Ghost Ship jury deadlocks on Derick Almena verdict; acquits Max Harris

A memorial near the live/work space known as the Ghost Ship, taken in December, 2016, shortly after the fire as rescue crews continued to search the building. Photo by Brian Krans

The jury considering allegations against two men connected with the 2016 Ghost Ship fire reached a verdict on Thursday afternoon, acquitting Max Harris, a former tenant and creative director of the Ghost Ship, of 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter. But after the jury deadlocked, Judge Trina Thompson declared a mistrial regarding identical charges against Derick Almena,…

Read More

Techies race (and crash) self-driving DIY Robocars in Oakland

Every month, a group of technology enthusiasts meet in an Oakland warehouse to build tiny self-driving cars. “DIY Robocars” was organized by Chris Anderson, who also runs drone company 3DR. While these cheap, disposable cars aren’t as sophisticated as the ones being developed by Tesla or Google, Anderson says that the advantage of using these “Robocars” is that there is lots of room to fail.

Read More

At Tech Liminal, digital workers find a place to connect

Tech Liminal in downtown Oakland bills itself as a tech “hotspot and salon.” It’s a shared office space for professionals who work at home and a DIY workshop for office workers. Tech Liminal is one of two “coworking” spaces in Oakland registered in the Coworking Wiki, a world directory of these alternative offices.

Read More

Eat Real food festival kicks off in Oakland this weekend

Small-batch beers are a popular feature at the Eat Real Festival. Locals may also submit their homemade brews for a beer contest Saturday. Photo courtesy of Eat Real Festival.

The third annual annual Eat Real Festival’s organizers hope the event is so much fun you’ll forget it’s reshaping your assumptions about food. The free event in Jack London Square this weekend, which is billed as half street festival, half block party, will feature local music and film screenings alongside food workshops, demonstrations, contests and scores of vendors.

Read More