Contour inks deal to put helmet-mounted cameras in Yamaha motorcycle shops

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Seattle-based Contour has sealed a deal to sell its line of helmet-mounted HD video cameras at Yamaha Motor Corp. dealers across the country, another big retail distribution point for the Seattle company. The news follows a deal last year in which Apple agreed to start carrying Contour’s top-of-the-line video camera. “Riding motorcycles, ATV’s, side x… Read More…

Launch Day: Microsoft’s Surface Pro 128 GB already selling out online

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Microsoft launched its Surface Pro tablet today, the first full-fledged Windows 8 machine developed by the company, and already the demand is exceeding the supply for the 128 GB version of the tablet. Online listings at the Microsoft Store and Staples show the Surface Pro 128 GB as out of stock. Whether the situation is more… Read More…

Google, Boingo bring free Wi-Fi to 4,000 hotspots (but not for Windows Phone or iPhone)

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Boingo Wireless and Google Play announced a new partnership today to bring free Wi-Fi to more than 4,000 hotspots across the country, including 15 airports (Chicago O’Hare, New York’s JFK, Seattle-Tacoma, etc.) as well subways, restaurants, hotels and shopping malls. The offering is part of Boingo’s new Cloud Nine Media platform, an advertising platform which… Read More…

Capture your slips, spills and jumps with the Contour+2 helmet-mounted camera

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I’m not much of a thrill-seeking speed freak. But for those who like to ski, skydive or mountain bike over tough terrain, here’s the latest must-have gadget. Seattle-based Contour today is releasing the Contour+2, a helmet-mounted video camera that shoots 1080p HD video and allows adventure sports nuts to track speed, distance and elevation. The… Read More…

Samsung gains smartphone market share as Apple preps for latest iPhone launch

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Samsung continues to dominate the smartphone market, but Apple could see a resurgence with the introduction of its new iPhone model expected later this year. That’s the latest from Gartner, which today released a report on worldwide mobile phone sales. “High-profile smartphone launches from key manufacturers such as the anticipated Apple iPhone 5, along with… Read More…

Apple and Twitter: How would an alliance alter the tech biz?

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Well, here’s an interesting one for you to contemplate this weekend. The New York Times is reporting that Apple has discussed the possibility of investing “hundreds of millions” of dollars in Twitter at a valuation of more than $10 billion. Citing people familiar with the matter, The Times notes that an investment in Twitter could… Read More…

Intermec cutting 170 staffers in corporate restructuring

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Intermec, an Everett maker of rugged mobile computers and bar coding and RFID technologies, said that it plans to cut 170 jobs, or seven percent of its work force, as part of an effort to reduce costs. “The restructuring plan is intended to bring the company’s cost structure in line with our current and anticipated… Read More…

Verizon Wireless to close Bellevue call center, tells 850 workers they can relocate elsewhere

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Verizon Wireless today announced plans to close its call center operations in Bellevue, a move that will lead to the elimination of about 850 jobs  in the Seattle area. “This was a very difficult but necessary business decision,” the company said in a statement. “Our employees are very highly skilled and we want to help… Read More…

T-Mobile executive: Key to fixing industry is removing device subsidies

Cole Brodman, CMO of T-Mobile, speaks at the GeekWire Summit in Seattle (Karen Ducey Photography)

As mobile devices become more powerful, prices continue to fall. And while consumers now have more computing power in the palm of their hands than ever before, T-Mobile Chief Marketing Officer Cole Brodman said that the way carriers subsidize devices is hurting the industry. “It actually distorts what devices actually cost and it causes OEMs,… Read More…

Clearwire intros $49 USB modem to connect users to 4G

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Clearwire today introduced a new 4G USB modem called the Clear Stick Atlas, a device that’s designed to give customers access to the company’s 4G wireless network without the hassle of installing additional software. Weighing in at 1.1 ounces and measuring 1.2 inches wide, the company says that the Clear Stick Atlas easily fits into… Read More…