January 5, 2001

Qualcomm has entered into a CDMA worldwide enterprise infrastructure equipment license agreement with GBase Communications, a Walnut Creek company working to perfect the wireless office.

Under the terms of the royalty-bearing agreement, San Diego-based Qualcomm has licensed GBase certain Qualcomm patents and technology to develop, manufacture and sell wireless infrastructure equipment for private, in-building or campus-wide network enterprise applications using cdmaOne, cdma2000 and cdma2000 1xEV technology.

“This license agreement will help facilitate the development of and progression toward the 'wireless campus,' private, in-building wireless systems that will provide users mobility throughout their work environment,” says Marvin Blecker, senior v.p. of technology transfer for Qualcomm. “Receiving and making mobile phone calls with all the features of office telephone systems will be made possible with the development of this new CDMA application. We look forward to working with GBase Communications as they begin rolling out enterprise infrastructure equipment.”

“By integrating CDMA into our infrastructure equipment, GBase can expand its product offerings for the wireless voice/Internet market and provide solutions to support third-generation wireless communications IMT-2000 standards,” said Kiomars Anvari, president and CEO for GBase Communications. “We will continue to build on our expertise as a leading supplier of innovative solutions for enhancing wireless mobile communications.”

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Shea Homes Inc. of San Diego and AstroPower Inc. have signed an agreement to make solar power a standard feature in new Shea communities.

The partnership kicks off with the construction of 100 solar powered homes in San Diego this year. The companies have a goal to build a total of 200 solar powered homes in the next 18 months, as new development phases roll out.

"It’s been a long-term goal of our industry in the U.S. to have solar electric home power systems become a standard feature in new home construction," says Howard Wenger, North American business director for AstroPower. "That's what makes our partnership with Shea Homes so significant. Shea Homes has recognized the value of solar technology as a standard feature."

As the 10th largest builder in the U.S., Shea Homes constructed 5,000 homes in 1999, generating $1.6 billion in gross revenue. The San Diego division of Shea Homes will feature solar technology in its newest community, located in Scripps Highlands.

"We’re doing this to enable our customers to take control of their energy bills,” says Ryan Green, community development manager for Shea. “We want to build a more efficient home, allow our customers to generate their own electricity, and deliver it for an affordable price."

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San Diego Opera has formed Amigos of San Diego Opera, a new organization among the Hispanic community established to lend support to the Opera's education and outreach programs.

At 5 p.m. Jan. 17, San Diego Opera is inviting the group to a special sneak preview of Mozart's “The Magic Flute,” the inaugural production of San Diego Opera's 2000-01 International Season.

The evening will begin with a lecture about Mozart's classic comedy, presented by Nicolas Reveles. Following the lecture will be a cocktail reception, after which the Amigos will attend a dress rehearsal of the production. The price to attend the cocktail reception and lecture is $35.

Born out of San Diego Opera's dedication to the development and unification of the cultural entities on both sides of the border, the Amigos of San Diego Opera's ultimate aim is to encourage growth within the Opera's education and outreach programs while assisting in broadening the Opera's presence within San Diego county's largely Hispanic community.

Helmed by Javier Merino, the Amigos of San Diego will assist the Opera by sponsoring pre-opera lectures, organizing guest speakers, as well as assisting the Opera staff in translating programs and fliers into Spanish for patrons.

Call Edward K. Wilensky at (619) 232-7636 for information.

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The Townsend Agency has hired Paula Surratt as media director. Surratt brings to the San Diego agency strong high-tech media experience.

"We are very pleased and excited to have Paula join our continually growing team," says John Pagliaro, executive v.p., advertising. "I’ve known Paula for years since we worked together in Silicon Valley. I am confident that her contributions to the team will be significant."

Surratt comes to the agency with a comprehensive background in media dealing with high-tech clients. Most recently are her contributions at McCann-Erickson SF where she assisted in launching Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows Millennium.

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A superior court has denied Norm Reeves Imports and Domestics a preliminary injunction against Dealer Resource Group, a consulting group that assists automobile dealerships to maximize their efficiency and profits.

In the lawsuit, Norm Reeves contends that former employees, who launched Dealer Resource Group, took certain "trade secrets" and unfairly competed with his automobile dealership. The court found that the alleged trade secrets were not worthy of protection under the law.

“Our clients are pleased — but not surprised — that they have been vindicated,” says Michael Vivoli of Duckor Spradling & Metzger, the San Diego law firm representing Dealer Resource Group. “Now our clients can refocus their efforts and attention to the more productive business of continuing to help automobile dealers manage their business.”

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Rancho Santa Fe Technology Inc., a network communication services company, has completed the installation of a sophisticated, high-speed structured cabling system for Brown & Caldwell's new headquarters offices at 201 N. Civic Drive in Walnut Creek, says Trestand Conrique, president of Rancho Santa Fe Technology, Inc.

Conrique says the “design-build” project included the installation of an enhanced Category 5 structured cabling system from the Avaya product line. Avaya, formerly the Enterprise Networks Group of Lucent Technologies, is a leading provider of communications systems and software for enterprises, including businesses, government agencies and other organizations.

The cabling system includes a one gigabyte backbone and provides a high-speed, 100-megabyte throughput to each desktop in a local area network comprised of 300 stations. In addition, Rancho Santa Fe Technology designed and installed cabling to accommodate future video requirements for Brown & Caldwell, an international company providing environmental engineering and consulting services to public agencies, the federal government and industry.

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San Diego-based Ubrandit.com, a business-to-business provider of branded Internet solutions, has entered into a multi-year agreement with the Disabled American Veterans to offer Internet services to the organization's more than 1.2 million members.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ubrandit ISP, a division of Ubrandit.com, will create a private labeled internet service provider system for DAV, allowing DAV to offer premium Internet access to its members and supporters under the DAV name and identity.

"DAV is a well-known and highly respected organization, and we are excited about helping our disabled veterans and their families," says Jefferey Phillips, president of Ubrandit.com. "This program not only provides DAV members and their families with premium, advertising-free Internet access at a cost far below comparable services, but also provides DAV with revenues to assist veterans through other DAV programs and services."

DAV will initially offer the Internet access service to DAV members, auxiliary members, employees and their families for a monthly service fee of $13.25. Of this amount, $2 per month will go to the DAV General Fund, which is used for helping to build better lives for America's disabled veterans and their families.

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e.Digital Corp., a provider of digital product development and designs, says it is working with Toshiba to create, develop and deliver to Toshiba, music player samples based on e.Digital's proprietary reference design and built to Toshiba's specifications.

Toshiba is scheduled to demonstrate the music player samples, which incorporate DataPlay miniature optical disc storage technology, to retailers and other prospective customers at the international Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Jan. 6-9, 2001.

"We are pleased to work with Toshiba for the design and development of this project,” says Fred Falk, president and CEO of San Diego-based e.Digital. “It will showcase the latest in portable digital music player technology and removable storage media, holding up to eight hours of high-quality digital music and supporting multiple music codecs. We are providing the internal reference design for the product and Toshiba is to provide the exterior design and plastics. We look forward to establishing a long and mutually rewarding relationship with Toshiba."

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Monteviña, a gated enclave of 39 executive-size homes in Rancho Carrillo with views of Carlsbad’s coastal foothills, opens the weekend of Jan.13-14.

Sized from 2,650 to 3,912 square feet, Monteviña’s four floor plans feature three or four bedrooms and 2-1/2 to 4-1/2 baths. Homes are priced from the mid-$400,000s and are scheduled for occupancy in April.

“Monteviña features a stunning location with architecture to match,” says Tom Newell, v.p. of sales and marketing for Continental Homes San Diego, a division of D.R. Horton, Inc. “These sprawling homes are reminiscent of ranch-style homes with most rooms located on the first floor and situated to take full advantage of the view-oriented terraced locations.”

Monteviña homes were designed by architect Jamie Starck with a host of architectural highlights, including volume ceilings, gourmet kitchens, lofts, libraries, coffee bars, arched hallways, and a separate private living suite. All Monteviña plans have luxurious master suites and selected plans have separate his and hers baths.

Monteviña’s sales office is at 6281 Paseo Privado. Call (760) 918-2448 for information or visit www.truecalifornia.com.

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Privately-held Structural Bioinformatics Inc. announced that Dr. Ian McDonald has joined the executive management team as its v.p. of drug discovery.

McDonald will be responsible for all aspects of the San Diego company’s drug discovery efforts.

Immediately prior to joining SBI, McDonald was senior director of chemistry at Merck Research Laboratories, which acquired SIBIA Neurosciences in 1999, where he served as v.p. from 1994 and director of chemistry since 1993.

McDonald has published about 80 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, and currently is editor-in-chief of Current Drug Targets - CNS and Neurological Diseases, which will debut in 2002. He is also an inventor on 32 U.S. issued patents.

“Over the past few years, SBI has consistently demonstrated its unique ability to efficiently generate initial hits from in silico screening of virtual libraries against modeled protein structures," McDonald says. "I am pleased to join SBI to expand its leadership position in drug discovery as we expand our wet lab capabilities to advance these novel hits towards clinical validation."

"Dr. McDonald brings a unique and proven set of scientific and management skills necessary for the continued growth and expansion of our drug discovery efforts," said Dr. Edward T. Maggio, chairman, president and CEO. "I am pleased that Dr. McDonald has joined SBI's Management Team. His background and industry experience will enhance our drug discovery capabilities."

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At this winter's annual meeting of the U.S. Psychiatric Congress, Marc A. Schuckit, a UCSD professor of psychiatry and director of the Alcohol Research Center at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his “exemplary career as an outstanding, innovative researcher and extraordinary teacher.”

The award was presented by John Schwartz, editor in chief of Psychiatric Times, who cited Schuckit’s research on the importance of genetic influences in alcoholism, his numerous publications, his role as a founding member of the San Diego Summer School of Alcohol Studies, and his contributions as editor of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol.

A world leader in the study of alcoholism and genetics, Schuckit’s work includes a landmark study identifying the relationship between the intensity of alcohol’s effect in younger subjects and later alcoholism. In studies of alcoholics’ children, he noted a decreased intensity of reaction to alcohol in 40 percent of the sons and daughters of alcoholics and a high risk of becoming alcoholics themselves.

His research interests include the genetic influences on alcoholism and the relationship between alcohol or drug dependence and severe psychiatric syndromes, especially depression, states of anxiety and psychoses.

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The local chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is using a Web site to register participants for the annual 5K and 10K MS Walks on March 31 and April 1. The address is www.mswalk.com.

More than 8,000 people walk in the event. This year the two-day event is on March 31, in Carlsbad at the Carlsbad Co. Stores near the Flower Fields, and on April 1, the San Diego Harbor MS Walk will be held along the Embarcadero, with the start/finish line at Marina Park next to Seaport Village.

For more information call (858) 4MS-WALK (467-9255).

Last year, more than $969,000 was raised. Among the participants: 524 teams representing various local companies and community groups.

Money raised from the MS Walks benefit the MS Society's ongoing efforts to serve more than 11,000 local San Diego County residents, including people with MS and their family members and friends. Funds raised also support local research to find a cause and cure for MS, a chronic, often unpredictable and disabling disease of the central nervous system.

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