6,063,608, and 5,405,776 on RNase H minus reverse transcriptase (RT) are valid and enforceable. Clontech has discontinued sales of its RNase H minus RT products, including its PowerScript products, for the life of the patents. The parties did not disclose other details of their agreement.

We’re sure there are quite a few Invitrogen employee who will be sleeping better tonight, in their Carlsbad beds.

[Link: Business Wire]

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White and Hawk: The New All-Americans

by The Editors on May 29, 2007

With more and more sports heros falling in the doping scandals of baseball and cycling, The Huffinton Post’s David Browne (author of the extreme sports book Amped) uses Carlsbad locals Tony Hawk and Shaun White to illustrate the point that those wacky extreme sports guys are currently the more “upright sports community” right now:

At last year’s Olympics, the all-American, apple-pie star was not the skier (Bode Miller, who wound up being an embarrassment on the slopes) but the snowboarder (mop-topped Shaun White, who’s so wholesome that he’s a Target spokesman). It’s hard to imagine a theme-park ride named after Jose Canseco. But there is now one in honor of skateboarding icon Tony Hawk: In March, a Great Adventure in Texas became of the first of that chain to feature a Hawk rollercoaster ride.

[Link: Huffington Post]

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D: All Things Digital Brings The Hitters

by The Editors on May 29, 2007

Kara Swisher of the Wall Street Journal is in Carlsbad now getting ready for the D: All Things Digital conference at the Four Seasons Aviara this week. She has been blogging the conference planning and this is her latest. It starts tonight:

with an interview with Sen. John McCain, who is in the race to become the Republican nominee for president of the United States. We will talk to him about that, as well as the war in Iraq, but also hope to discuss a plethora of digital issues with him.

Others who will be speaking includes: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer; CBS CEO Les Moonves; News Corp. President Peter Chernin; Cisco CEO John Chambers; former AOL CEO Steve Case, who will talk about his new company, Revolution; famed director and producer George Lucas; Time Inc. CEO Ann Moore (don’t really know what she’s doing at a digital conference); Google CEO Eric Schmidt; YouTube founders Steve Chen and Chad Hurley; Philippe Dauman, CEO of Viacom; and space tourist (and former Microsoft exec) Charles Simonyi.

This is probably Carlsbad’s biggest name crowd ever.

[Link: All Things Digital]

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T. Hawk Spends Week In Bakersfield One Day

by The Editors on May 28, 2007

249-Tony Hawk 3.Embedded.Prod Affiliate.25While we were at the beach celebrating Memorial Day (and hoping the Frenchmen with the volleyballs and Frisbees didn’t hit us), Carlsbad’s number one action sports icon Tony Hawk was in Bakersfield, California with Bucky Lasek and Bob Burnquist putting on a demo for the opening of a Sports Chalet at the corner of Stockdale Highway and California Avenue. As the local reporter said:

It could have been a rock concert, with the screaming fans and lines of anxious autograph-seekers. But instead of a stage, the main attraction was a halfpipe. In place of the microphone, the talent was adorned with helmets and knee pads.

Reminds us a little of the King of The Hill episode 2.23 when Chuck Mangione appeared at the grand opening of the new Arlen Mega Lo Mart. Only we’re guessing the Bakersfield Sports Chalet didn’t blow up.

[Link: Bakersfield.com]

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Tamarack Gets Lofty

by Eero Lloyd Neutra on May 28, 2007

Tambloft El

While several instances of architecturally significant homes exist in Carlsbad, most of them are scattered in the hills east of the 5. Other than the South Park at Carlsbad Condominiums, on the corner of Lincoln and Pine streets The Neighborhood has had very little architecture of note.

This may change with the completion of the Tamarack Beach Lofts at 245 Tamarack Avenue between Garfield St. and the tracks. This group of four 2,200 square foot town homes was designed by Atelier X Architecture and features two car garages and, as the brochure says:

… privacy in a very desirable and easily accessible location less than 200 yards from the Pacific Ocean and easy freeway access to Interstate 5 within 1/4 mile of the property.

The site is being developed by Lugano Shores Investments, LLC, a company formed in 2004 by three-time Olympian, former triple-jump world record holder, and “long-time Carlsbad resident” Willie Banks and his partner Daniel Zimmermann, a consultant, sports agent and track & field national champion.

LSI aims to bring small quality developments with a modern, minimalist and functional architecture to coastal Carlsbad. . . It is their goal to bring modern architecture to Coastal Carlsbad in an affordable and attractive package to enhance the local community with new and fresh projects.

TambloftsWhen completed the lofts will feature: granite countertops in kitchen, master bath and second bath, designer sinks, porcelain vanities and Eurodisc faucets, built-in medicine cabinets and custom mirrors, Hans Grohe fixtures and wall hung Geberit toilets, and acustom shower enclosure in master bath. Flooring on the first and second floors with be bamboo hardwood, with a tiled master and second bath. They sound pretty dope, actually.

And the price? They were asking $1.2 million. But we have no idea what they’ll sell for or for that matter if there are any left. We’ll keep you posted.

For more information on the Tamarack Beach Lofts, click the link below.

[Link: Tamarack Beach Lofts]

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Maku’s Mark: Modern Outdoor Furniture

by The Editors on May 27, 2007

Maku Im

Carlsbad outdoor furniture company Maku Furnishings was recently written up by the Los Angeles blog Apartmenttherapy.com for their showing at the recent International Contemporary Furniture Fair May 19-22, 2007 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

One of our favorite Southern California companies we interviewed during ICFF was Maku Furnishings of Carlsbad, equally for the company’s modern outdoor furnishings, and also because of the company’s unusual origins. There’s not many stories of migrations from the world of snowboarding/surfing into the realm of home furnishings.

 Images Uploads Maku 0024Johnny West, a former snowboard/ski industry worker and the company’s co-founder explains the company this way: “When I looked at the home furnishings industry I saw an opportunity to share that passion for living by bringing a more relevant product and story to the consumer.”

If you’re interested in checking out the furniture in an installed setting check out the new Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido. The furniture is probably the tastiest item on the menu.

[Link: Apartment Therapy LA and The Maku Blog]

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Upper Deck Topps Out At $416 million

by The Editors on May 26, 2007

Ans5 Box Open2 Small2Carlsbad’s Upper Deck is in the hunt to purchase Topps, the grand daddy of trading card companies. But so is former Disney boss Michael Eisner. Upper Deck is offering $1 a share more than Eisner and things are reportedly looking for the consolidation.

James Barrett, an analyst who covers Topps for CL King, predicted that barring any regulatory obstacles, hard-charging Upper Deck founder and Chairman Richard McWilliam would get his wish of owning Topps.

If we had the money we’d buy it just to own the Wacky Packages franchise.

[Link: San Diego Union Tribune]

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A Walk Down Randy Laine

by The Editors on May 26, 2007

RlaineWe see him everywhere around town: the top of the Hemlock stairs, Jays, at the Beach Break Cafe. And he’s always cool, smiling, and happy to say hello. . . even though we’ve never said more than, “Hey.” That’s why it was good to read the profile Carlsbad Magazine did recently on Randy Laine. If you haven’t checked it out, click the link. We knew the basics of his raddness, but we had no idea .

[Link: Carlsbad Magazine]

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Barring The Barrio From The Beach

by The Editors on May 26, 2007

Barrio Fence-1

This is how Carlsbad keeps people in Barrio Carlsbad from walking to the beach. We are one of the few coastal cities where living three blocks from the beach means a 10 minute drive. They claim this “rail trail” fence is to protect people from the trains that go honking by at 80 miles an hour, but we know. . .. it’s to keep housing prices down on one side of the fence. Maybe after someone buys up all the land in the barrio someone will have the startling idea that a bridge over the tracks will be a good idea. . . Hmmmmm.

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Gates and Jobs Tag Team D: All Things Digital

by The Editors on May 26, 2007

D5 HomAccording to the Computer Business Review Online Carlsbad will be visited by to world’s two biggest tech titans. Apparently, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are going to make a “rare joint appearance” at the Wall Street Journal’s D5: All Things Digital May 29-31 at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara.

“We expect to use the occasion to get them to reflect on both the past – how we got here – and the future,” said Mossberg

And we expect them to put on a live performance of “Hi, I’m a PC and I’m a Mac. . .”

[Link: Computer Business Review Online via Slashdot]

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