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Month: September 2010

Digital Trends goes Yahoo!

[HTML1]One of my favorite, successful “That’s a Portland company?” blogs is Digital Trends. It’s a tech heavy publication that covers all the comings and goings in the consumer tech space. From home theaters to mobile computing to games, they do their best to cover it all.

And apparently, I’m not the only one impressed by their content. You see, Yahoo! just partnered with Digital Trends to serve up their technology insights to Yahoo! users. Read More

Who edits Wikipedia? All kinds of people. Who edits (and produces) videos about who edits Wikipedia? Portland folks

You know about Wikipedia. You use Wikipedia. But for all the information to be found out there, one question has long gone unanswered: Who are these people who actually edit Wikipedia?

It’s a good question. For most of us, they’re just a username. But now, the Wikimedia Foundation is working to put a face and personality on those Wikipedians with a video series called Wikipedia:Username. Read More

Can you hear me now? Urban Airship partners with Verizon Wireless to provide push notification services for developers

Thanks to a new partnership between Portland’s Urban Airship and wireless provider Verizon where Verizon will promote Urban Airship push notifications services and AirDrop to the Verizon Developer Community.

[HTML1]I know I’m overstating the obvious when I say that, in the mobile market, things are a wee bit fragmented. You’ve got the platforms—like iOS, Android, and MeeGo, you’ve got providers—like AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, you’ve got handset manufacturers—like HTC, Motorola, and RIM… the list goes on and on. And amidst this swirl sits a bevy of developers, just trying to build cool stuff for mobile. And the the tool makers trying to help those developers. If only there could be some crossover. To simplify things.

Well, now there is. Thanks to a new partnership between Portland’s Urban Airship and wireless provider Verizon where Verizon will promote Urban Airship push notifications services and AirDrop to the Verizon Developer Community. Read More

Free beer at Beer and Blog courtesy of Deluxe plus some WordCamp Portland folks too

[HTML1]It’s been one of those weeks. Hasn’t it? I know. I hear you. And you—I’m sorry to say—you look like you could use a drink. So how about a free one?

What’s that you say? Free beer? It’s true. Thanks to Deluxe who has kicked in to sponsor tonight’s Beer and Blog Portland. And if free beer isn’t enough for you, you might be tempted to meet all the folks who are in town for WordCamp Portland. Either way. Read More

ActiveTrak GadgetTrak Mobile 3 available off the shelf at more than 2000 independent wireless retailers

That’s why Portland-based ActiveTrak works to protect them with their GadgetTrak Mobile security software. And now, even more folks have access to that protection. You see, a beta of GadgetTrak is being added to handsets at 2,300 independent wireless retailers.

When it comes to technology, sometimes the most important devices are also the easiest to lose. Take mobile phones. Small, compact, loaded with data, and easy to move, they’re often the target for some of those more nefarious types.

That’s why Portland-based ActiveTrak works to protect them with their GadgetTrak Mobile security software. And now, even more folks have access to that protection. You see, a beta of GadgetTrak is being added to handsets at 2,300 independent wireless retailers. Read More

Linus Torvalds—Portland’s adopted open source guru—secures US citizenship

Portland Oregon resident, Linux creator, and open source proponents Linus Torvalds is now a US citizen.

Here’s a little experiment. Start a conversation about why open source and Portland go so well together. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Done? Okay.

Now, I’m not usually much of a betting guy. But in this case, I’m willing to bet that at some point in that conversation—for many of you—the inevitable “Well, you know, Linus Torvalds lives here” came up as some sort of qualifier. It did, right? Read More

OurPDX goes on hiatus as management plans for ‘doing it right’

And so it is with a bit of a heavy heart that I have to report that Portland Oregon blog OurPDX has been shuttered. I say “a bit” because there is a silver lining to this cloud. You see, there is the promise that the shutters may be reopened once they retool.

As much as I love cheerleading new ventures on Silicon Florist, there are times when I have to talk about less than happy news. Because they affect you, they affect the Portland tech scene, and they deserve to be covered.

And so it is with a bit of a heavy heart that I have to report that Portland-focused blog OurPDX has been shuttered. I say “a bit” because there is a silver lining to this cloud. You see, there is the promise that the shutters may be reopened once they retool. Read More

Reminder: Slate Technologies Lunch 2.0 is Wednesday

Things have been relatively quiet on the Lunch 2.0 front lately, but that doesn’t mean nothing is happening.

For example, did you remember that Slate Technologies (@slatetechpdx) is hosting Lunch 2.0 on Wednesday, September 15th?

I know, it’s not exactly near downtown, but for a lot of you Southeasterns, it might be close to home. Maybe Wednesday is a good day to work from home?

Read More

Streaming 3D HD at 1080p? Yeah, Portland’s Elemental Technologies does that

If you’ve been anywhere near a movie theater or a television in the past year, you’ve no doubt discovered the renaissance that media is having with the concept of three dimensional video. Good ol’ 3D. Everything old is new again. Only now, it’s less about making things jump out at you and more about giving video a depth of field.

But for all the advances in movies and television, streaming video has remained rather, well, flat. That is, until now. You see, Portland’s Elemental Technology is currently demoing streaming 3D 1080p HD at the IBC. Read More

Want an easy-to-use marketplace for eLearning? It could be as simple as OpenSesame

OpenSesame is taking their corporate experience with the eLearning market and learning management software and putting it to work for individuals. So that anyone, anywhere, can create, promote, sell, and distribute their coursework and knowledge.

For many folks, eLearning seems to be a realm only destined for those corporations with the wherewithal to develop, produce, sell, and distribute that content. That for individuals, getting that content in front of the intended audience—even in this day and age—is an insurmountable hurdle.

One Portland startup is looking to change that. Meet OpenSesame. Read More