Amazon has said it doesn’t plan to use the technology in its Whole Foods Market stores, but customers are getting used to scanning their smartphones at checkout for discounts.

The council’s Select Committee on Civic Arenas voted 7-0 for the plan, ensuring the measure will pass on the final vote scheduled for Sept. 24.

Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen is downplaying reports this week that the San Jose-based company is in talks to buy smaller rival Marketo for billions of dollars. Speaking on CNBC on Thursday, Narayen said his company is currently focused on integrating another multibillion-dollar acquisition — its purchase this summer of Campbell-based ecommerce platform Magento — into Adobe. Reuters reported earlier this week, citing unnamed sources close to the discussions, that Adobe is quietly negotiating…

San Francisco-based Shift Technologies, Inc. has raised $140 million in funding, the company said Thursday. The online car retail startup plans to expand its reach beyond the Golden State auto market and bolster its technology platform. Shift serves both car buyers and sellers, offering quotes on its website and on-demand test drives. The company also gives customers a 150-point inspection, as well as a seven-day money back guarantee. “If you want to sell your car, we are the only place right…

Bay Area startups raised $370 million in new funding in the second half of the week as one more life sciences company went public and SurveyMonkey set the pricing terms for its IPO. Here’s a closer look. SurveyMonkey has set the terms for its much-anticipated IPO, planning to sell 13.5 million shares at $9 to $11 each when it debuts on the Nasdaq with the ticker symbol “SVMK.” Pricing in the middle of that range would give the San Mateo-based company an initial market cap of $1.2 billion. The…

With 375 agents across 10 offices serving Western and Central Washington, the combined Re/Max operation will be the fifth-largest in the U.S. by sales volume.