Tesla exec on potential North Carolina sales ban: ‘It’s an inconvenience’

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Tesla isn’t going to let a little legislation slow it down. The electric car maker, whose stock has soared 145 percent so far this year and now boasts a market value of nearly $10 billion, hit a speed bump last week after the Senate Commerce Committee in North Carolina unanimously approved a plan that would… Read More…

Startup valuations remain strong, but ‘down rounds’ increase to 28% of all VC deals

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It was a bit of a mixed message in the latest Entrepreneurs Report from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, as so-called “down rounds” increased at the same time that startup valuations in some categories went even higher. First, on valuations. The median pre-money valuations increased for series A and later-stage funding deals. For the fourth quarter, the… Read More…

A CPR coach: New $1,795 device measures chest compressions in real time

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Redmond-based Physio-Control today rolled out a new technology called TrueCPR which is designed to help first responders and other health professionals more accurately determine whether they are performing CPR chest compressions properly. The unit uses a proprietary technology known as Triaxial Field Induction to monitor the depth of compressions, using magnetic fields to pinpoint the exact… Read More…

These new mini robots could teach your 5-year-old how to program

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Kids love robots. And now a new San Francisco area company, backed with $1 million from the likes of Google Ventures and Madrona Venture Group, is looking to develop a new class of low-cost robots designed to help five to eight-year-olds learn the basics of programming. All Things D has details on Play-i, which is… Read More…

Video: Melinda Gates tells Duke grads to reject the ‘Me Generation’ label

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Duke University computer science and economics grad Melinda Gates returned to her alma mater this past weekend to deliver the commencement address, telling grads to reject the notion of Time magazine’s thesis in the piece “The Me Me Me Generation.” “I want to encourage you to reject the cynics who say that technology is flattening… Read More…

Amazon.com workers in Germany strike over pay

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About 900 workers at Amazon.com facilities in Bad Hersfeld and Leipzig, Germany have gone on strike against the online retailer, arguing for increased pay and better benefits. Reuters reports that Amazon employs about 9,000 people in Germany. The strike is being led by the large German trade union Verdi, which is looking to boost pay and… Read More…

Heralded UW computer science professor scores $6.75M for GraphLab, looking to make better online recommendations

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It was a major coup last summer when The University of Washington hooked computer science professor Carlos Guestrin, a leading data scientist and expert in machine learning. What wasn’t widely known at the time was that the Guestrin-led open source project, an ambitious undertaking known as GraphLab.org, would soon sprout into its very own startup. But that’s… Read More…

Mayor McGinn on guns, jobs and upgrading Seattle PD’s IT

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Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn appeared on KUOW 94.9 FM this morning, discussing a wide range of issues related to the city’s police department, transportation initiatives, guns and, of course, the prospects of the city getting a NBA (and NHL) franchise. And while he only briefly touched on the city’s new startup initiative, he did mention… Read More…

Frazier buys pharmaceutical packaging company AndersonBrecon

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Seattle venture capital firm Frazier Healthcare has joined with Philadelphia-based Packaging Coordinators to purchase AndersonBrecon, a leading contract pharmaceutical packing company. The unit had previously been owned by health services giant AmerisourceBergen Corporation. Packaging Coordinators is a portfolio company of Frazier, and the newly-combined entity will operate under the Packaging Coordinators name. “PCI has been on an aggressive… Read More…

The top 10 bike-friendly cities in America: Yes, Portland coasts to the top of the list

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Well, I guess the stereotypes of Portland are true. (At least as they relate to the city’s famous bike culture). According to a new ranking from Seattle startup Walk Score — which unveiled its Bike Score online ranking service last year — Portland is the No. 1 city in America for biking. It just edged… Read More…