Santa Monica-based Adconion Media Group, an online advertising network, announced today that it has acquired certain assets of Joost, the online video site founded by Skype founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed.

Los Angeles-based The Rubicon Project, the online advertising optimization firm backed by Clearstone, Mayfield, IDG, and Peacock Equity, said today that it has enhanced its "Certified Inventory" program with a partnership with AdSafe Media. Rubicon's certified inventory program rates publishers'

Santa Monica-based Image Metrics, a developer of facial animation technology, said Monday that the firm is behind the facial animation for the Ubisoft title Assassin's Creed II. The firm did not disclose the financial impact of the win. Image Metrics

Chatsworth-based MRV Communications, a developer of optical transport products, said Monday that it has named Joan E. Herman as Chair of its board of directors. Herman replaces Shlomo Margalit, who continues as a board member and as MRV's Chief Technology

Torrance-based Amonix, a developer of concentrating photovoltaic solar systems, has raised $40M in a funding round, according to a filing by the firm Monday. The filing indicates the fundraising is part of a $98.23M funding effort being spearheaded by Lazard

Los Angeles-based Ace Metrix, which operates a service to help television advertisers judge the effectiveness of their creative, has raised $1.7M in a debt funding round, according to a regulatory filing from the firm Monday. Details on the funding were

San Diego-based Fallbrook Technologies, a developer of continuous variable planetary transmissions used for the automotive industry, has raised $4.0M in an equity funding, according to a recent regulatory filing by the firm. Details on the funding have not been released

Los Angeles-based Zubican, an online business-to-business marketplace, has been acquired by Inuvo, a Florida-based provider of performance-based online marketing services, Inuvo announced Monday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Zubican was backed by $1.3M in seed funding from

Aliso Viejo-based ecommerce provider Buy.com said today that the firm has added support for Amazon's payment services, Checkout by Amazon and Amazon PayPhrase. According to Buy.com, the firm recently added the support to its store, which allows Buy.com buyers to

San Diego-based OnTech, a maker of self-heating coffee and other beverages, has gone under, according to the firm's web site. According to OnTech online store, the firm shut down on November 8th. OnTech made canned beverages which used quicklime and

Los Angeles-based Hulu, which streams major television shows and other videos to users, announced this morning that it has launched a new user tagging function. The firm said that users of the site can now create custom keywords or category

Santa Monica-based Topspin Media, the developer of music and band marketing software headed by former Yahoo Music GM Ian Rogers, said over the weekend that it has added Andrew Mains as its new VP Artist Relations and Services. Mains was