The phone call in the coffee shop: How NOT to point out bad tech etiquette

cellphones

I was getting so much done. And then it happened. I was typing away at one of the long tables in the coffee shop, totally in the zone, a drained soy chai sitting next to my laptop. I heard a ringtone behind me. Then a woman picked up. “Hello?” she said. And she talked. And… Read More…

Talking ’bout my generation: We’re not acting entitled, we’re being reasonable

generationme

It came up gently enough at a session at Affiliates Day, a half-day conference put on by the University of Washington’s Information School. We were sitting in a circle with Prof. Mike Eisenberg, talking about the “Google Generation,” when someone pointed out that young people these days tend to act a little, well, entitled. I… Read More…

Are you really paying for that paid content? A confession and scorecard

piggy-bank-throu-16554407

Paying for online content was a funny idea back when Napster was a hero and no one had heard the word “paywall.” Now it seems that’s changed. Almost without noticing, I’ve gone from avoiding any paid online content to subscribing to quite a bit of it. Whether I’m actually paying for that access is another… Read More…

Mocking Facebook Home: Is the joke on Facebook, or us?

facebook-home

“I can’t tell you how convenient it is to have Facebook on your phone without a way to close it,” says the woman in the video. “It’s like having a best friend … who never shuts up.” The send-up by Seattle comedian Dartanion London is racking up views ahead of the April 12 launch of… Read More…

Fourth of July fireworks, brought to us by Kickstarter?

family4th

We hoped it was an April Fool’s joke. Seattle production company One Reel announced today that the city’s 2013 annual Family 4th fireworks show is off, done, over, because it couldn’t raise the $500,000 it needed in time to make it happen. So you know where every geek’s mind went to next: Why don’t we just… Read More…

Quadstreaker turns the world into a giant game board: How much of your city have you seen?

quadstreaker

If the whole world were a game board, would you play? Seattle-based entrepreneur Scott Kendall kicked off his show-and-tell to the Seattle Quantified Self group this February with a picture of Heron Island. Just 2,600 feet long and 980 feet at its widest, the tiny town off the Australian coast is small enough that exploring… Read More…

Vloggers’ time to shine? Chris Pirillo’s new event will bring YouTube stars together

pirillo

One morning last weekend, Judy Travis got out of bed, scooped up her five-month-old daughter and reflected on why she was upset with her husband, Benji, for leaving the room overnight to sleep downstairs while the baby was crying. I watched every second. Judy and Benji are among Seattle’s most popular vloggers. While I get… Read More…

Google Glass half full: Why that ‘ban’ may not be needed

googleglasses

Is Google’s “Project Glass” a wearable computing device or the final, shattering blow to the world as we know it? These days, it’s hard to tell. For a gadget no one can own and no one can review, we’ve been surprisingly comfortable casting Google’s augmented reality glasses as technology’s next great villain — hiding in… Read More…

Baby pictures on Facebook: Audience, nuance and joy

baby

I didn’t believe it at first. One second my husband was filming our son with my phone, the next second he stopped. Our baby was just getting started, pushing himself against the sofa like he was standing his own. I was smiling so much it made my face hurt. I thought it could happen, but… Read More…