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Here's what happened at Engadget Live Seattle
Engadget made another appearance in Seattle last Friday, again taking over the Showbox SoDo. This year's stop in the Emerald City was the second in our series of Engadget Live events, where readers can meet, mingle and try out all sorts of new tech. More than 1,000 folks did just that on a sunny day in the Pacific Northwest. Friends were made; photos were taken; and alcohol was... inhaled. Check out the gallery below for a few highlights.
Engadget Live Seattle is this Friday!
To all our wonderful friends in Seattle, let's make it clear: there's no better place to be this Friday (July 18th) at 7PM than the Showbox SODO for our second Engadget Live event of the year! Why is this a cant-miss event? Flip through the gallery below to find out.
Seattle votes to legalize ridesharing services like Lyft and Uber
It's official: following an earlier agreement, Seattle council members have voted eight to one in favor of legalizing transportation network companies. The move lets ridesharing outfits like Lyft and UberX operate in the West coast city without fear of bans or driver caps, so long as they get the appropriate license and otherwise obey relatively light regulations. Conventional cab drivers, meanwhile, get a break through 200 additional taxi licenses. The council is expected to take a second look at ridesharing during its next legislative session to see if there's a need for stricter requirements. For now, though, you shouldn't have any trouble hailing a private driver in Washington state's biggest burg. [Image credits: Jeff Blucher, Flickr]
What to expect at Engadget Live Seattle
We're bringing our Engadget Live event series to Seattle's Showbox SODO on Friday, July 18th, 7PM sharp! We also decided that we really enjoy making our readers happy, so effective immediately, all Engadget Live events this year will be free! (If you bought a ticket already, we'll pay it back).
Engadget Live heads to Seattle on July 18th!
Seattle, the always caffeinated, drone-building, Super Bowl-winning, beautiful city that coddles the Puget Sound. We had such a great time hanging with the locals last year that we're making a comeback. Join us at Showbox SODO on Friday, July 18th, 7PM sharp for our second Engadget Live event of the year. (If you happen to be in Austin, Texas, this coming Friday, join us at our first "Live" event there!) What's Engadget Live? Unlike trade shows and press-only events, we bring together gadget lovers with tech brands in an interactive environment. A bunch of great companies (mostly local ones!) will show off their newest products and get feedback directly from fans like you.
Uber and other taxi apps score a victory as Seattle has a change of heart
Uber's having a pretty tough time over in Europe, but it's having a luckier streak in the US. After Seattle city council members upheld their decision to place limits on private taxi companies like Uber earlier this year, the city has now reversed that decision, allowing each service to operate free of extra restrictions. They will, however, have to adhere to a few minor rules. Geekwire reports that Uber, Lyft and Sidecar will need to be licensed as as transportation network companies so that they (and their drivers) can meet insurance requirements. Seattle officials also scrubbed the 150-driver limit that was placed upon them (Uber says it has around 1,000 drivers in the city alone). Cab drivers will enjoy less regulation as a result and the city will issue 200 new licences over the next four years, striking a fairer balance for regular taxi companies. Although Uber and Lyft drivers will be forced to jump through a few additional hoops, the agreement is a massive win for the startups that they represent. Regulators in other cities seeking to enforce stricter limits on private hire companies could turn to Seattle for inspiration, but will experience vocal opposition from taxi firms regardless of what they decide.
Seattle limits access to Uber, Lyft and other ride-sharing vehicles
Uber, Lyft, Sidecar and other ride-sharing services just suffered a huge setback in Seattle, and it's way more serious than getting their vehicles' tires slashed by irate competitors. The city's council members have decided to uphold a decision they made in February -- one that caps every platform's active vehicles to a measly 150 each. According to TechCrunch, the decision was a result of various complaints and questions regarding these services, which you can use to summon cars through mobile apps, as they're relatively new. Most of those were concerns for public safety, even though the companies already screen their drivers (in California, at least) and are expanding their insurance coverage. Considering Uber claims to have roughly 1,000 drivers in the city, this move will not only put many of them out of work, but also severely limit each company's capacity to meet demand.
Valve VR leader joins Oculus R&D with new Seattle team
Oculus has scooped up Atman Binstock as its new Chief Architect; he's the former Valve virtual reality head and one of the leaders of the VR Room demo at Steam Dev Days. Binstock will head up a new Oculus R&D team in Seattle, Washington, which joins existing offices in Irvine, California, Dallas, Texas, and San Francisco, California. It's worth noting that Valve is based in Bellvue, Washington, roughly 15 minutes from Seattle. Binstock says he began working on VR at Valve two years ago, after a pitch from Valve R&D leader Michael Abrash: "Michael convinced me that this was basically the myth of technological inevitability: the idea that because technologies were possible, they would just naturally happen. Instead, the way technological revolutions actually happen involve smart people working hard on the right problems at the right time. And if I wanted a revolution, and I thought I was capable of contributing, I should be actively pushing it forward. I signed up." Valve and Oculus are working together on the Oculus VR headset, and together they created the most recent Oculus prototype, the Crystal Cove. Valve doesn't plan on releasing an in-house VR headset, and will instead focus on helping Oculus. In February, we learned Oculus was running out of dev kits because some components were no longer manufactured. Now, the company has closed sales in most regions and it's ramping down production. Oculus writes, "We never expected to sell so many Rift development kits and the fact that we're close to being sold out after 60,000 kits is nothing short of incredible - Thank you for your support!" There's no word on a new dev kit model. [Image: Oculus VR]
Infamous: Second Son takes to the wet streets of Seattle
"Oh, man – rain." That's the first thing people say when asked to picture Seattle, Infamous: Second Son Director Nate Fox says. In creating a digitized Seattle for PS4, Sucker Punch plays with light flares on wet streets, low cloud cover, fog and the physics of exploding liquor stores.
Easter egg-filled panorama of Seattle is Microsoft's latest Photosynth art project
After all the panoramas, street views and 3D flights of fancy through cityscapes, how can Microsoft make the next one different? Apparently, by teaming up with over 100 of Seattle's local artists and performers to cram this 360-degree panorama full of imaginative easter eggs (like the airship seen above). Dubbed the Gigapixel ArtZoom, Microsoft unveiled it tonight at the Seattle Art Museum but like other Photosynth projects, anyone with a browser can dive in right now. 2,368 twenty-two-megapixel images were shot from the Bay View condominium building and stitched together with Microsoft's Image Composite Editor software -- it's the same system behind Windows 8.1's panorama feature and Bing Maps. Click and zoom through the resulting image on a Where's Waldo-style search for the performers (inserted via separate photoshoots after the original shoot and highlighted with additional info) on its dedicated website here, or check after the break for a behind the scenes look at how it was made.
Seattle kills Gigabit Squared's fiber internet rollout before it even starts
We knew that Gigabit Squared's fiber-to-the-home rollout was facing money troubles, but it's now clear that those problems were just too much to bear. Seattle's newly elected Mayor Ed Murray tells the Puget Sound Business Journal that his city's agreement to launch public internet through Gigabit has fallen apart before it could even take on its first customers. The official isn't ruling out a future deal, but he doesn't have any alternative providers lined up. Meanwhile, hope springs eternal at Gigabit Squared -- the company "look[s] forward" to speaking with Murray about future plans. Before it does, it may want to look into paying its bills.
Seattle's high-speed internet project delayed due to money problems
Seattle residents may have to wait a while longer for high-speed fiber internet -- Gigabit Squared (the company developing the network) won't be able to deliver as promised. According to GeekWire, the city's fiber-to-the-home initiative is facing major issues securing financing, to the point that Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is "very concerned it's not going to work." He says that he hasn't exactly given up on the private sector, but he'd campaign for the government to build its own network if he could. Unfortunately, he's stepping down next month, and it's up to his replacement to decide. The project was supposed to launch in select locations in early 2014, offering up to 1Gbps up and down for $80 per month. Gigabit has yet to make a statement, but we'll let you know if the project gets back on its feet -- or if Google Fiber decides to step in and pick up the slack.
Engadget + gdgt Live is hitting Seattle next week!
Get excited, Seattle -- we're just a week out from our latest event in your fair city. And while tickets have been moving quickly, we've still got some spaces left. If you want to come hang with us at the Showbox SoDo on August 31st, all you've got to do is sign up at the source link below. We'll have lots to keep you busy, like exhibits from folks like Outlook, Nokia and Logitech and a few editors on-hand to talk tech. We can't wait to see you guys in a week!
Engadget + gdgt Live is hitting Seattle August 31st, get your tickets here!
Hey there Emerald City, it's been a while -- around ten months, to be exact. We're coming back to Seattle at the end of this month, and this time we're bringing our pals from gdgt with us. We'll be throwing the latest Engadget + gdgt event at the Showbox SoDo on August 31st. As usual, there'll be plenty to see and play with (and take home, if you're lucky), from the likes of Outlook, Nokia and Logitech. We're also holding a startup contest, so one up-and-coming local company can score floorspace gratis. You can nab a free ticket for yourself and a friend or two at the source link below. It's also not too late to get in on that sponsorship action. See you in Seattle!
Jeff Bezos to open Center for Innovation this fall, aims to inspire young would-be entrepreneurs
What's an e-commerce tycoon to do after funding everything from nuclear fusion startups to commercial spaceflight ventures? Why, help develop a museum exhibit to inspire young folks and teach them about innovation, of course. After more than two years of development and $10 million from Jeff Bezos' own pockets, the Museum of History and Industry will open the doors to the Bezos Center for Innovation on October 12th. Not only does the center aim to help visitors learn about "the importance of innovation" through interactive exhibits, but it will toot Seattle's horn for being "the birthplace of so many trailblazing companies." If you can't make it to The Emerald City, we're sure Bezos has a few learning alternatives in mind.
Halo Warthog gets rainbow colors in Seattle Pride parade
Halo's indispensable military buggy sided with Team Blue, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green and Violet at the Seattle Pride parade held on Sunday, June 30th.
Gigabit Squared outlines Seattle fiber prices: 1Gbps for $80 per month
Ultra-high-speed fiber-to-the-home from Gigabit Squared isn't scheduled to light up Seattle until 2014, but the outfit's just revealed what it aims to charge for its blisteringly-fast internet service. Folks who are content with the bare minimum can pay a $350 installation fee and net 5Mbps up and 1Mbps down at no charge for 60 months, and can then convert to $10 each month for 10Mbps both ways. With a one-year contract, residents of The Emerald City can avoid the setup charge and score 100Mbps down and 100Mbps up for a $45 monthly bill. If pure speed is your prime directive, 1Gbps up and down will be available for $80 per month, and with no cash put towards installation. Aching to hook up to the web at those eye-watering speeds? You'll have to live in Seattle's West Campus District, First Hill, Capitol Hill or Central Area neighborhoods, as they'll be the first connected to Gigabit Squared's pipes. There's no sign-up process just yet, but it's scheduled to go live next month. Update: We've corrected the story to reflect that the free plan can be converted to a $10 monthly plan after 60 months, which boosts speeds to 10Mbps up and down. [Image credit: Eli Duke, Flickr]
AMD details first ARM-based server chip: up to 16 helpings of Cortex-A57 clocked at 2GHz
It's hardly a secret that AMD has stepped out of its x86 comfort zone to develop an ARM-based server chip, but now we know a little more about it. Going by the name of "Seattle" and scheduled for launch in the second half of next year, it'll be built around ARM's 64-bit Cortex-A57 in either 8- or 16-core configurations, which will likely be clocked at a minimum of 2GHz. In an apparent acknowledgement of ARM's superiority at low wattages, we're told that this design has the potential to deliver 4x the performance of AMD's current Opteron X processors, with improved compute-per-watt. There's a clear limit to AMD's reliance on ARM, however, as it'll use Seattle to up against Intel's little Atoms, but will continue to sell its own x86 designs for higher-power applications. Meanwhile, we're still waiting on something more interesting from this union, which might be an ARM CPU paired with a Radeon HD graphics processor in some sort of mobile-class SoC. Guess we'll just have to be patient.
Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's Daniel Stahl at E3
Last week the unstoppable Jasmine Hruschak was one member of Massively's crack team who braved the traffic of Los Angeles to take in the sights, sounds, hawking, yelling, and craziness that was the Electronic Entertainment Expo. While she was there, she interviewed Star Trek Online's Executive Producer, Daniel Stahl, and put forth a few questions from the Massively team. Stahl was able to drop a few hints about the future of Star Trek Online in his responses, so join me past the jump as I deliver the highlights from their conversation!
Captain's Log: A new Star Trek Online potpourri
One thing is certain: Many players have returned to Star Trek Online since the Legacy of Romulus expansion was released. Many new players have also given Star Trek Online their first try and are suitably impressed with the game's improvement. Bug patches are forthcoming, and server crashes have been reduced over the past couple of weeks. Many players who have started new Romulan Republic characters and have reached level cap (50) are now turning their attention to the endgame material. Still others have decided to start their very first Klingon character. But what about stuff that isn't about Legacy of Romulus? It just so happens there are lots of "little" items to cover, so join me while I go over some of the news and tidbits that have popped up recently.
