B-R-E Properties has bought half of what was once the Town and Country shopping center in downtown Sunnyvale, and hopes to convert it into a housing and retail complex. The property, which has already changed hands several times this year, sold for $19 million.

An independent, five-month audit of PG&E’s smart meters, released on Thursday, found that it is not the smart meter that’s the problem, but the customer service people receive when they submit their complaints. The study was ordered by the California Public Utilities Commission after receiving a torrent of complaints that recently installed smart meters failed to gauge electricity use accurately.

Dr. Daniel Garza of Stanford is trying to calculate how much force there is when two football players crash into each other. He also hopes that by measuring this force during games, doctors will be able to determine when it’s time for a player to take a break, for the good of the team but also for their own well-being.

The coyote population is exploding along Saratoga Creek in Santa Clara County, with calls complaining about the animals double what they were last year. Some areas, particularly around the town of Saratoga, have already issued warnings to local residents, urging them to keep their pets indoors and small children tended.

In the war for more eyeballs, Google and Facebook are competing for new audiences by offering users rentable movies and free fantasy sports leagues. Google is negotiating with Hollywood studios to stream hit movies directly to viewers for a fee. Facebook and Electronic Arts are offering a free fantasy football app.

After the decision to use a closed-door approach to replace SJPD Chief Rob Davis raised some eyebrows, the city held a public meeting last night to discuss the appointment. About two dozen people shared ideas about the qualifications and experience sought for in the ideal candidate. Among the requirements discussed was greater openness to the city’s ethnic communities.

It was a violent weekend in San Jose, marred by three homicides. On Friday night, a 28-year-old woman was shot on Morris Court. On Saturday night, three people were shot in a parking lot outside an apartment complex on San Antonio Court. On Sunday morning, police shot and killed a 42-year-old man described as “armed and confrontational” in South San Jose.