Despite the Cloud, Supercomputer Demand Strong
Seattle — For PGS, an oil-imaging company in Oslo, Norway, finding pockets of oil and natural gas in the ground essentially starts by taking a large ultrasound picture of Earth. “It involves huge amounts of data,” said Guillaume Cambois, PGS’ executive vice president of imaging and engineering. “And, of course, time is of the essence.” PGS, short for Petroleum Geo-Services, this year tried to speed up that work by buying a...
Outdoor Co-op REI Is Thriving, but Does It Have Members, or Shoppers?
Seattle — REI’s business acumen has taken it to lofty heights rarely seen by a retail cooperative. But as a record-low turnout in the latest annual election shows, REI’s original democratic fervor seems to have stayed at base camp. Members these days engage more via Twitter, Facebook or email. They behave more like customers than co-owners, underscoring how rapid growth has radically altered the relationship between members and a...
Foodborne Illness Is More Common Than We Realize
Seattle — Foodborne illnesses like the E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants in the Northwest are more common than the public realizes, experts say, with most instances never making the news. About 48 million cases of foodborne disease occur in the U.S. annually, sending about 105,000 people to the hospital and resulting in 2,000 deaths, according to data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s...
Costco Joins Retailers Saying They Won’t Sell GMO Salmon
Seattle — Costco has joined the list of retailers who say they will not sell genetically modified salmon after the Food and Drug Administration approved on Thursday the sale of such fish. “Although the FDA has approved the sale of GM salmon, Costco has not sold and does not intend to sell GM salmon at this time,” the warehouse store chain based outside Seattle said in a statement Friday. The FDA cleared for sale AquAdvantage Salmon,...
Amazon Launches Etsy Competitor
Seattle — Amazon.com finally is launching a long-rumored marketplace to rival handcrafted e-commerce site Etsy. Handmade at Amazon went live Thursday, already populated with more than 5,000 sellers and more than 80,000 products, the e-commerce giant said. In order to get wares onto Handmade, sellers have to apply and be vetted to check on the materials they use and to ensure all products are made by hand. Judging by an early look at...
