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Amazon proposes a colossal biospherelike Seattle campus

The latest fad for tech companies' new office buildings seems to involve making them as far-out and avant-garde as possible. And Amazon is the newest firm to jump on that train.

The e-commerce giant and gadget maker unveiled a slew of new drawings (PDF) on Tuesday that reveal a series of colossal, mirrored, biospherelike domes alongside a taller rectangular building that could be its new campus. The designs were created by architecture firm NBBJ and also include a copious amount of green space and landscaping.

The intent behind the design, according to the project proposal (PDF), is to "create an alternative environment" where "employees can work and socialize in a more natural, parklike setting."

"The generative idea is that a plant-rich environment has many positive qualities that are not often found in a typical office setting," the proposal says. "While the form of the building will be visually reminiscent of a greenhouse or conservatory, plant material will be selected for its ability to co-exist in a microclimate that also suits people." … Read more

Review: SeattleClouds helps you create and manage apps

In recent years, an entire new category of media has become not just important, but central to the marketing efforts of many businesses. App development is big business, but with a high cost of entry and low quality alternatives making it hard for a small business to enter the market, it has been a mixed bag. SeattleClouds offers a monthly templated service to create, upload, and manage your apps on the App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon App Store, and the SeattleClouds app allows you to preview your app as you work on it.

While not a consumer app … Read more

Kids with cancer get quality kitty time via interactive Webcams

The cancer ward at Seattle Children's Hospital will be overrun with cats tomorrow. Lots and lots of cats.

Normally, this would be extremely problematic in a sterile medical environment, but not in this case. Young cancer patients with immunities too low to participate in pet therapy will get to physically connect with the felines via an interactive online playroom. Rabbits, puppies, and goats too.

They'll do so via a live interface set up by Seattle Children's and Boise, Idaho-based Reach-in, which created the interactive technology that lets remote viewers control fluffy robotic cat toys in real time. It's not the same as holding a furry friend, but it might be the next best thing for these kids, some of whom must remain in total isolation while they battle cancer. … Read more

Seattle police publicize crimes on Twitter with 'Tweets-by-beat'

Seattle residents now have the option of following the local police department on Twitter. In a first-of-a-kind program, the city's authorities are launching a new initiative that involves cops translating the news they get on the streets to tweets.

Dubbed "Tweets-by-beat," this program attempts to replace the police blotter that normally runs in local papers with a tech version of basically the same thing, according to the New York Times. When residents follow the department on the social network, they'll get routine tweets of the up-to-the-moment crime happenings in their neighborhoods.

"Liquor violation -- intoxicated … Read more

Twitter founder says influence is in retweets. NFL player shows why

When Green Bay Packers guard TJ Lang let loose a couple of F-bomb-laden tweets last night in the wake of the Monday Night Football refereeing disaster that cost his team a victory, his posts were quickly seen by far more people than followed him on Twitter.

Lang's two tweets, one which read "Got f---ed by the refs.. Embarrassing. Thanks nfl," and the other, "F--k it NFL. Fine me and use the money to pay the regular refs," were pure frustration at having lost the game to the Seattle Seahawks, likely due to a missed call … Read more

AT&T fires up LTE in Seattle and Portland in time for iPhone 5

AT&T mobile subscribers in Seattle and Portland can now grab their own slice of LTE.

The carrier announced today that it has turned the switch on its high-speed network for customers in both cities. That brings AT&T's total number of LTE-enabled markets to 72.

Earlier this month, the company activated 4G LTE access in Anchorage, Alaska, Bakersfield, Calif., Jacksonville, Fla., Modesto, Calif., Omaha, Neb., Syracuse, N.Y., and Bridgeport, Conn.

An AT&T spokesman told CNET that the company plans to reach a total of 100 cities by the end of 2012 and complete … Read more

Internet heroes cure hospital boredom with 3,000 cats

After a seven-month wait for a bone marrow transplant, 16-year-old Maga Barzalla Sockemtickem endured a lengthy post-transplant treatment at Seattle Children's Hospital. Maga's compromised immune system meant periods of isolation from the outside world. She hadn't seen her cat Merry for more than a month. … Read more

The 404 1,083: Where we'll have what she's having (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Imagining "The Big Lebowski 2: The Dude Goes to Washington"

- Honoring Nora Ephron: When moviemaking met a natural

- A better take on self-driving cars: Ford Traffic Jam Assist.

- Rock paper scissors robot has 100 percent confidence.

Bathroom break video: Thomas Middleditch's Disgusting Dub Step Drop.… Read more

Facebook settles into its satellite Seattle office

With sweeping panoramic views of the Cascade Mountains, Puget Sound, and the Space Needle, Facebook's quickly growing Seattle team is setting up shop in its new high-rise office.

During an open house of the satellite office today, company high-ups and local politicians showed off the new digs and emphasized Facebook's plans to continue expanding past its Silicon Valley home base, according to TechFlash.

Now the social network's Northwest offices are just a stone's throw from Microsoft's and Amazon's headquarters, and eBay, Zynga, and Google's regional offices.

"Just a couple of years ago, … Read more

Hot Tub Boats to give Seattle folks scenic soaks

After a stunning mid-70s yesterday here in the San Francisco Bay Area, today brought back the chill. Which makes the idea of a hot tub sound mighty appealing right about now.

You know what sounds even more appealing though? Soaking in a hot tub while bobbing around the bay gazing upon sights like the Golden Gate Bridge and Transamerica Pyramid.

If these new Hot Tub Boats float their way south from Seattle anytime soon, we shivering Bay Areans might actually be able to enjoy a super-scenic soak. The creators of the Hot Tub Boats say they plan to build a fleet of four to be available for rent on Seattle's Lake Union by the end of summer. We can only hope the concept takes off and the watercraft steer their way to other parts of the county too. … Read more