John Cook writes about startups, entrepreneurs, mobile technologies, social networking, online commerce, geek culture and many other topics for GeekWire. He has been covering the technology beat in the region for more than a decade, working for the Eastside Journal and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer before co-founding the Puget Sound Business Journal’s technology news site, where he worked as executive editor.
A native of Wooster, Ohio, he got his start in journalism in high school, with a part-time job compiling obituary and election information for the Akron Beacon Journal, where his mom was a reporter. He graduated from Gettysburg College with a degree in history, earning Phi Beta Kappa recognition and Academic All-American honors in soccer.
John’s interests include backpacking, bicycling, running and watching English Premier League soccer. He lives in Seattle with his wife Holly, son Jack and dog Henry. Follow on Twitter: @johnhcook
Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has been added to the lineup of speakers for the Seattle Science Festival next month. The author of A Brief History of Time and former professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge will join other notable speakers on June 16th as part of the Luminaries Series, a monthlong series of… Read More…
F5 Networks has been operating in the Seattle area for more than 15 years, quietly building one of the biggest success stories of the tech community. But even though it boasts a market value of $9.25 billion and employs 2,800 worldwide, few people — even those in its home town — really know what F5… Read More…
One of the core ideas behind Startup Weekend is that smart people from various backgrounds and professions can do great things if given the time to work together. Perhaps no effort better exemplifies that concept than Kinetix Academy, the winning team at Seattle Startup Weekend. Comprised of pediatric physical therapist Mari Therrien; speech language pathologist… Read More…
It’s getting easier to travel on the nation’s roadways, but traffic congestion is still eating up plenty of time for frustrated drivers in major cities like LA, San Francisco, New York and Seattle. A report out today from INRIX found that traffic congestion declined by 30 percent last year, with 70 of the top 100… Read More…
You just can’t compete with that iconic Apple logo. For the second year in a row, Apple was named the world’s most valuable brand with a value of $182.9 billion, according to a study out today from WPP’s Millward Brown. The tech industry fared pretty well overall, with four of the top five brands and… Read More…
RealNetworks founder Rob Glaser, who helped usher in the era of online video and audio, now wants to reinvent the phone call as we know it. “Basically, if you think about the phone call, it has been the same thing for 50 years,” said Glaser, noting that the first preview of the touch-tone phone was… Read More…
Facebook’s initial public offering last week has sparked a new conversation about IPOs. But what really does it mean when a company offers shares to the public, and why should we care? A new study from the Kauffman Foundation tries to answer that question, analyzing the revenues and jobs created by companies before and after… Read More…
Chuks Onwuneme’s path to Seattle is a long and inspiring one. At the age of 16, he walked the streets of Lagos, Nigeria to raise funds to study computer science, later earning an engineering scholarship to the University of Texas at Arlington. After graduate school, he landed a gig at Nokia in Dallas, working there for a… Read More…
Big technology companies are searching everywhere for patents, looking to protect themselves from future litigation. Now, Google has emerged as the buyer of a patent portfolio in a complex fraud case involving 57-year-old Seattle investment professional Mark Spangler. Spangler, who was indicted last week on 23 counts of fraud and money laundering, allegedly funneled some $46… Read More…
Fast-growing Datacastle has reeled in $2.4 million in fresh financing, and is on the prowl for more as the Seattle startup looks to catapult even deeper into the hot market of mobile data protection. The new funding was provided by existing investors CM Capital and Haag Investments, both of Australia. Founder and Chief Technology Officer… Read More…
GeekWire Summer Bash, June 21: We’ll be breaking out the ping-pong tables for this giant summer celebration at the Showbox SODO — with expert and intermediate tournaments, foosball, prizes, and more. Sign up to compete, or just come to enjoy the party and cheer on your friends. Tickets available now.
Join us at the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® awards gala to see who will take home top honors in the Pacific Northwest. The finalists are high-growth entrepreneurs and leaders who are innovating, expanding and creating jobs and enhancing our communities. June 15, 2012 | Hyatt Regency Bellevue | 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Come celebrate!
You’re invited to HAPPY HOUR, a monthly meet up for leaders in the film, music and interactive industries to share, learn and make meaningful business connections. This month features guest speaker Trey Gunn, guitar player for King Crimson, Brian Eno, Tool, and more. Trey will speak to the value of original voice, how to find it, and how, as an artist and business professional, to use it to your advantage.
See you Wednesday, May 30th, 5-7 PM at Spitfire in Belltown, free admission (21+)
In case you haven’t heard, Splunk’s Seattle office is responsible for the company’s developer platform and Microsoft offerings. Join us for our open house, where you can geek out at demo stations, enjoy food and drinks, and meet our CEO, Godfrey Sullivan, and more Splunkers. The event is free, but if you’d like to make a donation, check out Year Up Seattle.
RSVP for this free event, and we’ll see you on Wednesday, 6/20, 5-8 PM
FounderDating is a premier online network for entrepreneurs to connect with cofounders. You should apply if you want to a part of a network that is:
Ideas change, people don’t. FounderDating: Where Founders Meet. @founderdating
On May 22nd at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel, join 800 tech and business leaders at the Technology Alliance’s 2012 State of Technology Luncheon for a timely conversation with John McAdam, President, CEO & Director of F5 Networks, Inc.
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Rebecca Lovell, GeekWire's chief business officer and a veteran of Seattle's tech startup scene, dispenses tips, tricks, insights and tough love in this regular column. Have a question for Rebecca? Submit your lovelletter to rebecca@geekwire.com, and follow her on Twitter @lovelletters.
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