Nerd Notes: Superhero economics, a Harlem Shake bookmarklet and playlists that adjust to your mood

Superhero Economics

Editor’s Note: Nerd Notes is GeekWire’s roundup of random geekiness from around the globe. Superhero economics: The ever-present superhero question is back on the table for debate: Batman or Spiderman? Generally, we weigh traits like physical strength, charisma, weapons, etc. Now there’s a new factor: money. This series of infographics from the Geeks of Doom compares the wallets… Read More…

What the decline of the U.S Postal Service means for technology

Doxo111

Our guest this past week on the GeekWire Podcast was Steve Shivers, co-founder and CEO of Doxo, a Seattle startup that offers a digital file cabinet for keeping records, paying bills and interacting with utilities and other service providers. We talked about the growth of digital bill-paying and communications, but also explored the areas where paper billing… Read More…

Startup Spotlight: Your Brandlive helps Internet retailers communicate with shoppers

brandlive44

Portland-based startup Your Brandlive formally launched today, announcing a new video social commerce platform designed to help make the retailer-customer relationship more personal. Essentially, Your Brandlive is a project of Cascade Web Development, connecting online retailers with online shoppers through live video chat. One sales person is able to communicate with hundreds of customers at once. “The… Read More…

Nerd Notes: Big Macs and the economy, a dress that responds to sexual arousal, moth pilots and more

The Intimacy Dress 2.0

Editor’s Note: Nerd Notes is GeekWire’s roundup of random geekiness from around the globe. Moths that can drive — You’ve seen a dog skateboard, a cockatoo dance, and a monkey ride a pig, but have you ever seen a moth drive a robot car? That’s what I thought. Three Japanese researchers in Tokyo built a trackball-guided robotic vehicle that… Read More…

Startup Spotlight: Pinterest rival Clipboard looks to make screenshotting a breeze

CEO Gary Flake

If you’re tired of taking those messy screenshots and arduously cropping them to the perfect size, the solution may be here. Clipboard is a Bellevue-based company that allows users to cleanly grab images or boxes of text from anywhere on the Internet and save them to folders on the site. The service often draws comparison to Pinterest, which was… Read More…

Five new Microsoft retail stores to open by summer

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer opens the company's Bellevue Square store in November, 2011.

In 2012, Microsoft opened 51 new retail stores across the nation. So far this year it has already announced six new locations coming soon, and today the company introduced plans to open five more by this summer. The newly announced stores will be in: Natick Mall, Natick, Massachusetts Ala Moana Center, Honolulu, Hawaii Pioneer Place,… Read More…

‘Picklestyle,’ the ultimate ‘Gangnam Style’ parody

picklestylesmall

We’ve all heard K-pop legend Psy’s chart-topper, “Gangnam Style.” His outrageous dance moves and catchy harmonies quickly went viral after the song’s release in July. For many, the song has run its course. But if you’re still hungry for more, we found the solution: “Picklestyle.” It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like — a personified… Read More…

Mobile tech, social good: How these computer scientists are making an impact

yaw

Our latest episode of the GeekWire Podcast featured former Geek of the Week Yaw Anokwa. He’s a graduate of the University of Washington computer science program, the co-founder of the software startup Nafundi, and one of the computer scientists behind the Open Data Kit project (ODK), which provides smart forms for collecting data on mobile devices in rural areas, developing countries and other places with… Read More…

‘Change My School’ raises money for schools with monthly video contests

Bryce Anderson, 24

When his dream of becoming a professional baseball player didn’t pan out, Seattle native Bryce Anderson decided to switch his career path to business. But year after year, spreadsheet after spreadsheet, the 24-year-old began to grow weary of his work in insurance and real estate. One day in the office two summers ago, Anderson turned off… Read More…

A non-creepy Craigslist: CampusWall rolls out a safer marketplace for college students

campuswall1111

We’ve all encountered those questionable Craigslist ads: one person looking for an “R. Kelly Impersonator,” another selling a portable stripper pole — the list goes on. Personally, when I see an ad posted by a man who is “Unemployed. Short and bald. Chubby and pale with small features.(hands feet ears) Dominating, picky and judgemental. Sometimes… Read More…