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Month: October 2007

Culinate launches new blog, bringing guests to the table

Rick Turoczy on October 19, 2007

Portland-based Culinate, the foodie portal situated at intersection of food and life and food (it’s a five-point intersection kind of thing), has launched a new blog, Dinner Guest.

The blog is designed to allow the folks at Culinate to feature content from guest bloggers who may or may not be typing with their mouths full.

We named our new blog Dinner Guest, and in putting it together I’ve felt a little like a host making invitations to a dinner party. You know, wanting to invite new friends and old, interesting people of mixed ages and varied interests, someone to wear the lampshade at the end of the evening.

Or maybe it’s more like planning a menu: Something hearty, something green, something sweet, and something for the person who doesn’t eat [fill in the blank].

Recent contributors include Curt Ellis, co-producer and star of the documentary King Corn, and Harriet Fasenfest of Preserve.

Sound interesting? Subscribe to the Dinner Guest feed.

Culinate features articles and essays that address the multitude of intersections between food and the rest of our lives. We’re interested in how people define their lives via food — should I buy organic? be a vegetarian? shun sugar? — as well as how food defines us. Culinate is a place that connects food to the wider world and brings it home.

For more information, visit Culinate.

Ignite Portland running into fire code issues or I’ll take “irony” for 500, Alex.

Rick Turoczy on October 18, 2007

Ignite Portland is filling up. So much so, that they’re about to overrun the space so kindly donated by the folks at Wieden+Kennedy.

It’s a fire code issue.

Ignite. Fire code. Get it? (Tap, tap, tap) Is this thing on?

Anyway, don’t let that stop you. Head on over to the Ignite Portland Upcoming page and RSVP. If need be, I’ll give up my seat so that you can get in to see the presentations.

Who’s presenting? I’m glad you asked, the presenters are:

  • Raven Zachary (What is Ignite?)
  • Urban Scout
  • Steve Morris
  • Audrey Eschright
  • Sarah Gilbert
  • Kevin Tate
  • Scott Huber
  • Scott Kveton
  • Crystal Beasley
  • Douglas Wolk
  • Hideshi Hamaguchi
  • Adam Duvander
  • Justin Kistner
  • Keith Gerr
  • Bill DeRouchey
  • MarcoPolo
  • Selena Deckelmann
  • MJ

Platial acquires Frappr (updated)

Rick Turoczy on October 18, 2007

Portland-based Platial, the social mapping community with all of its vowels still intact, has acquired competitor Frappr.

Platial welcomes Frappr users

Details are fairly limited at this time. Aside from a welcome message to Frappr users on the Platial site.

Platial has dropped a press release to announce the acquisition (hat tip to paidContent), purporting to be the “#1 Social Map site.”

Platial’s CEO Di-Ann Eisnor says, “We are delighted to have the Frappr community join the Platial family. This reinforces our vision to connect people, neighborhoods and nations around the world. Together, we will make social mapping more accessible, more valuable and a more fundamental part of Web 2.0, encompassing mobile and local search. We will also introduce new, more effective advertising models using social data and location to create greater relevance.“

So what about that other company that does something with maps? You know, that one down in Mountain View and in The Dalles? Marshall Kirkpatrick of Read/Write Web provides guidance on what this acquisition actually means.

At the time of this posting, this has not been announced on the Platial blog. [Update] On October 23, Platial posted a blog entry about the benefits of the acquired technology.

More information as it becomes available.

See additional coverage in TechCrunch, Mashable, paidContent, and Read/Write Web.

pdxMindShare leads me to believe Jive might be hiring, possibly maybe

Rick Turoczy on October 16, 2007

Do you subscribe to pdxMindShare [Editor’s note: The site was having issues at the time of this posting Appears to be working just fine, now], the weekly Portland happenings newsletter that stems from Kent Lewis‘ pdxMindShare networking group?

Well, if you don’t, you should. It’s been a great resource for gigs, jobs, and general goings-on here in the Rose City for years. And it’s recently been featured by Seth Godin.

Yeah, that Seth Godin.

Your point, Rick?

Well, I was browsing through the latest issue of JiveMindShare… Um. Oopie. I mean, pdxMindShare. And I think, maybe just maybe, Portland-based Jive Software might be hiring for a few positions.

I’m saying, “Maybe.” Don’t quote me on it. I may be reading something into this.

In any case, the laundry list of open jobs a good problem for Jive to have. And it could be that you’re just the type to help fill one of these roles. So I just thought it worth mentioning that Jive Software—proud recipient of a recent $15 million Sequoia investment and a winner of one of the 2007 Oregon Entrepreneur Network awards—is hiring for the following positions:

CLIQ promises additional reporting features

Rick Turoczy on October 16, 2007

CLIQ, the dynamic blogroll widget built by Portland-based StepChange, continues to roll through its public BETA. And word is that initial feedback has provided some valuable guidance.

Personally, I’ve been happy to have another source for stats on what types of articles people like to read. That’s why the upcoming features at which StepChange hints are extremely intriguing:

We are re-working Reports to be more specific to what’s going on with your particular CLIQ Widget (“How many times it was viewed”, and “What posts were clicked on”). And we’re also working on a way to ‘show’ how readers are moving between the blogs within your CLIQ.

CLIQ is currently in public BETA. For more information or to sign-up for the BETA, visit the CLIQ site.

Is Sandy wrapping up her on-the-job training?

Rick Turoczy on October 14, 2007

Messages in the ether suggest that there are more BETA applicants being added to I want Sandy, the Stikkit-powered, anthropomorphic email management tool being built by Portland-based Values of N.

While there are no apparent changes to the I want Sandy site or the Values of N blog, I’m hearing more and more mentions of additional BETA invites in circulation. Interesting, if only for the fact that these are some of the first mentions of Sandy I’ve noticed since June of this year.

Could Sandy be finishing her on-the-job training and getting ready to hit the work-a-day world?

More news as it becomes available.

[Update] I just happened upon some more I want Sandy coverage from Startup Squad.

Kumquat: Get the feedback you deserve

Marshall Kirkpatrick of Read/Write Web has reviewed the tool in a post, entitled “No, Really – How Was it For You? Kumquat Launches Simple Performance Review Service,” noting some worthwhile features as well as some potential shortcomings…

Rick Turoczy on October 12, 2007

[Editor: In the interest of full disclosure, Kumquat is a tool conceived, funded, and built through my company, Return. As such, I am over compensating to maintain objectivity in this announcement.]

Portland-based Return has announced the limited release of Kumquat, a tool for self-directed performance reviews. Designed with simplicity in mind, the tool supports both independent consultants and corporate workers who find current feedback channels lacking, allowing them to easily solicit and manage quantitative and qualitative assessments of their performance.

Marshall Kirkpatrick of Read/Write Web has reviewed the tool in a post, entitled “,” noting some worthwhile features as well as some potential shortcomings:

It’s got some early performance issues but scores high on usability otherwise. If you are seeking feedback on your work from clients or peers – Kumquat could be just what you’re looking for.

For all its elegance, Kumquat’s also got a ways to go before anyone should be too enthusiastic about the product…. Simplicity is good, maybe it’s good enough. Integration with other reputation systems? A widget? I’m not sure, maybe those steps would be overkill and Kumquat is just what independent workers need.

Fair and balanced feedback, to be sure. And quite frankly, I couldn’t ask for anything better. Rest assured, a number of the issues mentioned are either resolved or on their way to resolution.

So, if you’re interested in trying Kumquat, please comment below, and maybe—just maybe—I might be able to arrange for you to get an invite. (All kidding aside, I would be very interested in getting your feedback on Silicon Florist using Kumquat. And, once you respond to my review request, you’ll have the option of signing up, yourself.)

If you’re a member of the media—a blogger or traditional journalist—and interested in writing about Kumquat, please visit the media area for resources that may help. As always, please feel free to trackback this post. And obviously, we more than welcome your feedback on Kumquat.

Finally, thank you for putting up with my self-serving post. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Panic starts Google Group for Coda, Web dev

Rick Turoczy on October 11, 2007

Portland-based Panic, makers of some of the prettiest and most usable Apple Macintosh software anywhere, has announced the formation of a new discussion group, designed to facilitate communications among Coda users and Web developers in general. The discussion group is hosted on Google Groups.

Back in the Audion days, we had a very active (and useful!) mailing list, and it seemed only natural to re-create such a thing for Coda. It’s a complex and powerful program, and in talking to users, I frequently see a lot of its capabilities get overlooked, just because it’s a big piece of machinery.

Both Coda itself and general web development topics are fair-game for the mailing list. We hope the list will be a boon to both you the Coda user / web designer, and us the developer.

In related news, Panic also announced the release of Coda 1.04.

This release concentrates mainly on the remaining 1.0 bugs, and some important Leopard compatibility issues. That means, I’m sorry to say, no Subversion or Global Find-and-Replace yet. Now that most of the more significant bugs are dead, we’ll once again be shifting our focus to features, so hang in there!

For more information on Panic and its products, see the Panic site.

Ignite Portland preso deadline approaching

Rick Turoczy on October 10, 2007

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the Ignite Portland concept. And I’m hoping that a bunch of you are planning to attend.

I also hope that some of you are going to present. And if you’re in that group, then you should know that the deadline for Ignite Portland presentation proposals is October 16.

We’ve had a great response to our call for presenters. So much so that we have more ideas than presentation slots; however, keep them coming! We’ll just have to pick the best ones. Keep in mind that we expect these to be regular events, so if you do not get to present at this one, you will have other opportunities.

If you are thinking about jumping into the fray, I’d highly encourage you to visit the Ignite Portland presentation page.

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