TechFlash: Seattle's Technology News

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Well, there's always Bumbershoot. But if you're a gaming fanatic who was waiting until the last minute to buy a ticket for this weekend's annual Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, you're out of luck. Organizers announced this morning that the show is completely sold out.

Wal-Mart today launched a new ecommerce initiative, adding a million items to its online store through partnerships with outside vendors. In doing so, the Arkansas-based big-box chain is moving more and more into online rival Amazon.com's turf.

The new Walmart.com products are in the home, baby, apparel, toys and sporting goods categories. The company is initially teaming with CSN Stores, eBags, and Pro Team and said it "will continue to grow the Walmart Marketplace program with additional retailers over the next year."

It's been a busy month here at TechFlash HQ -- unusually so for August. We've tracked a number of venture deals and even published our own tourist guide for the Seattle tech community. We've got some exciting things planned for September, so stay tuned. But without further ado, here are the most viewed posts for the month of August.

1.) Pioneering Internet 'detox' center looks to cure online addicts (A link from The Drudge Report sent this story skyrocketing)

2.) Innovation: The lessons of Bob (Monica Harrington's nine lessons from the failure of MIcrosoft Bob sparked a great discussion)

3.) New Google is the old Microsoft (Galen Ward's insightful guest column took Google to task)

4.) Ben Huh of LOLcats fame is perplexed by company success (So are we)

5.) Grand Tour of the Zune HD, with glimpses of Bing and browser (The video struck a nerve with more than 107,000 views on YouTube and over 475 comments)

6.) Microsoft moving Azure from WA data center, citing state tax policy (Taxes and Microsoft: A hot topic for sure)

Learn That Name, a new iPhone app designed to help people remember the names of people they bump into at events, won the most votes at Startup Weekend even though the 54-hour coding marathon was held on Microsoft's campus. Attorney Eric Koester -- who came up with the idea because he forgot the name of one of the attendees -- said he's hopeful to have the $2.99 app approved in the Apple store in the coming weeks. Here's the 10-minute pitch.

Interestingly, 14 of the 15 teams at the event built their products on the Microsoft platform -- driven in part by the prize money offered by the BizSpark program.

But at the end of the day, it was a mobile app on a competing platform that won the most votes in Microsoft's backyard.

"Awkward," whispered Startup Weekend organizer Clint Nelsen into the microphone upon announcing the top voter getter.

Bill Gates has contended that IBM remains Microsoft's biggest threat. Many others would say it's Google or Apple. But don't forget about VMware. The New York Times makes that point today in a profile of the virtualization company, led by former Microsoft executive Paul Maritz.

“After Google, it is the company Microsoft fears most," IDC analyst Gary Chen tells the newspaper.

Flickr photo via Aussiegall

In an op ed piece in The New York Times, venture capitalist Alan Patricof and finance professor Eric Dinallo slam the Obama administration's plan to regulate the venture capital industry. They also blame Sarbanes-Oxley legislation for the slump in IPOs, writing that additional regulation could hurt small, venture-backed companies.

"Because their business is contained within the ecosystem of limited partners, venture-capital funds and the companies in which they invest absorb all the risk: there can be no domino effect in the world financial system," they write.

Clearwire continues to overhaul its management team as newly-appointed Chief Executive William Morrow puts his stamp on the expanding broadband wireless carrier. In the latest move, Clearwire has named Erick Prusch -- the former CEO of Borland Software and a former executive at Intuit -- to the position of chief financial officer. The Kirkland company also has tapped Teresa Elder -- most recently the CEO of Vodafone, Ireland and a former exec at AT&T Broadband -- as president of strategic partnerships and wholesale.

Redfin has received approval for a free iPhone application that plots for-sale listings on a map -- the latest company looking to transform the way people buy and sell homes using mobile devices. Redfin's foray follows iPhone apps from Trulia and Zillow.com, the latter of which has recorded nearly 700,000 downloads since its app was introduced in April. Other iPhone apps in the real estate category include the Homes.com Real Estate Search and Home Finder Real Estate Tool. Meanwhile, earlier this month, Seattle's John L. Scott Real Estate unveiled an enhanced mobile service for the iPhone and other smartphones.

Despite the crowded field, Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman believes his team has created a compelling offering that should resonate with both consumers and real estate professionals. Because Redfin operates as a broker, Kelman said the new app includes all of the for-sale listings moving through the multiple listing services.

Nearly 200 geeks -- divided into 15 teams --  gathered at Microsoft's Redmond campus this weekend to take part in Startup Weekend. The 54-hour coding marathon brought together a wide array of entrepreneurial types, some of whom had more polished ideas than others.  But everyone appeared to be having fun, watching and learning as new business concepts sprouted in hours.

"The last three days have been kind of grueling, especially when you have to get something online," said Junaid Ahmed, a Microsoft employee who led the AzureAlert team.

Ever since various Amazon.com business units started using Twitter, one account has soared above the others. Amazon MP3, which sends out a steady stream of tweets on digital music deals (including free downloads), has accumulated a large following. Amazon MP3 recently reached the million-follower mark on Twitter, and shows no signs of slowing down.

It is not very well known. But for the past several years, RealNetworks has operated the Web site for Rolling Stone. But, according to a report in Media Week, that relationship will end next year as the publishing company behind the iconic magazine looks to take more control over its Web properties.

Publisher Jann Wenner also is considering dumping the RealNetworks Rhopsody service, which is part of the Rolling Stone site, according to Media Week. 

Related story: "Sony unveils wireless electronic reader, ramping up assault on Kindle." See more of Milt Priggee's cartoons here.

In the first tab below, we're tracking Seattle's Startup Weekend at Microsoft. In the second tab are notes and links from the TechFlash team. Use #techflash to see your message in the third tab. Add your images to the TechFlash Flickr Page to see them in the fourth tab.

This is a little creepy. The late, great Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain -- who shot himself at his Seattle home in 1994 -- will be featured in the upcoming release of Guitar Hero 5. Cobain, whose likeness has been recreated for the game, will be one of five featured in-game artists, according to Activision.

Here's a look at "Smells Like Teen Spirit" -- Guitar Hero style.