My first month with the Nike FuelBand: Stay out of my way and we’re cool

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Past the TV. Through the hallway. To the bathroom. “2,484″ fuel points! Past the bookcase. In the den. Back to the TV. “2,492″ fuel points! I turn again, steps muffled by the carpet. Did I make it? Yes, thank God, and just in time; it’s 11:56 p.m. I stop. Catch my breath. Trudge upstairs. It’s… Read More…

Hope, heartbreak, recovery: How our big NFL playoff game played out online

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Seattle hearts hurt Sunday. It happened around 1 p.m. In about 31 seconds. Maybe you remember. The Seahawks had just made a stellar comeback, leading the Falcons in the divisional playoff game, 28-27. I was in my friend’s living room, dying. You were at a bar. At home. Wherever. If you were watching TV, you… Read More…

That kid’s viral iPhone contract: 3 things mom got right

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Sometimes the lessons parents teach kids about technology feel like the kinds of things us adults could learn ourselves. Maybe you’ve heard about this: On Christmas Day, 13-year-old Greg Hofmann of Sandwich, Mass., got something he craved — an iPhone 5. The next day, he got the contract. Not the one that got him his… Read More…

GeekWire’s Gift Guide: 13 great geeky gifts from Seattle

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We asked, you answered, and here’s the result. From cheap to whoooooa pricey, here are our picks for 13 great local gifts for geeks … Geocaching premium membership – $10 for 3 months If your geek is the adventurous type, she might appreciate being introduced to this growing community of treasure hunters. Geocaching, powered by… Read More…

Suggest a geeky gift for our second annual gift guide

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Shopping for geeks this year? Why not get them something from Seattle’s own entrepreneurial backyard? We’re on the lookout for local products and services to recommend in GeekWire’s second annual Seattle Geek Gift Guide. Are you selling something geeks who buy local would love? Books, services, subscriptions, gadgets, knick-knacks — if it’s from here and it’s… Read More…

Hey, Seattle – want to wiki?

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So. Seattle. Do we wiki or what? Seth Vincent thinks it’d be fun. The recent Olympia transplant started SeattleWiki and has spent the last couple months knocking on digital doors, asking for help, support, collaboration — whatever it takes to make this Seattle city wiki the that finally, actually, works. Why? Because maybe we’d like… Read More…

Should Facebook users be allowed to vote on privacy changes?

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You were probably as surprised as I was to get this in an email from Facebook last Wednesday. “We recently announced some proposed updates to our Data Use Policy, which explains how we collect and use data when people use Facebook, and our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (SRR), which explains the terms governing use… Read More…

Am I nuts if I don’t want a tablet?

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I have a confession to make. The Surface is here, the iPad is everywhere, Jeff Bezos is promoting Kindle Fires again and tablets of all kinds are guaranteed to fly off the shelves on Black Friday and beyond. But I still don’t want one. Am I nuts? I’ve heard the arguments for a couple years… Read More…

UW policy restricting reporter tweets is not just claiming rights, but taking turf

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In 2009, the Southeastern Conference, one of the most powerful in college sports, tried something stupid. In a hopeless and short-lived social media policy, it banned fans from tweeting, updating Facebook or sharing in any way live posts from its games. Many are calling the University of Washington’s athletic department just as ignorant this week… Read More…

5 ways to watch the election without turning on the TV

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This morning I woke up, turned on my computer and within minutes sat staring at a map of people voting around the country. Live. Hello, and welcome to Election Day 2012. Back in 2000, 2004 and even 2008, following the election live meant turning on the television. I switched from CNN to MSNBC to Fox… Read More…

Do you binge-watch TV? 6 ways to justify your habit

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You finish a great episode of a great show. You want to watch the next one, but you’ve already seen three of these and it’s getting late. Do you press play? If so, you’ve developed the tech-enabled entertainment habit known as binge viewing. And some people think you’re doing it wrong. “Slow down,” wrote Jim… Read More…

Ooooh coool: My first trip to Reddit, guided by a few locals

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Every now and then you get tired of hearing so much about something you know nothing about. This week I resolved to get to know Reddit. The ginormous social forum made headlines over the summer when President Obama answered questions live on the site, then again earlier this month when Gawker revealed the identity of… Read More…

Messages superimposed on images may be less mind blowing than they appear

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I was scrolling through my news feed, minding my own (friends’) business, when I was hit with the blinding orange glow of a someecard. I tried to look away, but it was no good. Against my will, I hit share. “Dammit, this is too true,” I wrote. Along a signature image of Victorian era courtship was… Read More…

Women in tech: Is Startup Weekend Women’s Edition fantastic or flawed?

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The day that GeekWire reported that Seattle would host only the second-ever Startup Weekend event catering to women July 13-15, I was pulled in to a fascinating Facebook thread started by a friend in the space who had a question: Is it discriminatory to host an event that limits the participation of one group in favor of another?… Read More…

.Home, .Love, where’s .Sex? The most desirable domains of the ICANN land grab

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If you had $185,000 to burn this year, you could have participated in what may prove to be one of the most critical online land grabs in history. ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the group that essentially regulates the Web’s address book, accepted applications this year for new domain name extensions —… Read More…

Man vs. machine: Valve game designer looks to defend world pinball title

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Update, 6/11: The results are in, and Cayle came in second in this weekend’s world championship. Not too shabby. “It came down to a tie-breaker at the end. It was truly exciting,” IFPA co-director Steve Epstein said on the phone this morning. The winner was Italian pinball wiz Daniele Celestino Acciari. Sixty-four of the best pinball… Read More…

5 reasons I think you’re nuts if you own a naked iPhone

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I pride myself on being able to argue reasonably, listen respectfully, consider new perspectives thoughtfully and — most of the time — withhold judgment. But I just don’t get it. Anyone who uses a newer iPhone without a case must be completely nuts. This includes close friends, tech geniuses, GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and all kinds… Read More…

Today food trucks, tomorrow the world? Mobile wallet app LevelUp targets Seattle geeks

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If you’ve gotten a free lunch at a South Lake Union food truck lately, it’s probably thanks to Boston-based mobile wallet app LevelUp. “I probably see those guys out there at least once a week,” said Mark Worster, founder of food truck locator and resource hub SeattleFoodTruck.com. “They’re good to talk to.” LevelUp, a product… Read More…