To ease up the pressure, Google recently partnered with the Stanford University and design firm IDEO and started a new initiative called 'Project Blocks' where young coders can come to learn coding in a fun way.

In 2005, two years before the iPhone launch, IDEO partnered with Intel to create a short film depicting the hyperconnected, on-demand lifestyle we all know and live today.

GeekWire’s startup coverage documents the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and venture capital directory .A Christmas tree ornament, or Mem-A-Ment, from Seattle-based Mems, made to look like a vintage film slide, sits next to a smartphone which can display a digital gallery of images simply by tapping the physical slide. (Mems Photo)Austin Hirsh is going through a bit of a nostalgia period. Like many people, the young tech entrepreneur is feeling burned out on screen time and social media, and is increasingly drawn to the tactile and analog, from vinyl records to film cameras.A University of Washington graduate, Hirsh launched his first startup — The 2050 Company — right out of college. The company made powder for fruit smoothies from rescued produce, but after more than four years, Hirsh shut it down in October 2023.“Running a startup is really, really hard,” Hirsh said. “You have to be asking yourself two questions: Is this the best fit for my unique skills and talents? And is this the problem that I am willing to dedicate 10-plus years of my life to?”When the best he could answer was “maybe?” on both questions, he moved on