Editor’s Note: Nerd Notes is GeekWire’s roundup of random geekiness from around the globe.
National Day of Unplugging (NDU): Beginning tonight at sunset, and ending 24 hours later, citizens across the nation are encouraged to unplug from all media. Even GeekWire’s John Cook is giving it a shot. Participants are asked to share their reasons for unplugging on the National Day of Unplugging website. Make sure to check out tomorrow’s GeekWire Podcast, featuring the founder of NDU.
A dad’s worst nightmare: Greg Kitchen, from Bristol, England, was recently refunded $2,500 by Apple after his five-year-old son, Danny, went on an iPad app spending spree. Yikes.
Coinstar works with PayPal: Bellevue-based Coinstar announced Wednesday that select kiosks will now allow customers to deposit, withdraw, and send money to and from PayPal accounts.
Gay marriage and sushi?: Um…what? This isn’t exactly geeky, but we had to share: A recent article on Mother Jones shows a shocking correlation between the generational tendency to support gay marriage and the generational tendency to try sushi. Is it a coincidence?
LinkedIn beats Facebook: According to a study conducted by the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, LinkedIn is replacing Facebook as the number one social media tool used by companies. Between 2011 and 2012, company Facebook use dropped 7 percent, while LinkedIn use increased by 8 percent.
Stealing Yoshi: It’s a little hard to believe that Botond Kopacz, the video game developer of a 3-D application for Google Play called “Era’s Adventures,” didn’t realize he had used the popular Super Mario World character, Yoshi, in his game.
“Actually, this is an indie game developed by one developer, so due to the limitation of effort, I purchased a cute character from TurboSquid, one of the biggest 3-D asset stores, without knowing the background story of the character Yoshi, since I’m not a Super Mario fan,” Kopacz told Ars Technica in an e-mail.
iPhone apps to improve your love life: The Gottman Relationship Institute, founded by University of Washington Professor Emeritus John Gottman, developed 10 iPhone apps to help you with your relationships — all $1.99 in the App Store.
Printable gun: Texas-based Defense Distributed shared a video earlier this week showing a gun firing off over 600 rounds. But it wasn’t just any gun; it was a printable AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. And that’s not all — the Department of Justice said it’s completely legal. Already, 10,000 people have downloaded the lower CAD file, and more have downloaded it through BitTorrent, Ars Technica reported today.
What happens to your Facebook when you die: The Oregon Legislature is currently trying to decide whether it’s ethical to allow a family to gain access to deceased loved ones’ Facebook profiles. Karen Williams, an Oregon mother, has been fighting Facebook for access to her son’s account since he died in 2005.
Redfining cybercrime: On Monday, the University of Washington will host a roundtable discussion titled “Redefining Cybercrime.” Marcia Hofmann, the senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation will discuss the topic with Brian Rowe, a professor at Seattle University and the UW. The event is free, and will be held in Kane Hall 220 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
EMBRACE+ smart bracelet: This bracelet, created by two Seattle developers, syncs with your smartphone and lights up when you receive texts, calls, emails, and more.
Previously on GeekWire: Nerd Notes: Tiny planet, 3-D drawing and an iPad joystick
Reach Lily Katz at lily@geekwire.com or on Twitter @LilyKatz
