The opportunity to redefine the feed reader experience

200px-Google_Reader_logo

I’ve used Google Reader almost everyday since 2008. I’m bummed it’s going away. And, clearly, I’m not alone. Millions of people are using Google Reader — evidence that there is still demand for a great utility to consume content in one location. It may not make sense for Google, but clearly there is a real… Read More…

Valve founder Gabe Newell on Linux; geeky maps; and other top posts of the month

tweet-map11

Well, GeekWire readers really must have a burning desire to study cartography. Maps were the hot topic on GeekWire during the month of February, from a rendering of the streets of Seattle post Zombie apocalypse to the tech startups in Pioneer Square to what Tweets have to say about Seattle neighborhoods. Those were three of… Read More…

City of Seattle releases mobile site and wants your feedback

cityofseattlemobilefeatured

The City of Seattle is making it easier for on-the-go citizens to check snow plow maps and see the latest news from the Mayor with a new mobile website optimized for smartphones.  Here are some of the features of the mobile-optimized site: Crime activity displayed by region Power outage maps Traffic & road conditions information with… Read More…

Amazon.com vets launch news service Goldfinch, hoping to fill Summify void

goldfinch222

I was a huge fan of the news aggregation service Summify, and was bummed when the Vancouver, B.C. was shut down this past summer after being sold to Twitter. But now two former senior technologists who helped build the product recommendation engines at Amazon.com — Bob Cottrell and Andrej Gregov — are hoping to fill the… Read More…

Leaning left or right? This browser plugin looks to bring balance to political news

balancer-1

It’s an election year, which means a lot of mud is being slung in various media outlets. Oftentimes, it’s hard to find the truth among all of the clutter. But a new online tool could help identify biases in news reporting, pointing consumers of news to other viewpoints, especially when they’ve been fed too many… Read More…

Audiosocket inks deal to provide indie music to Associated Press subscribers

AP Storefront1

Editors and Web producers who subscribe to the Associated Press will now be able to add original music clips to their content through a partnership announced today with Audiosocket. “There is wide demand in online publishing for music to accompany photos and videos and many customers don’t know where to find, choose and license music… Read More…

Report: Some msnbc.com staff to move off Microsoft’s campus once split occurs

msnbc

It’s no secret that NBCUniversal is in serious talks to buy out Microsoft’s remaning stake in the online news venture msnbc.com. All indications point to a deal happening, with some speculation that an announcement is just days away. If the deal goes through, we’ve wondered what will happen to the msnbc.com staffers who’ve worked on… Read More…

Many residents in state live in ‘rural information ghetto’

P-I newspaper boxes. Photo Kurt Schlosser

Researchers at Washington State University have concluded that large segments of the state are marooned in what they call a “rural information ghetto,” stuck with a lack of news coverage exacerbated by poor Internet access, bad cellular coverage and dwindling local journalism. For example, the report notes that 3.8 percent of the state’s residents do not… Read More…

Evri spins out SportStream with $3.5M from Paul Allen

sportstream1

Seattle startup Evri was founded in 2007, designed to help people make better sense of news and information. A lot has changed since then, especially given the rise of tablets and mobile computers. Now, the company is evolving, announcing today that it has spun off a new social sports startup called SportStream with $3.5 million from… Read More…

Newspapers take it on the chin as online ad revenue falls into the hands of a few tech giants

P-I newspaper boxes. Photo Kurt Schlosser

Americans are spending more time consuming news, using devices such as smartphones and tablets to track events on the go. But even as news consumption rises, the traditional media companies that have produced the news aren’t necessarily benefitting. The 2012 State of the News Media report from the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism found that five… Read More…