Our Top 20 Stories of the Third Quarter: What’s Making Waves in the NW’s Tech and Biotech Sectors

Last week marked my three-month anniversary here at Xconomy, and as I reflected on my time here so far (which just happens to coincide almost perfectly with the third quarter), I realized there have been so many interesting stories—and important ones at that—that even I have forgotten about. It’s hard to keep up with news, especially in the technology circuit, where the headlines move almost as fast as the latest technology trends and fads. Yet these stories don’t stop being relevant just because they’re yesterday’s news.

With that in mind, Luke and I decided to put together a list of top stories from the last quarter to help readers, and ourselves, stay abreast of interesting deals, trends, new technologies, and innovations that are still making waves long after the news first broke. These lists, divided into our respective sectors of technology and biotech/life sciences, reflect our favorite stories of the third quarter. Some were stories that got lot of attention when they first ran. Others may have slipped under your radar. All of them spoke to trends and analysis we’ve spotted as observers and reporters of the innovation space here in the Pacific Northwest.

We tried to be as comprehensive as possible, but it was tough keeping these lists down to 10 stories each (in fact, I’ve been so excited about the Seattle-area tech scene, I cheated a little, and threw in a bonus story). So dig in, read up, and enjoy.

Thea’s Top 10 technology stories, plus one bonus:

Where Do You Check In? The Northwest’s Location-Based Search and Social Networking Mini Cluster

Seattle’s Deal-A-Day Sites, DealPop and Tippr, Challenge Groupon and LivingSocial

Casual Connect’s Main Theme in 2010: The Intersection of Casual and Social Gaming is a Game Changer

The Northwest Tech Scene, Public Policy, and Collaboration: WTIA CEO Susan Sigl on Her First 100 Days & What’s In Store

Teachers Explore How to Integrate Computer Science into K-12 Curriculum at UW Conference

McKinstry Innovation Center Cozies into Position as Cleantech ‘Accelerator’, Director Elsa Croonquist On What’s Next

Buildings that Act Like Guinea Pigs for Energy Efficiency: The Puget Sound Regional Council Plan for Green Jobs

Wetpaint Rolls Out New Platform to ‘Reinvent Publishing,’ Wetpaint Entertainment

Northwest Energy Angels Executive Director Margo Shiroyama on Her First Six Months, and the Future of the NW Cleantech Scene

Livemocha Seeks to Upend Rosetta Stone, Taking Language Learning to New Heights Online

Bonus story: How Hydrovolts’ $250 Development Deal Could Turn into a $20M Contract and Global Market

Luke’s Top 10 biotech and life sciences stories:

Seattle Genetics, Millennium Generate “Dream” Data With Empowered Antibody Drug for Cancer

Lee Hartwell, at 70, Tackles Personalized Medicine, Education in Latest Career Phase

Seattle Children’s CEO, Between Meetings, Invents Cheap Ventilator to Save Babies Worldwide

Gilead’s Lung Drug Ace, Bruce Montgomery, Hits Free Agent Market, Scopes Startup Ideas

Larry Corey, Virus Hunter with Midwest Roots, Seeks to Unleash Health Innovation at Hutch

ZymoGenetics Reaches End of Road in Seattle, Faces Uncertain Future, Potential Job Cuts

Allozyne, After a Stealthy Year on a Slim Budget, Re-Emerges with MS Drug and Fat Pipeline

Swedish’s Young Social Media Ace Coaches Docs in Ways of the Web

What Will Happen to ZymoGenetics’ Landmark Headquarters When Bristol Calls the Shots?

Immune Design Follows Corixa Playbook, Sees Data, Deals on Horizon in Year Three