TechFlash: Seattle's Technology News

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Through the annual sponsorship, BDO will engage with the technology community in a variety of ways -- including sponsor messages on the site and in the daily TechFlash email newsletter. The BDO brand will become a familiar sight to TechFlash readers. The firm’s leaders will also be active participants in TechFlash events, including the upcoming March 23 TechFlash Live at the Showbox Sodo. (Maybe they'll even join us in the official sport of TechFlash, ping-pong.)

Last night, I reported on how Pelago -- maker of the Whrrl social networking iPhone application -- was positioning to take on Foursquare and Gowalla with its latest release. I noted that the competitive landscape is kind of stacked against Whrrl, something that Pelago director of marketing Heather Meeker acknowledges.

"We are the underdog," said Meeker. But she offered two reasons why she thinks Whrrl can rise above Foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp and all of the other location-based "check-in" services.

Kelly Ripa

Talk show host Kelly Ripa had an addiction, and there was a Seattle company to blame. It was even interfering with the blonde bombshell's other activities in the bedroom.

The charismatic host of Live with Regis and Kelly unveiled this morning that she was consumed by "Bejeweled," the blockbuster casual game from PopCap Games. Ripa, bantering with comedian Jerry Seinfeld, noted that she couldn't stop playing the game. And that addiction even extended into the bedroom, to the unfortunate dismay of her actor husband Mark Consuelos.

We hinted earlier today that some major news was coming from Seattle startup Evri. Now, we know the details. The company, which helps publishers like the Times of London and The Washington Post recommend content to readers, has purchased Radar Networks for an undisclosed sum.

Earlier today, ReadWriteWeb reported that Evri was the one getting gobbled up, though a company spokesman told us that the report was "completely wrong." Evri and Radar do share a common lineage, since both are backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

Has Paul Allen's Evri been sold? That's the word from ReadWriteWeb, which cites a "reliable source" this morning who says the Seattle startup has been purchased by an undisclosed buyer. However, a spokesman for Evri tells TechFlash that the report is "completely wrong" and "very much off base." Evri does have an announcement slated for this morning, but Evri's Chris Barrows says that is not as major as an acquisition.

He declined to provide details about the upcoming news, which is slated to hit around 9 a.m. (We will update when we get more details).

Update: "Evri buys Radar Networks"

Most press releases are pretty dull. But not the latest from Pelago, which is looking to supplant Foursquare and Gowalla with its latest iPhone application Whrrl 3. In promoting the free app, the Seattle startup essentially tells Facebook fiends to get a life and break out of the "dreaded social rut."

"We'll save you from Farmville," notes the headline of the press release, referring to the wildly popular Facebook game in which players tend to virtual farms. The point that Pelago is trying to make -- and the core focus of Whrrl 3 -- is that real world interaction with people still matters in this day and age.

Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau

Next time you visit Long Beach, make sure to take your smartphone. The Washington beach town -- known for its kite museum, beach drive and Jake the Alligator Man -- has introduced new signage that incorporate QR codes at more than two dozen points of interest.

QR codes are essentially next-generation bar codes, which interact with smartphones in order to display information about what you are looking at. Now, you can finally get the story behind the world's largest frying pan.

Seattle-based Kinetix Living Corp., which provides health and nutrition programs to corporate customers, has been acquired by Regence BlueShield of Washington for an undisclosed sum. Kinetix will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Regence, which has used the Kinetix program for the more than a year with its own employees.

Backed by Maveron, Kinetix started in Canada eight years ago and then moved to Seattle after co-founder Jamie Brunner landed a key customer in Starbucks. (Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz is a co-founder of Maveron).

Glaser

RealNetworks Chairman Rob Glaser has battled Apple over the years. And that antagonistic relationship was on display -- albeit subtly -- this morning as Glaser encouraged the mobile industry to work together in a more collaborative and open manner.

As it stands now, Glaser said that Apple is the "big winner" with a strong vertical solution around its iPhone ecosystem. But, at least in the view of Glaser, that's not necessarily the best way forward.

Rob Glaser made his first public speaking appearance today in Seattle since resigning as chief executive of RealNetworks. Glaser discussed a wide range of topics during his talk at the Mobile Breakfast Series, addressing everything from Apple's mobile strategy to the economics of casual gaming.

The tech exec also offered a little startup advice to Billing Revolution's Andy Kleitsch, telling the entrepreneur that it's better to be lucky than good. Here's more of Glaser's advice.

More to come on Glaser's remarks, including why he thinks the mobile industry would benefit from a more open and collaborative approach than the one Apple is pushing.

One of the more compelling presentations at the Angel Oregon investment forum last Friday came from a three year old Portland startup by the name of ActiveTrak, developer of software that tracks the whereabouts of stolen laptops, smartphones and other portable devices. Founder Ken Westin delivered the line of the day when he touted the fact that his company's software had been used to help break up an identity theft ring in San Francisco.

"We are not just a technology company. We are superheroes," said Westin, whose software not only locates stolen computers but takes photos of the thief. Those superhero powers now have translated to the financing market, with ActiveTrak securing a $500,000 term sheet from Protect Cell.

Tanks at Imperium's Grays Harbor plant. Company photo.

Imperium Renewables has resumed production at its Grays Harbor biodiesel plant, a move that comes more than three months after an explosion occurred at one of the company's glycerin processing tanks.

Seattle journalist Glenn Fleishman offers a compelling read on why consumers will lose out as a result of RealNetworks' decision to settle lawsuits with the big Hollywood studios over its RealDVD product. "The post-RealDVD world means that unless there's a major change to the law surrounding copy protection, there will never be a legal way to perform legal acts of copying or shifting protected movies, music, and games," writes Fleishman in a piece on BoingBoing.

There are plenty of Seattle connections in James Hagerty's story in The Wall Street Journal on mobile applications from online real estate upstarts, including mentions of Redfin, Walk Score and Zillow.com. Rachel Ashy, who has been using the Redfin iPhone app in Seattle, tells the Journal that "it's like having your laptop with you on the ride."

New York-based DoubleVerify, which competes against Seattle-based Mpire and Kirkland-based Adometry in the online advertising analytics arena, has scored $10 million in new venture capital financing.

Intelius, the subject class action lawsuits and a recent King 5 investigation on post-transaction marketing practices, has committed $250,000 to a new effort from the Center for Democracy & Technology to develop best practices for online marketing offers that take place after a sale occurs. Seattle Weekly follows up by asking the CDT why they are aligning with the Bellevue company.

Meanwhile, Intelius' Seattle rival WhitePages has been blacklisted by the U.S. Senate's Sergeant-at-Arms for allegedly spreading computer viruses throughout the Senate. It also notes that the popular political site The Drudge Report is to blame for the viruses. "Please avoid using these sites until the Senate resolves this issue," according to an email obtained by Fox News. "The Senate has been swamped the last couples (sic) days with this issue."

Seattle medical device entrepreneur Joe Eichinger -- who co-founded startups such as Ekos, Therus, NeoPath-- has died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 65. Xconomy has a full obituary, with Ekos co-founder Doug Hansmann telling the online publication that Eichinger "radiated the entrepreneurial spirit and instilled it in others."

It's time for a little afternoon comedy break. So, if you're in the mood for a few laughs, check out Seedwell's latest music video spoof "The New Dork" which is set to the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' song "Empire State of Mind."

If this style rings a bell, you may recall that Seedwell (whose founders all hail from Seattle) also created the wildly popular "I am on a Mac" video.

Veratect appeared to be a rising star on the Seattle startup scene just eight months ago, led by an experienced high-tech CEO and backed with about $9 million in venture financing.

But things aren't looking so bright anymore. Veratect's Web site is no longer operational, and investors say the company is now looking for a buyer. The company's Twitter account, which boasts nearly 5,000 followers, hasn't been updated since December 22.