Lincoln Lincoln-based Firespring was recently named to Inc. magazine’s Top Small Company Workplaces, a list that celebrates 50 of the best small and mid-sized business work environments across the country. The list is compiled annually in conjunction with Winning Workplaces, a nonprofit organization dedicated to small business development. Firespring was chosen for the honor from a pool of more than 350 applicants. A national panel … read more

Omaha Whether they're sidestepping down a department store aisle, racing to a drug store or taking a virtual stroll online, few women see shopping for beauty products as a walk in the park. Nailing down the products that work best, from skin tone to hair texture, can be an arduous process to say the least. But, Julie Mahloch, founder and CEO of Xuba, said the process shouldn't be so hard, and what she has created … read more

Lincoln Have you ever thought about designing your own video game? With Green Bein’ Productions new product, Synch, you can build your own game and then challenge your friends to play it. Deana Ward, vice president of Green Bein’, says that kids and adults love the new product. "Well, the only marketing we … read more

Des Moines Following in the wake of yesterday's morning launch, Zaarly activity was brisk throughout the Silicon Prairie. One of the most unique listings was a call for evening entertainment in the Dwolla headquarters in downtown Des Moines. Dwolla fielded several offers for what the startup deemed "Dwollapalooza" and ultimately chose a solo performance by … read more

Kansas City When Zaarly co-founder and CEO Bo Fishback took the stage at last Friday's Big Omaha, there was still a big question on attendees' minds: when will the mobile app launch? The answer from Fishback at that time: Zaarly was waiting on Apple's app store approval. Well, the approval has come and the app is out today, sporting a fresh user interface – a dramatic increase from their limited beta release at South by Southwest – and the ability to post an offer from anywhere on the map. Currently in Omaha, someone is … read more

Kansas City Google is now giving Kansas Citians on both sides of State Line Road autobahn-fast access to the information superhighway. The Internet giant, which announced on March 30 that it would build its ultra high-speed network in Kansas City, Kan., is expanding that coverage to Kansas City, Mo. … read more

Omaha Aromas Coffeehouse owner Jeff Milewski is a good friend of mine and a regular reader of this site, so it’s pretty commonplace for him to pitch ideas of stories he’d like to see on Silicon Prairie News. Alas, not all Milewski’s suggested stories are — what’s the wording I’m looking for here? — remotely publishable. For instance, his idea of an April 19 story warning readers that Skynet had become self-aware and was on the verge of turning against its creators… read more

Kansas City The gaming industry is a tough cookie to bite into, especially with big game producers like EA and Nintendo. But Vicinity Games is not backing away from creating multiplayer video games for XBox and other game consoles. Last October, Nate Allen and Mike Koporc started Vicinity for the purpose of not only developing games but also serving as a "beacon" for video game development in Kansas City. One of few gaming studios on the Silicon Prairie, Vicinity makes local, multiplayer games that cultivate a social experience, like in Mario Kart 64, Gauntlet Legends or Castle Crashers. That active engagement between gamers is key to Vicinity's mission. Plus … read more