Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in seven coastal counties this week as a red tide laps at the state’s shores. While officials and scientists on the scene react, IBM and some of its friends are 1,000 miles away asking Lake George why these things happen. Lake George, to be clear, is a lake. It just happens…
Category: Technology
Suit alleges Unikrn initial coin offering broke SEC rules, esports betting startup calls claim meritless
Unikrn was one of the Seattle 10 companies in 2015, recognizing its status as one of the region’s most promising startups. (GeekWire Photo / Kevin Lisota) Unikrn, the Seattle-area esports betting startup, is being sued on allegations that the company skirted federal regulations during its initial coin offering last year. ICOs are an increasingly popular and controversial way for companies…
Why the U.S. Should Provide Universal Basic Income
America is the richest civilization in history. Why, then, are our living standards so low compared to those of other wealthy democracies? “There’s a big idea out there that could help solve this,” says The Atlantic writer Annie Lowrey. “It’s called a universal basic income.” In a new animated video, Lowrey argues that UBI—a concept that has existed for more…
Spin reportedly rolling out of Seattle leaving just one dockless bikeshare service
A Spin bike in Seattle. (GeekWire Photo) Spin, the operator of Seattle’s dwindling bright orange bicycles, is shutting down service in the city according to Curbed. The news comes a few weeks after Ofo announced it will be pulling its yellow bikes from the Seattle market. That leaves just Lime. The three companies were permitted to operate under a year-long…
Review: The Brainwavz HM5 studio headphones provide pro sound at an indie price
Studio headphones can be pricey beasts. They’re designed to offer the precision required when mixing audio or editing video. At the cheaper end of the scale is the Brainwavz HM5, which retails at just under $110. Brainwavz isn’t a household name, and the HM5 lacks many of the bells-and-whistles offered by more everyday-focused cans. There’s no noise-cancelling or bluetooth. Just…
Intel acquires Seattle-based deep learning startup Vertex.AI to bolster artificial intelligence efforts
Vertex co-founder Choong Ng. Intel has acquired Vertex.AI, a three-year-old Seattle startup whose tools let developers add deep learning capabilities to their software. Founded in 2015 by Choong Ng and Jeremy Bruestle, Vertex and its 7-person team will become part of the Movidius team within Intel’s Artificial Intelligence Products Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “With this acquisition,…
Scientists just ‘proved’ that it’s easier to influence children with robots than adults
A much-ballyhooed study published yesterday indicates children are more easily influenced by robots than adults. Perhaps next we’ll find that robots find it easier to take candy from babies than grown-ups. I’m a parent. When a study titled “Children conform, adults resist: A robot group induced peer pressure on normative social conformity,” starts making the tech news rounds, I pay…
Boeing expands satellite portfolio with acquisition of Millennium Space Systems
An artist’s concept shows Millennium’s Aquila satellite in orbit. (Millennium Space Systems Illustration) Boeing says it’ll expand its already-strong satellite portfolio with the acquisition of Millennium Space Systems, a California-based venture that specializes in small satellites for national security customers. Founded in 2001, Millennium had its first satellite, the 200-kilogram (440-pound) Rapid Pathfinder Prototype, launched in 2011 for the National…