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

breakingbad

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

redditbusl

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…

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

julieshauna

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…

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

caylegeorge

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

brokeniphone

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…

Let’s admit it: We’re still using our phones when we drive

monitext

“Between 2006 and 2008 there were 451 people who lost their lives in traffic collisions in Washington,” I heard on the radio last week. “Twenty-six percent of these fatal crashes involved distracted driving.” Oh no, I thought. Here it comes: The guilt. “Your friends at AAA would like to ask your help in keeping everyone… Read More…

Anarchists wearing Nikes, and other highlights from the #seamayday show

seamayday

Did you tune in to Tuesday’s almost-riot show? Not the one on Seattle news websites, on the radio or even on TV. I’m talking about the stuff that streamed raw and unscripted under the #seamayday hashtag on Twitter. As soon as I heard people in masks were smashing their way through the heart of Seattle,… Read More…

How to succeed in Tetris and life: 7 secrets of an 18 year-old Tetris Grand Master

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You can find dedication in all kinds of places. The office. The football field. The glossy, old-school arcade tucked in the back of Ballard’s Full Tilt Ice Cream. Eighteen-year-old Kevin Birrell is here most every night. The University of Washington freshman is one of just 5 people — 2 outside Japan — to have achieved… Read More…

Baby’s first turd and other unshareables: How Mom is too Mom?

You didn't want to know that, did you?

There was no way she was serious. “Please tell me you’ve never actually seen someone post a pic of their baby’s turd, and that it was just a joke on ‘Friends with Kids,’” I typed on a friend’s Facebook post last week. “PLEASE TELL ME THAT. ” She didn’t. She couldn’t. A Facebook friend had… Read More…