GeekWire

Zuckerberg's yacht, Meta's layoffs, a robot pizza flameout, and a reality check on AI expenses

Sat, 30 May 2026 13:49:04 +0000

This week on the show: Mark Zuckerberg's superyacht arrives in Seattle the same day Meta discloses nearly 1,400 local layoffs, robot pizza startup Picnic flames out and sells to a mystery buyer, and corporate America confronts the rising cost of AI, including the leaderboard-gaming practice known as "tokenmaxxing." And we return to the theme of billionaire yachts for our trivia challenge.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

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'Lean Startup' author Eric Ries calls for a shift to 'mission primacy' in new book 'Incorruptible'

Thu, 28 May 2026 13:11:26 +0000

On this special episode, Eric Ries, author of the 2011 bestseller "The Lean Startup," discusses his new book, "Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great."

Ries explains why he's redefining profit as the maximization of human flourishing, reveals his role advising Anthropic's founders on their corporate structure, and makes the case that the era of shareholder primacy is already over. He also discusses the fall of Whole Foods, the Musk v. OpenAI trial, and why he believes mission-controlled companies dramatically outperform.

GeekWire's Todd Bishop recorded this conversation with Ries after interviewing him on stage at Seattle Flow Startup Day on May 15.

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SpaceX IPO filing reveals Starlink's impact, Bezos sounds off on CNBC, and Gemini owes John a beer

Sat, 23 May 2026 15:03:18 +0000

This week on a supersized Memorial Day Weekend edition of the GeekWire Podcast: A massive IPO filing from SpaceX includes new details about Elon Musk's Starlink business and its satellite factory in Redmond. Jeff Bezos talks about wealth, inequality and eventually tech in an hour-long CNBC appearance. John goes to World Cup ticketing hell and turns to ChatGPT and Gemini when FIFA's support falls short. And a special Sam Altman/Seattle startup edition of GeekWire Trivia.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

Related Links:

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AI is not your strategy: Author and business advisor Brian Evergreen explains why vision comes first

Thu, 21 May 2026 14:19:23 +0000

Brian Evergreen worked in AI at Microsoft from 2016 to 2023, including a role helping Fortune 500 executives develop their AI strategies. He kept seeing the same pattern: most of those projects were failing. He set out to figure out why, and the answer became his book, Autonomous Transformation. In this live recording for GeekWire's Agents of Transformation series, presented by Accenture, Evergreen explains what companies keep getting wrong, and why vision matters more than technology.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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What we learned about Microsoft in the OpenAI trial, and is Seattle squandering its edge?

Sat, 16 May 2026 14:14:58 +0000

This week: As the Musk v. OpenAI trial heads to the jury, we dig into what Microsoft's internal board memos and executive testimony revealed about the origins of the company's massive bet on AI, and why this case matters beyond the billionaire drama. Plus, Howard Schultz, a former Washington governor, and the tech community weigh in on whether Seattle is squandering its edge as an innovation capital. And Todd owes John and the United Kingdom an apology.

RELATED STORIES AND LINKS

Microsoft's CTO testifies about email at the heart of Elon Musk's allegations against the tech giant
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's stake in Helion Energy draws scrutiny in Musk trial and on Capitol Hill
'Strong, strong no': New filing reveals who Microsoft favored — and opposed — for OpenAI's board
Musk v. Altman: Satya Nadella was worried about Microsoft being 'the next IBM' in OpenAI deal
Are we on a Road to Nowhere? Seattle's growth masks deeper anxieties about its future
Microsoft's multi-agent AI system tops Anthropic's Mythos on cybersecurity benchmark
Seattle Turns Hostile to the Great Businesses It Made (Wall Street Journal, by Howard Schultz)
Association of Washington Business 2026 Spring Summit (TVW, featuring former Gov. Chris Gregoire and former AG Rob McKenna)

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook

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Inside the 2026 GeekWire Awards: Innovators reshaping how we work, build, and learn

Sat, 09 May 2026 15:50:48 +0000

This week on the show: Conversations with finalists and special guests at the annual GeekWire Awards about AI, innovation, startups, and the forces reshaping their industries, plus a special trivia challenge marking GeekWire's 15th year hosting the event. Guests include:

Luis Poggi, CEO of HouseWhisper AI, winner of CEO of the Year
Tracy Drinkwater, founder of the Seattle Universal Math Museum, STEM Educator of the Year honoree
Ryan James, CEO of Dopl Technologies, finalist for Startup of the Year
Laura Ruderman, CEO of the Technology Alliance
Ross Finman, CEO of Augmodo, finalist for Hardware/Robotics/Physical AI of the Year
Mohammad Rastegari, CEO of ElastixAI, finalist for Startup of the Year

Related stories

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop

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Elon takes the stand, Big Tech drops big numbers, and a small VC gets in on a billion-dollar deal

Sat, 02 May 2026 14:23:38 +0000

This week on the show: Todd reports from inside the Oakland federal courthouse where Elon Musk is suing OpenAI, Sam Altman, and Microsoft, with jury selection revealing just how hard it is to find anyone neutral about Musk these days.

Meanwhile, Microsoft and OpenAI restructured their partnership the same morning the trial began — and less than 24 hours later, OpenAI's models landed on Amazon's cloud.

Then, Microsoft and Amazon both dropped blockbuster earnings, with Azure up 40%, AWS posting its fastest growth in 15 quarters, and the two companies combining for nearly $400 billion in capital spending this year alone.

We also discuss a wild Semafor story about a serial entrepreneur who handed his entire life over to an AI agent that now emails people as him, sets up meetings without his knowledge, and even ordered him a computer.

Plus, John tells the story of how Seattle's Flying Fish Partners — a VC firm with less than $250 million under management — hustled its way into a $1.1 billion seed round alongside Sequoia, Google, and Nvidia.

And we tackle the quickly debunked rumor that Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook might buy the Seahawks. And finally, the return of the GeekWire Trivia Challenge.

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AI, fungi, and the future of enterprise tech: Industry vet Bill Hilf on his debut novel 'The Disruption'

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 13:56:53 +0000

Bill Hilf has spent decades enterprise tech, open-source technologies, and AI, from IBM and Microsoft to running Paul Allen's portfolio as the CEO of Vulcan. He now chairs the Allen Institute for AI and American Prairie. His debut sci-fi novel, "The Disruption," imagines AI gone very wrong, and implicitly challenges the industry to think differently about how it's building our real future today.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Bonus: Microsoft's surprise retirement offer — breaking it down on KIRO Newsradio

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:05:24 +0000

Microsoft is offering a voluntary retirement program for the first time in its history, with thousands of U.S. employees eligible. GeekWire's Todd Bishop joins KIRO Newsradio hosts Angela Poe Russell and Mike Lewis to break down the details, what makes this so unusual in the tech industry, and what it says about the company's approach to managing costs in the AI era.

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The tough new realities for startups, Amazon's next big strategic bets, and Allbirds' crazy AI pivot

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 13:44:55 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, a week of Seattle-area startup news shows how the AI era is reshaping the regional tech scene. Q1 venture numbers reveal bigger checks going to fewer companies, with Seattle slipping behind the likes of Austin and Miami on deal volume.

And yet the distributed nature of modern startups is complicating what it even means to be a regional tech hub. (Does a mailbox in Pioneer Square really count as a Seattle headquarters?)

Founders and CEOs are navigating the shakeout in different ways. Those with enough cash in the bank are eyeing strategic acquisitions, including opportunities to absorb startups caught up in the AI shakeout.

Meanwhile, many startup leaders are completely rethinking how they hire and expand. More than a third of the GeekWire 200, our ranking of the top Pacific Northwest startups, saw year-over-year employment declines, as agents boost individual productivity and start to reshape the workforce.

Plus: Andy Jassy's shareholder letter signals Amazon is making bets again, in areas including chips and robotics. Driving home the point, the tech giant's ambitious Globalstar acquisition effectively means it's inheriting Apple's satellite roadmap.

And of course we have to talk about Allbirds. The sustainable shoe brand, which once challenged Amazon over knock-off sneakers, pivoted to AI infrastructure and saw its stock soar.

In our final segment, a trivia challenge on the No. 1 companies in GeekWire 200 history.

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Riding the rails — over a floating bridge: GeekWire Podcast takes the train across the lake to Microsoft

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:56:34 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: we take the show on the road — or rather, on the rails — recording on Sound Transit's 2 Line as we ride the world's first light rail on a floating bridge from Seattle's Northgate neighborhood to Microsoft's campus in Redmond.

Along the way, we talk tech news, chat with fellow passengers, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the engineering from Sound Transit's Henry Bendon.

After arriving in Redmond, we sit down with Microsoft President Brad Smith to talk about the company's two-decade role in making the Crosslake Connection a reality — and hit him with a trivia question he didn't see coming.

We also discuss Anduril's autonomous warship facility on Seattle's ship canal, golf star Bryson DeChambeau's acquisition of Bellevue-based Sportsbox AI ahead of the Masters, and more.

With GeekWire's John Cook, Todd Bishop, and Kurt Schlosser. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Rec Room shutdown, robot umps, FedEx meets Amazon, and OpenAI's odd media buy

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:11:44 +0000

This week: Rec Room, the Seattle-based social gaming platform once valued at $3.5 billion, is shutting down — and Snap is picking up some of the pieces.

Todd talks about what it was like fielding calls from distraught users on the night of the announcement. John offers his thoughts on what the shutdown says about the VR hype cycle, and whether everyone betting on the AI boom should take notes.

Plus: Major League Baseball's new automated ball-strike system is already exposing umpires and creating a whole new kind of showboating — including one player who was so confident the robot would overrule the ump that he just started walking to first base.

Also on the show: Todd road-tests Amazon's new FedEx Office returns partnership (pro tip: don't ask for stamps), OpenAI makes a head-scratching move into media by acquiring tech talk show TBPN, John gets fooled by an April Fools' prank, WSU researchers take on the torpedo bat, and our weekly trivia segment ties Apple's 50th anniversary to a piece of Microsoft lore.

Thanks to this week's sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Microsoft, proud to call Washington state home and committed to strengthening the communities that made its growth possible — investing in infrastructure, workforce development, education, and nonprofit partnerships to help ensure innovation drives broad-based prosperity across the state. Read more.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

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GeekWire AI summit takeaways: Token budgets, watermelon metrics, and the $5k weekend coder

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 15:02:42 +0000

Fresh off the big GeekWire AI summit this week, Todd and John unpack what they heard from Microsoft EVP Charles Lamanna, OpenAI applications CTO Vijaye Raji, and other speakers at the Agents of Transformation event in Seattle, presented by Accenture.

The big thread: the economics of AI, from token budgets becoming a hiring negotiation point to startups running on subsidized credits that may not last.

Plus, a startup founder whose engineer burned through $5,000 in AI tokens over a single weekend of vibe coding, OpenAI shutting down Sora amid $15 million-a-day processing costs, and why one panelist says the metrics most companies are tracking are "watermelon metrics" — green (profit) on the outside, red (losses) on the inside.

Also: how Todd used a Claude project over several months to prep for the event, John's experience bouncing between Gemini and ChatGPT, and why the simplistic chat era may be over.

And in this week's trivia: Sound Transit's light rail starts crossing Lake Washington on a floating bridge — but when did the original I-90 floating bridge open?

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Microsoft’s Copilot shakeup, Amazon’s new phone ambitions, and pushing Claude to the limits of LinkedIn

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 15:31:03 +0000

Amazon is working on a new smartphone, code-named "Transformer," more than a decade after the Fire Phone debacle, according to Reuters. We dig into the connection to a past GeekWire scoop: former Microsoft Xbox leader J Allard joined Amazon's devices team in 2024, and he's now leading a group called ZeroOne with a mandate to create "breakthrough" gadgets. Is this an AI-native device? A companion to your iPhone? J Allard's shot at redemption? Maybe all of the above.

There's more great Fire Phone background in this Vergecast "Version History" podcast.

Then: Microsoft shakes up its Copilot team, shifting Mustafa Suleyman to a narrower role and unifying consumer and enterprise AI under a new leader. Todd has strong feelings about Microsoft's history of cutesy consumer tech, from Clippy to Mico.

Plus: Todd's adventure using Claude CoWork to browse LinkedIn (and the stern warning he got in response), King County Metro's slick new tap-to-pay feature catches the transit system up with the modern world, the opening of cross-lake light rail, and an Amazon Treasure truck trivia question.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Audio editing by Curt Milton.

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How AI is changing the business and art of video, from 'chaos machine' to creative catalyst

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:51:30 +0000

Brice Budke (President) and Zeek Earl (Executive Creative Director) run two Seattle studios: Shep, a video agency that works with tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft, and Packrat, a creative studio that specializes in miniature worlds, handmade sets, and retro creative projects.

You might know Packrat's work from the epic and widely watched 2025 Seahawks schedule release video, which won a Gold Clio. They also made Prospect, an indie sci-fi film that premiered at SXSW in 2018 with Pedro Pascal and Sophie Thatcher.

GeekWire met them last fall on the set of a stop-motion shoot for Kiro, an AI-powered agentic software development tool from Amazon Web Services. Check out the video they made from that shoot here.

On this episode, Brice and Zeek discuss how AI is transforming their work — from photorealistic storyboarding to stop-motion animation filled in by AI-generated frames — and what still requires human creativity, taste, and intuition. Plus: the psychology of working with "infinite tools," why AI doesn't always save money, and the GeekWire Trivia Challenge.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton.

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On location at OpenAI in Bellevue, with CTO of Applications Vijaye Raji

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 16:13:02 +0000

OpenAI just opened its largest office outside San Francisco, in downtown Bellevue, Wash. GeekWire was there on day one to tour the space. Chatting inside the OpenAI game room, we share our observations about the Mad Men-meets-Pacific Northwest aesthetic, which features open floor plans and lots of common areas, and try to figure out what it all says about OpenAI's culture.

Plus, we talk with Vijaye Raji, the former Statsig CEO who is now OpenAI's CTO of applications, about Codex, infrastructure, hiring, and the evolution and growth of Silicon Valley tech giants in the region.

In our final segment, it's the return of the GeekWire trivia challenge, with a question focusing on one of the earliest tech giants to establish an outpost in the Seattle area.

Upcoming Event: Agents of Transformation, March 24.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Anthropic acquires Vercept, the AI job crisis scenario, and Microsoft's past Epstein connections

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 14:52:23 +0000

Anthropic acquired Seattle startup Vercept on Wednesday, raising familiar questions about the impact of early exits on the broader Seattle startup ecosystem, and the question of whether AI startups can compete long-term against the giants of the field.

We dig into the deal, the public feud between two of the company's early investors on LinkedIn, and why one co-founder's prior departure to Meta may have been worth more than the entire acquisition.

Plus, a new research paper envisions a 2028 "global intelligence crisis" driven by AI-fueled white collar job losses, and we're already seeing early signs in the news.

Then, the New York Times reported this week that Jeffrey Epstein built deeper connections inside Microsoft than any other major tech company. We break down the key revelations, including what we found when we searched the Epstein files for "GeekWire."

WSJ: Bill Gates Apologizes to Foundation Staff Over Epstein Ties

And stick around for GeekWire Trivia: With Xbox entering a new era under Asha Sharma, we look back at the celebrity who appeared on stage for the original Xbox unveiling 25 years ago.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

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We tested Amazon's speedy delivery live on the podcast: Here's what it says about the future of retail

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 15:19:06 +0000

Amazon promises 30-minute delivery with its new Amazon Now service. We put it to the test — live on the show — with help from Michael Levin and Josh Lowitz, co-founders of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners and two of the sharpest Amazon watchers we know.

While we wait for our order of yogurt, blueberries, and flossers (long story), Mike and Josh break down why Amazon closed its grocery stores, what its massive future 225,000-square-foot superstore in suburban Chicago could mean, and why Amazon's real play is becoming the ultimate convenience store.

Plus: Test your knowledge of Amazon with our weekly trivia question. Will Josh and Mike get it right?

Related stories and links:

CIRP Amazon Report on Substack
CIRP: By Closing Stores, Amazon Goes All-In on Delivery
GeekWire: Amazon closing all Amazon Fresh and Go stores to focus on Whole Foods and grocery delivery
Bloomberg: Amazon Dethrones Walmart as World’s Biggest Company by Sales
"Learn and Be Curious," the new podcast from Doug Herrington, the Amazon Worldwide Stores CEO.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, edited by Curt Milton.

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GeekWire Podcast, Live from Fremont: Seahawks, AI, and Seattle's Future

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 13:52:00 +0000

We're live this week in the "Center of the Universe" in Seattle for a special recording of the GeekWire Podcast, presented by the Fremont Chamber of Commerce at Fremont Brewing Co.

Fresh off the Seahawks' Super Bowl victory, we debate some potential ownership groups for the Seahawks and Sonics — from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez to Costco's Jim Sinegal. (Who wouldn't want $1.50 hot dogs and sodas at Lumen Field or Climate Pledge Arena?)

Then we dig into the debate over Seattle's tech future, sparked by angel investor Charles Fitzgerald's GeekWire column, "A warning to Seattle: Don't become the next Cleveland," which led to a response and ultimately a great conversation with Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.

Fremont Chamber Executive Director Pete Hanning joins us to talk about the neighborhood's tech corridor, why Fremont offices are seeing some of the highest return-to-office rates on the West Coast, and how the neighborhood balances its quirky identity with serious business.

In the final segment: Test your Seattle tech knowledge with our Fremont-themed tech trivia, plus audience Q&A, in which Todd comes clean about his relationship with Claude.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Cleveland's Mayor, Seattle's Future: What happens when a city's economy shifts

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 15:36:06 +0000

GeekWire brought Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Seattle tech veteran Charles Fitzgerald together on the phone Thursday after a guest column warning Seattle not to repeat Cleveland's past mistakes sparked a big response — including from Bibb himself. What followed was a constructive conversation about what cities should do when the economic ground shifts beneath them. Plus: a Seattle-to-Cleveland trip may be in the works.

Related Links

A warning to Seattle: Don’t become the next Cleveland
Cleveland mayor responds to GeekWire guest column, calls Ohio city a ‘case study of what’s possible’
Mayor Bibb on LinkedIn: "For decades, national narratives have framed Cleveland as a cautionary tale. But that framing misses the bigger story."

Note: This is a special bonus episode. Our regular weekly show, recorded live Thursday night in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, will be out Saturday morning.

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Amazon's big bet, a 'MySpace for bots', and a conversation with AI veteran Oren Etzioni

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 16:03:38 +0000

Upcoming GeekWire Podcast Live Event: Join us from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb 12 at Fremont Brewing for a live recording of the GeekWire Podcast with Todd Bishop and John Cook. Free for Fremont Chamber members, $15 otherwise. Register here.

This week on the show: Andy Jassy tells Wall Street that Amazon is planning $200 billion in capital expenses this year, mostly to build out AI infrastructure, and investors give it a thumbs down.

Microsoft's financial results beat expectations but the company loses $357 billion in market value in a single day after investors learn the extent of its dependence on OpenAI.

Meanwhile, OpenAI leases 10 floors of office space in Bellevue, lawmakers in Olympia propose new taxes impacting startup exits and high-income earners, and the bots get their own social network.

In our featured conversation, recorded at a dinner hosted by Accenture in Bellevue, GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop sits down with computer scientist and entrepreneur Oren Etzioni to talk about AI agents, the startup landscape, the fight against deepfakes, and what good AI leadership looks like.

Etzioni is co-founder of AI agent startup Vercept, founder of the AI2 Incubator, a venture partner at Madrona, and the former founding CEO of the Allen Institute for AI.

Agents of Transformation: Check out the series and join us for the conference, presented by Accenture, March 24 in Seattle.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton. Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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GeekWire Field Trip: Starbucks rebounds, Microsoft slides, and Amazon resets

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 16:27:53 +0000

This week on the show, Todd Bishop and Taylor Soper hit the road for a driving tour of the news, making stops at Starbucks, Microsoft, and an Amazon Fresh store in its final days.

First up, Starbucks reports its first U.S. transaction growth in about two years — and announces plans for an AI "ordering companion" that translates cravings into custom drinks. Todd tests it the old-fashioned way, ordering a banana bread latte at the drive-through.

Then, Microsoft beats quarterly expectations but sees its stock drop 12% in a single day. The culprit? Investor concerns about the company's exposure to OpenAI, which now accounts for roughly 45% of Microsoft's contracted future cloud revenue.

Finally, Amazon is closing all of its Fresh grocery stores and Go convenience stores in the U.S., exiting its homegrown retail formats entirely. Todd and Taylor visit a Seattle location during its clearance sale, and find a long line at a store whose original promise was no lines at all.

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Microsoft's private OpenAI emails and Satya Nadella’s new AI catchphrase

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 15:18:32 +0000

Newly unsealed court documents reveal the behind-the-scenes history of Microsoft and OpenAI · including a surprise: Amazon Web Services was the Silicon Valley AI lab's original partner.

Plus, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella debuts a new AI catchphrase at Davos, startup CEO Dave Clark gets attention for his "wildly productive weekend," Elon Musk talks aliens, and the latest on physical AI startups in the Pacific Northwest, including Overland AI and AIM Intelligent Machines.

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.

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Amazon fixes Alexa voice ordering bug; Microsoft rethinks AI data centers; Stadium cameras capture every Seahawks fan

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 15:22:40 +0000

Someone listening to last week’s GeekWire Podcast caught something we missed: a misleading comment by Alexa during our voice ordering demo — illustrating the challenges of ordering by voice vs. screen. We followed up with Amazon, which says it has fixed the underlying bug.

On this week’s show, we play the audio of the order again. Can you catch it?

Plus, Microsoft announces a "community first" approach to AI data centers after backlash over power and water usage — and President Trump scooped us on the story. We discuss the larger issues and play a highlight from our interview with Microsoft President Brad Smith.

Also: the technology capturing images of every fan at Lumen Field, UK police blame Copilot for a hallucinated soccer match, and Redfin Glenn Kelman departs six months after the company's acquisition by Rocket.

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton.

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Alexa’s next act, Microsoft’s retail play, Google’s AI inbox, and a smart bird feeder fail

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 15:50:29 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Amazon and Microsoft are racing to define the next era of consumer AI, on multiple fronts. We discuss Amazon's attempt to upgrade Alexa into a true generative AI home chatbot — complete with a new web portal and updated Alexa app — while Microsoft leverages its enterprise strength to win over retailers with a new Copilot Checkout feature.

Plus, we explore Google's upcoming "AI Inbox" for Gmail, which promises to act like an executive assistant for your email. We talk about a DIY bird feeder experiment that resulted in "fuzzy birds," and share our initial experience with AI automation on the PC desktop from Seattle startup Vercept.

We offer a Netflix recommendation, Cover-Up, the new documentary about investigative journalist Seymour Hersh. And on that theme, we lament the loss of a major American newspaper, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and reminisce about the time we made an appearance on its editorial page.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

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A silver lining for Seattle in the DJI ban, and the verdict on the 2007 Camry tech retrofit

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 14:40:40 +0000

The FCC delivered a massive shakeup to the drone industry right before the holidays, adding foreign-made drones (most notably from industry giant DJI) to its "Covered List" of national security threats. While the move effectively bans the sale of future DJI models in the U.S., GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and John Cook explore why this might be a golden economic opportunity for the Pacific Northwest.

Featuring highlights from a recent interview with Blake Resnick of Brinc, the Seattle-based maker of public safety drones, who lobbied for the U.S. policy change and supports the move.

Plus, the results are in. After ignoring John’s advice and deciding to retrofit his 2007 Toyota Camry with a modern infotainment system, Todd shares the verdict.

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The stories that defined 2025: AI dreams, brutal realities, and Seattle tech at a turning point

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 15:11:26 +0000

Todd Bishop and John Cook reflect on the top tech stories of 2025, a pivotal year defined by the AI boom's dual nature: massive infrastructure spending alongside widespread layoffs.

We discuss Bill Gates' framing of AI as "intelligence becoming free," the tension between tech workers and corporate mandates to adopt AI, and the "best of times, worst of times" dichotomy playing out at Microsoft, Amazon, and across the industry.

We also cover the top story of the year — UW rethinking its computer science curriculum — the Statsig acquisition by OpenAI, Seattle's competitive position, and the human side of tech through Ambika Singh's heartfelt speech at the GeekWire Awards.

Featuring audio clips from Gates, Satya Nadella, Andy Jassy, Ken Jennings, and more.

Audio editing by Curt Milton.

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Landline phones in 2025? How this tech vet is helping kids connect

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 15:54:48 +0000

If you're looking for an uncommon thinker, how about a tech industry veteran developing and selling landline phones in 2025 — and selling out of them in the process. Chet Kittleson is the co-founder and CEO of Tin Can, a Seattle startup making Wi-Fi enabled landline phones designed to let kids talk to friends and family with just their voices. No screens, no AI.

GeekWire recognized Kittleson as one of our Uncommon Thinkers for 2025, a program presented in partnership with Greater Seattle Partners honoring inventors, scientists, and entrepreneurs transforming their industries in unexpected ways.

In this episode, he talks about the moment at school pickup that sparked the idea, why his own kids don't own devices, what happened when he eliminated screens on family road trips, and the $12 million seed round led by Greylock that will fuel the company's next chapter.

Related stories:

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.

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Uncommon Thinkers 2025: Solar spacecraft, sci-fi biology, destroying PFAS, beyond AI chatbots, and better social media

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 15:40:39 +0000

On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, recorded backstage at the GeekWire Gala at the Showbox Sodo, we sit down with five of the inventors, scientists, and entrepreneurs selected as the Seattle region's 2025 Uncommon Thinkers, in partnership with Greater Seattle Partners.

Jeff Thornburg spent years building rocket engines for Elon Musk at SpaceX and Paul Allen at Stratolaunch. Now, as CEO of Portal Space Systems, he's moved past chemical rockets to revive a concept NASA studied decades ago but never pursued — a spacecraft powered by focused sunlight. He calls it a "steam engine for space." Read the profile.

Anindya Roy grew up in rural India without electricity, came to the U.S. with two suitcases and $2,000, and earned a spot in the lab of a Nobel Prize winner. Now, as co-founder of Lila Biologics, he's using AI to design proteins from scratch (molecules that have never existed in nature) to treat cancer. Read the profile.

Jay Graber runs Bluesky, the decentralized social network that's become a leading alternative to X and other centralized platforms. But while most tech CEOs build moats to lock users in, Jay and the Bluesky team are building a protocol designed to let them leave. She sees the network as a "collective organism," and she's creating a tech foundation meant to outlive her own company. Read the profile. Read the profile.

Kiana Ehsani came to Seattle from Iran for her PhD and spent four years at the Allen Institute for AI before becoming CEO of Vercept. She and the Vercept team are competing directly with OpenAI, Google and others in AI agents, building efficient agents that handle mundane digital tasks on computers so humans can spend less time on screens. Read the profile.

Brian Pinkard spent six months after college flipping rocks and building trails because he wanted to do work that mattered. That instinct led him to Aquagga, where he's proving that the industry standard of filtering and burying "forever chemicals" is obsolete. Instead, he's using technology originally designed to destroy chemical weapons to annihilate PFAS under extreme heat and pressure. Read the profile.

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed we're missing one honoree — Chet Kittleson, co-founder and CEO of Tin Can, the startup making WiFi-enabled landline phones to help kids connect without screens. Chet wasn't able to join us, but we plan to speak with him on a future episode.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Bonus: Trevor Noah on AI, education, and the future of comedy

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:49:07 +0000

Trevor Noah speaks with GeekWire's Todd Bishop after Noah taught a 5th grade class at Ardmore Elementary in Bellevue, Wash., for Code.org's Hour of AI during Computer Science Education Week. The former Daily Show host, comedian, author, podcast host, and Microsoft "Chief Questions Officer" talks about learning AI alongside kids, the importance of maintaining unbridled curiosity, and how artificial intelligence may — or may not — reshape the craft of comedy.

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Amazon’s New Frontiers: Robotaxis, Ultrafast Deliveries, and AI Teammates

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 15:24:53 +0000

Amazon is experimenting again. This week, we dig into our scoop on Amazon Now, the company's new ultrafast delivery service. Plus, we recap the GeekWire team's ride in a Zoox robotaxi on the Las Vegas Strip during AWS re:Invent. And in our featured interview, from the show floor, AWS Senior Vice President Colleen Aubrey discusses Amazon's push into applied AI, why the company sees AI agents as "teammates," and how her team is rethinking product development in the age of agentic coding.

RELATED STORIES

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Finding signal in the AI noise, with ‘Me, Myself and AI’ host Sam Ransbotham

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 09:21:50 +0000

What's the real value in AI tools — and what separates those who use them well from those who don't? Sam Ransbotham, professor of business analytics at Boston College and host of the "Me, Myself and AI" podcast from MIT Sloan Management Review, compares notes with GeekWire Podcast host Todd Bishop in a two-part collaboration between the shows.

On this episode, they discuss the new digital divide emerging in the classroom, AI's measurement problem (and what Wikipedia teaches us about it), the "race to mediocre," how AI is democratizing startup creation, and the tension between AI productivity, time, and the moments that make us human.

Find the rest of their conversation in the Me, Myself and AI podcast feed.

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Bezos is back in startup mode, Amazon gets weird again, and the great old-car tech retrofit debate

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 16:15:08 +0000

This week: Jeff Bezos is back in startup mode (sort of) with Project Prometheus — a $6.2 billion AI-for-the-physical-world venture that instantly became one of the most talked-about new companies in tech. We dig into what his return to the CEO title really means, why the company’s location is still a mystery, and how this echoes the era when Bezos was regularly launching big bets from Seattle.

Then we look at Amazon’s latest real-world experiment: package-return kiosks popping up inside Goodwill stores around the Seattle region. It’s a small pilot, but it brings back memories of the early days when Amazon’s oddball experiments seemed to appear out of nowhere.

And finally…Todd makes the case for upgrading his 2007 Toyota Camry with CarPlay, Android Auto, and a backup camera — while John questions the logic of sinking thousands into a beloved older car.

All that, plus a mystery Microsoft shirt, a little Seattle nostalgia, and a look ahead to next week’s podcast collaboration with Me, Myself and AI from MIT Sloan Management Review.

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop

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An inside view of the AI boom, with Read AI's David Shim

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 15:16:40 +0000

This week: A glimpse of the AI frontier in workplace productivity through the eyes of David Shim — serial entrepreneur, Read AI co-founder and CEO, former Foursquare leader, and this year’s GeekWire Awards CEO of the Year. Shim spoke with GeekWire co-founder John Cook at a recent dinner event hosted in partnership with Accenture, in conjunction with our new Agents of Transformation editorial series, exploring AI, productivity, and the future of work.

They discuss the rapid rise of workplace AI, why Shim believes today’s boom is fueled by real revenue rather than dot-com-style subsidies, and where he sees both hype and genuine value emerging. Shim offers insights on AI assistants, cross-team “multiplayer AI,” global adoption, and the controversial idea of “digital twins” built from employees’ work data.

Recorded by Jessica Reeves; edited by Curt Milton.

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Seattle’s history of hardware heartbreak: Big raises, high hopes, hard landings

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 20:20:13 +0000

Seattle’s consumer-hardware ambitions are once again colliding with economic reality. The struggles of Glowforge and Rad Power Bikes echo a long regional history of big raises, high hopes, and hard landings — shaped by the pandemic, VC, and the unforgiving nature of building real products.

GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook recorded this conversation for the purpose of providing the audio to an AI tool that turned the conversation into a written column that was edited and reviewed before publication. Check it out here.

Related Stories:

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Ring founder Jamie Siminoff on failure, reinvention, and his second act at Amazon

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 15:20:56 +0000

What’s it like to pitch your dream on Shark Tank, get rejected on national TV in front of eight million people — and then turn that failure into a company Amazon later buys for more than a billion dollars. Ring founder Jamie Siminoff did just that. A serial inventor and entrepreneur, Siminoff joins us to talk about his new book, Ding Dong: How Ring Went from Shark Tank Reject to Everyone’s Front Door (out Nov. 10), sharing the messy, high-stakes, and ultimately inspiring story behind the company.

Now back at Amazon as a vice president leading Ring and the company’s home-security businesses, Siminoff reflects on failure, reinvention, and what comes next in the age of AI.

Related links and stories

Pre-order the book on Amazon.
GeekWire: Ring founder Jamie Siminoff rejoins Amazon in new VP role
Business Insider: Amazon VP says his division is hiring and promoting based on employees’ AI usage
Inc.: The tech founder who wants to fix small-town America

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop

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Seattle’s tech paradox: Amazon's layoffs and the AI boom — or is it a bubble?

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 15:18:53 +0000

Why is Amazon laying off 14,000 people during a massive AI boom? Todd and John analyze the Seattle tech paradox, digging into Andy Jassy's 'startup' reasoning and debating whether the AI frenzy is a bubble. Then, they take on the Cascadia high-speed rail: a necessary connector or a misguided project?

Related headlines from the week

Amazon layoffs

Amazon earnings

Microsoft Azure, earnings and OpenAI

Seattle-Portland-Vancouver

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop

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The Great Rewiring: How the pandemic set the stage for AI — and what's next

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 15:50:47 +0000

From empty offices in 2020 to AI colleagues in 2025, the way we work has been completely rewired over the past five years. Our guest this week studies these shifts closely along with her colleagues at Microsoft. Colette Stallbaumer is the co-founder of Microsoft WorkLab, general manager of Microsoft 365 Copilot, and the author of the new book, WorkLab: Five years that shook the business world, and sparked an AI-first future, from Microsoft’s 8080 Books.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.

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The next PC platform shift? Ed Bott on Microsoft's big Windows AI bet

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 14:27:09 +0000

Veteran technology journalist Ed Bott has "seen things," after more than 30 years of covering Microsoft and the PC industry, and he recognizes a pattern in the company's latest AI features for Windows. It's part of a high-stakes effort to avoid missing the next big platform shift — attempting to avoid what happened to the company in the mobile revolution.

Ed joins the GeekWire Podcast to analyze this big bet, digging into the new "Hey Copilot" voice commands, the promise and security risks of "Copilot Actions" that can work on your local files, and Microsoft's strategic shift to bring AI features to all Windows 11 PCs, not just the premium Copilot+ PC models. Plus, we discuss whether users will ever really want to talk to their computers and the timing of it all, right as Windows 10 support comes to an end.

Ed Bott on ZDNet:

Microsoft announcement: Making every Windows 11 PC an AI PC

GeekWire coverage:

Thanks to Buzz Bruggeman of ActiveWords for suggesting this episode.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop

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Vibe-coding a new reality: Chris Pirillo on the rise of AI-powered apps, features, and founders

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 13:43:11 +0000

Chris Pirillo, the longtime tech enthusiast and entrepreneur, joins the show this week to discuss how AI software development tools are opening up new possibilities for everyday users, as illustrated by his own experience going from commentator to creator, building nearly 100 apps and games.

He’s launching a free, in-person event series called CTRL+ALT+CREATE Live, where anyone can build something real using AI and no-code tools. The first event takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m on Thursday, Oct. 16 at the Amazon AWS Skills Center in Seattle.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.

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The Agentic Entrepreneur: How the next wave of AI is changing the startup playbook

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 14:39:46 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: How artificial intelligence is changing the way companies are created, built, and operated. We're on location at Pioneer Square Labs in Seattle with investor and entrepreneur T.A. McCann, a managing director at the startup studio and venture capital firm.

He explains how AI agents are automating complex functions, letting small teams do the work that once required large groups of people. As AI makes product development easier, he says, the key strategic moat for many startups is now shifting to distribution and data.

A $100k wall for talent: Tech leader and author Shirish Nadkarni on the H-1B fee and the impact of immigrants

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 13:41:20 +0000

The U.S. tech and startup community was stunned by an executive order last week imposing a $100,000 fee for employers seeking new H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers, a program heavily used by the technology industry.

This move brings a longstanding debate back to the forefront: are skilled immigrants taking American jobs, or are they a vital engine for innovation and economic growth?

Our guest this week has a strong point of view on this topic. Shirish Nadkarni is a serial entrepreneur and Microsoft veteran who founded companies acquired by BlackBerry and Rosetta Stone. An immigrant himself, he just released a timely new book, The Indian American Tech Success Story, which makes the case that immigrant founders, particularly from India, are one of America's greatest economic assets — creating far more jobs than they could ever be accused of taking.

Related Links and Stories

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton.

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When AI becomes the creative director: Amazon VP Jay Richman on the future of media and ads

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 14:09:49 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: How artificial intelligence is reshaping media and advertising, and what it says about the future of the creative process. Our guest is Jay Richman, an Amazon vice president of product and technology who leads the technology team developing AI tools used by sellers and brands to create and deploy ads across Amazon's platforms.

His career has tracked the evolution of digital media, from early apps for the Palm Pilot to the first wave of streaming at NBC Universal, and the reinvention of podcast ads and monetization at Spotify.

Richman, who's based in New York, was in town this week for Amazon's Accelerate seller conference, where he announced new agentic AI capabilities within Amazon's Creative Studio.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing by Curt Milton.

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Using AI to Upgrade Your Personal OS: Insights from Executive Coach Mark Briggs

Sat, 13 Sep 2025 13:57:47 +0000

This week: Executive coach and AI strategist Mark Briggs explains why your "personal operating system" needs an upgrade, and how to use AI to get more time back in your day.

He shares practical tips for turning scattered notes into a powerful knowledge base and discusses how AI can act as a collaborator to fight procrastination and provide instant feedback.

Plus, we play a game of "Bot or Not" to see if you can tell the difference between a human and an AI assistant, and learn how better productivity can lead to achieving personal goals.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton.

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OpenAI's big Seattle deal; Steve Ballmer under NBA scrutiny; the irony in Google's antitrust case

Sat, 06 Sep 2025 15:23:52 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his NBA team, the Clippers, face scrutiny over an alleged salary-cap dodge tied to star Kawhi Leonard. We unpack the report and Ballmer’s emphatic denial, while reflecting on his history in tech and sports.

Also: OpenAI's surprise $1.1 billion acquisition of Seattle startup Statsig, and what it says about the AI talent wars. Plus, the ironic role of Microsoft’s own antitrust past in the landmark ruling against Google’s search monopoly this week.

Seattle journalist, radio host and bar owner Mike Lewis joins GeekWire's Todd Bishop for this episode, which also features a highlight from a segment with KUOW's Kim Malcolm.

Related Stories

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The Idea Man's Last Big Idea: Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in his own words

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 14:52:04 +0000

In light of his estate's launch of the new $3.1 billion Fund for Science and Technology, we revisit a classic 2011 interview with the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to explore the "Idea Man" mindset that continues to shape his legacy. The conversation reveals the personal motivations behind his "big bet" philanthropy, his candid thoughts on his partnership with Bill Gates, and his passion for everything from brain science to jamming with rock stars.

Related stories and links:

With GeekWire's Todd Bishop and Kurt Schlosser.

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Booms, Busts, and Seattle in the AI Era, with Jeff Shulman of the UW Foster School

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 14:43:53 +0000

What does Seattle gain — and lose — in times of dramatic change? University of Washington Foster School of Business marketing professor Jeff Shulman has spent years studying that question, as host of the Seattle Growth Podcast, director of the Product Management Center, and a civic voice on issues ranging from housing affordability to the campaign to bring back the Sonics.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Shulman joins us to talk about Seattle’s place in the global AI boom, why the city has struggled to produce superstar startups, what AI means for marketing and education, and how civic identity, tech and sports have fueled the region.

RELATED STORIES

Seattle Now Podcast: Casual Friday with Todd Bishop and Jeff Shulman

Also check out the Seattle Growth Podcast and "On the Brink" documentary.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton

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Building an AI-first company: What these two business leaders learned from top experts in the field

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 14:09:54 +0000

Our guests this week: Adam Brotman and Andy Sack, co-authors of the book AI First: The Playbook for a Future-Proof Business and Brand.

Brotman was Starbucks’ chief digital officer and later co-CEO of J.Crew. Sack is a founder, investor, and longtime advisor to tech leaders. Together, they run Forum3, a company that helps brands rethink loyalty and customer engagement.

For their book, they interviewed experts including Bill Gates, Sam Altman, Reid Hoffman and Ethan Mollick, and spent time with companies that have had early success with AI implementation.

We talk about their "holy sh*t" moment with Sam Altman, how Moderna achieved 80% employee participation through AI contests, the CEO who supercharged sales by using AI to analyze call transcripts, and what leaders should actually be doing to roll out AI within their organizations.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.

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Coding is dead, computer science is not: UW’s Ed Lazowska on AI, retirement, and why he’s not done yet

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 13:02:16 +0000

Longtime University of Washington computer science professor Ed Lazowska — newly retired at 75 after nearly a half-century on the faculty — joins us to discuss the evolution of computer science, how AI is changing what and how students learn, why specialization is rising, the role of universities in Seattle’s tech economy, and what he plans to tackle next across teaching, advising, and policy.

Is this 'peak AI'? Microsoft, Amazon, and a pivotal week for Seattle tech

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 15:40:34 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Microsoft soars past Wall Street expectations, briefly hitting a $4 trillion valuation, while Amazon faces sharper scrutiny over its AI strategy. Todd Bishop and John Cook break down the contrasting earnings results, analyst reactions, and what it all means for the future of AI — and Seattle's place in it. Plus: insights from Microsoft's Mustafa Suleyman on the future of Copilot, a throwback lesson from the Zune era, and a guestbook entry that shows just how mainstream ChatGPT has become.

Related stories and links

From Startup to Exit: Microsoft@50: Birth of Xbox, with Chief Xbox Officer, Robbie Bach

Colin & Samir Podcast with Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman

Tim Ferriss Podcast with Expedia and Zillow co-founder Rich Barton

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From Microsoft to Qualtrics: Brad Anderson on AI's business and personal impact

Sat, 26 Jul 2025 13:37:14 +0000

Our guest this week is Brad Anderson — a tech engineering and product leader who spent more than 17 years at Microsoft and is now approaching 5 years at Qualtrics, the experience management technology company, where he’s president of products, user experience, engineering, and security.

I’ve known Brad for a while, in fact I’ve been on two of his shows back when he was an enterprise mobility and cloud technology leader at Microsoft, and it was all the rage for executives to have their own video shows.

There was “Lunch Break with Brad Anderson,” where he drove his guests around the streets of Redmond in his Tesla, introducing me to "Insane Mode" at the time.
And there was “The Ship Room,” where he talked about the cloud and played games with guests, challenging me to distinguish real startup names from fake ones.

For this week’s show, I went to the Qualtrics Tower in downtown Seattle to talk with Brad about how he thinks about building tech today — how AI is starting to change the way products come together, and how expectations are shifting for both the people using the tools and the people building them.

I also turn the tables on Brad in the final segment with a game about cloud and AI terms called "Real or Ridiculous" — stick around to play along.

But first, he reminded me about the random case of mistaken identity that brought us together in the first place, back in the day. Listen to the show to hear the story, and see the related post on GeekWire to read highlights. — GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop

Edited by Curt Milton.

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How Companies Are Really Using AI, with AWS VP Francessca Vasquez

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 14:20:49 +0000

How are companies really using AI? And is it truly working? AWS Vice President Francessca Vasquez joins the GeekWire Podcast to talk about what companies are actually doing with AI today, and what's holding them back. We discuss real-world deployments, lessons from AWS customers across industries, and the challenges and opportunities in scaling generative and agentic AI.

Related Stories and Links:

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Amazon, Google, Meta, and the AI long game, with Baird's Colin Sebastian

Sat, 12 Jul 2025 14:09:00 +0000

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we’re joined by Colin Sebastian, senior research analyst at Baird and one of the most respected voices in tech and internet investing. We dive into how Amazon, Google, and Meta are positioning themselves in the AI era — from Amazon’s Alexa+ and infrastructure strategy, to Google’s balancing act between search and generative chatbots, to Meta’s AI talent push.

Colin also shares his take on the broader investment climate, how he separates hype from lasting value, and how AI is reshaping his own research process. Plus, we get his outlook on the next wave in gaming, the signals he’s watching in the data, and how today’s AI boom compares to the dot-com era that marked the start of his career.

See these research disclosures for Colin Sebastian and Baird.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Managing in the Age of AI, with former Microsoft leader, executive coach, and author Sabina Nawaz

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 13:46:47 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Executive coach and former Microsoft leader Sabina Nawaz talks about her book, You’re the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need) — and why she believes pressure, not power, is what truly corrupts leaders.

We discuss the thinning layer of middle management, how AI tools are changing the landscape, and why many younger workers no longer aspire to lead. Sabina shares actionable strategies from the book, including Micro Habits, the power of Blank Space, and how managers can stop micromanaging and start serving as the “container, not the content.”

She also reflects on her time advising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer — including a memorable moment involving an umlaut — and explains why getting promoted might be the riskiest moment in your career.

Topics Covered:

Why pressure is more dangerous than power
Managing when the middle layer disappears
The double-edged sword of AI-powered management
Tools: Micro Habits, the Yes List, Blank Space
Communication fault lines and “sage speak”
Leadership lessons from Gates and Ballmer
How to lead without burning out

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.

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The front lines of creativity: Journalist and educator Hanson Hosein on AI and the art of solo storytelling

Sat, 28 Jun 2025 14:02:21 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, our guest is Hanson Hosein — an Emmy Award-winning journalist, filmmaker, and communication strategist who has spent his career making sense of the world in times of change.

His latest project is American Dignity, a short documentary that follows the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement from Seattle to Selma to Washington D.C., and considers what those lessons mean for America today.

He started out as an NBC News correspondent, reporting from conflict zones in the Middle East and the Balkans. Later, he founded the Communication Leadership program at the University of Washington and became an early voice for digital storytelling, using technology to find new ways of reaching audiences.

We visit his self-contained studio on the former site of a chicken coop, and talk about how he made this film as a one-person operation, what he learned along the way, and where he thinks media is headed. We also dig into how AI is changing the creative process and what it takes to tell meaningful stories in this new world.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Amazon, Microsoft, and the new realities of AI at work

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 12:55:18 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss how AI is transforming our local tech giants, changing the fundamental nature of work, and blurring the lines between human and machine.

We dive into the memo that has Amazon employees either signing up for AI training or updating their resumes; unpack why you're answering emails at 10 p.m.; and explain how one of us ended up quizzing his dentist's office assistant (or was it an AI chatbot?) about whether he or she (or it?) was human. Then we ask the new Alexa+ what it (she?) thinks about the exchange.

Related stories

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

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Inside the Microsoft protests: Fired engineer on Palestine, Israel, AI, and big tech

Sat, 14 Jun 2025 15:38:01 +0000

A message from GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop: This episode of the GeekWire Podcast is unlike any we’ve done before. It touches on some of the most contentious and disputed issues in the tech industry, and in the world more broadly.

It started with my curiosity and desire to understand something that happened in March, at GeekWire’s independent Microsoft @ 50 event. I was on stage interviewing Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith when the conversation was interrupted by a protester.

The group behind the protest, called No Azure for Apartheid, represents current and former Microsoft employees who want the company to end its cloud computing and AI contracts with the Israeli military. They cite concerns over how they believe their work is being used by Israel.

Addressing the larger issues raised by the group, Microsoft said in a May 15 post that it conducted internal and external reviews and “found no evidence to date that Microsoft’s Azure and AI technologies have been used to target or harm people in the conflict in Gaza.”

After covering Microsoft’s statements and the group’s response — and seeing the continued protests unfold at Microsoft events — I decided to dig deeper and learn more.

As part of that, I invited one of the organizers of No Azure for Apartheid to join me on this podcast, for a conversation about the motivations behind the group, their views on Microsoft’s responsibilities, and how the tech industry intersects with international conflicts.

Our guest is software engineer Hossam Nasr, who was fired by Microsoft last year related to protests on the Microsoft campus. In fact, he was the first to protest inside the GeekWire event.

What followed was a complex conversation — one that at times went beyond Microsoft’s role into broader political and ethical criticisms of Israel’s actions in Gaza.

These are deeply polarizing issues, and we know there are strong, divergent opinions about them. I’ve added context conveying Microsoft’s responses, and noting areas where statements and characterizations about Israel, Palestine, and Gaza are the subject of dispute.

The conversation includes detailed descriptions of the ongoing conflict in Gaza and some historical comparisons that some listeners may find disturbing or offensive. And lastly, we recorded this conversation in late May, before the latest developments in the Middle East.

Related Links:

Microsoft: Statement on the Issues Relating to Technology Services in Israel and Gaza
Associated Press: As Israel uses US-made AI models in war, concerns arise about tech’s role in who lives and who dies
AP: Microsoft fires employees who organized vigil for Palestinians killed in Gaza
+972: Leaked documents expose deep ties between Israeli army and Microsoft
The Verge: Microsoft blocks emails that contain ‘Palestine’ after employee protests
Guardian: Microsoft deepened ties with Israeli military to provide tech support during Gaza war

Editing by Curt Milton. Read more at GeekWire.com.

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15 years of the GeekWire Podcast: Amazon, Microsoft, and the transformation of Seattle tech

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 13:10:05 +0000

Fifteen years ago, Steve Jobs and Apple had just introduced the first iPad, Steve Ballmer’s Microsoft had been left for dead, and nerdy online bookseller Jeff Bezos was still getting Amazon settled into its South Lake Union HQ. That’s when we started this podcast.

This week, we’re going back to 2010, revisiting clips from the earliest days of the show. We remember what was happening with Amazon, Microsoft, and Seattle’s startup scene, and try to wrap our heads around all the things that have changed since then.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

Audio editing by Curt Milton.

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Microsoft, Remitly, and the new shape of work — plus Amazon’s NYT AI deal

Sat, 31 May 2025 14:30:28 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss Amazon's new licensing deal with The New York Times for AI content training, and go behind the scenes at two different office spaces: Microsoft's redeveloped Redmond campus and Remitly's new Seattle HQ.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop and reporter Kurt Schlosser.

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Did Elon Really Intern at Microsoft? Plus: AI, Jobs, and the Economy

Sat, 24 May 2025 14:18:41 +0000

Satya Nadella’s offhand remark at Build, about Elon Musk once interning at Microsoft, sparked a mystery that sent us digging through biographies and transcripts in search of confirmation.

We also break down Microsoft’s new AI moves, announced this week at the company's Build developer conference, and consider what its agentic ambitions mean for tech jobs and the economy.

Plus, a sharp warning from Microsoft President Brad Smith on Washington state’s fading focus on innovation.

RELATED STORIES

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Box CEO Aaron Levie on AI agents, enterprise data, and the future of work

Sat, 17 May 2025 14:17:38 +0000

Box CEO and co-founder Aaron Levie joins the GeekWire Podcast to talk about the company’s latest AI initiatives, including a new integration with Microsoft 365 Copilot and a suite of Box AI agents designed to help businesses analyze content, extract data, and generate insights.

Levie shares how AI is changing the way he and his team work, explains why he believes 2025 is still “day one” for enterprise AI agents, and offers a realistic take on what AI can — and can’t — do today. He also reflects on Box’s evolution, the shifting role of content in the enterprise, and why he thinks AI is creating more work, not less.

AI boom and D.C. hot mics: OpenAI and Microsoft go to Washington, Amazon surveys the field

Sat, 10 May 2025 14:19:33 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: The rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence takes center stage in business technology spending, in Washington D.C., and in the global tech power struggle.

We break down a headline-grabbing U.S. Senate hearing on AI and U.S.–China competitiveness, featuring testimony from Microsoft’s Brad Smith and OpenAI’s Sam Altman. There was also a fun Seattle tech callback in the form of a hot-mic moment from Sen. Maria Cantwell during Sen. Ted Cruz's opening statement.

Plus, we dive into a new global survey from Amazon Web Services showing just how quickly companies are making generative AI their top tech priority — even ahead of cybersecurity.

U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Winning the AI Race: Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation

Amazon Web Services Generative AI Adoption Index

Generative AI tops cybersecurity in 2025 tech budget priorities, new AWS study finds

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

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Innovation in Turbulent Times: Voices from the GeekWire Awards

Sat, 03 May 2025 15:52:03 +0000

Recorded live at the 2025 GeekWire Awards in Seattle, this episode features industry leaders navigating a shifting tech and political landscape. Amid celebrations of AI breakthroughs, startup milestones, and community-building, guests discuss deeper concerns: capital flight, regulatory headwinds, and what the region needs to retain its innovation edge.

Featured on the show:

Ambika Singh, founder and CEO of Armoire (Workplace of the Year winner)
Joseph Williams, Washington State Department of Commerce (Public Policy Champion for Innovation)
Emer Dooley, Creative Destruction Lab, University of Washington (Geeks Give Back honoree)
Laura Ruderman, CEO of the Technology Alliance
Aviel Ginzburg, co-founder at Foundations (Geeks Give Back honoree)
Anand Subbaraj, CEO of Zuper (CEO of the Year finalist)

Related coverage:

Presented by Astound Business Solutions, with category sponsors BECU, Baker Tilly, JLL, WTIA, Alltech, Wilson Sonsini, and First Tech.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.

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White House and Amazon clash over tariff transparency

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 18:53:06 +0000

On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we break down a public clash between Amazon and the White House over tariffs, transparency, and politics.

After a report from Punchbowl News suggested Amazon would start displaying the cost of President Trump’s tariffs on product prices, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it a “hostile and political act” during a press briefing — saying she had just spoken to the president about it.

Amazon responded by clarifying that the idea had come from a small team behind its Amazon Haul discount storefront but was never approved and “not going to happen.” Meanwhile, CNN reported that Trump personally called Jeff Bezos to complain.

Related links and content

GeekWire: ‘Not going to happen’: Amazon responds to White House barb over purported tariff transparency plan

Punchbowl News: Amazon to display tariff costs for consumers

Reuters, 2021: Amazon partnered with China propaganda arm

CNN's Alayna Treene on X: "Scoop: Trump called Amazon founder Jeff Bezos Tuesday morning to complain about reports that his company was considering displaying the cost U.S. tariffs next to prices for certain products on its website, two senior White House officials told @CNN."

Amazon statement: "The team that runs our ultra low cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products. This was never approved and is not going to happen.”

GeekWire Podcast: How Amazon is adapting to the TikTok generation, and what it says about the state of Prime

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop

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AI teammates, a fully remote unicorn, and the new world of work

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 13:36:08 +0000

On this week’s GeekWire Podcast: Microsoft sees a future where humans manage fleets of AI agents — promising to fundamentally change the way companies are run and work gets done. Plus, we dive into the story of Chainguard, the $3.5 billion cybersecurity startup proving that a fully remote company can scale fast without a physical office. And we explore how AI is reshaping everyday life, from travel planning to home repairs.

Related stories

Meet your new AI teammate: Microsoft sees humans as ‘agent bosses,’ upending the workplace: Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index envisions a future where employees manage AI agents, fundamentally reshaping organizational structures.

Chainguard doesn’t have an office. Here’s how the $3.5B cybersecurity startup makes remote work: A look at how Chainguard successfully operates as a fully remote company, including intentional communication and periodic in-person gatherings.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop and editor Taylor Soper. Edited by Curt Milton.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Platforms, AI, and the power of human creativity, with Microsoft's Marcus Fontoura

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we’re joined by Marcus Fontoura, technical fellow at Microsoft and CTO for Azure Core. Fontoura is the author of A Platform Mindset, a new book that explores how to build scalable systems, support high-performing teams, and foster a culture of collaboration.

We talk about the evolving role of platforms in tech, the impact of AI on engineering productivity, and why creativity and autonomy are more important than ever. Fontoura draws on decades of experience at Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, and IBM to share insights on leadership, technical debt, and why great engineers should be treated more like artists than managers-in-waiting.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton.

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Melinda French Gates on life transitions, tech, and speaking her truth

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 04:01:00 +0000

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Melinda French Gates joins us to discuss her new book, The Next Day, a personal and philosophical reflection on life’s transitions. French Gates opens up about her emotional and spiritual journey of the past few years, the lessons she’s learned from therapy and motherhood, and how she’s now using her full voice through her company, Pivotal Ventures. We talk about her billion-dollar commitment to women’s advancement, the promise and pitfalls of AI, and what it means to pause, reflect, and take action — especially in uncertain times.

Hosted by GeekWire reporter Lisa Stiffler. Audio editing by Curt Milton.

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From Microsoft to Modernist Cuisine: Nathan Myhrvold on Tech, AI, and Innovation

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 13:00:00 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we're featuring highlights from a live interview with Nathan Myhrvold, CEO of Intellectual Ventures and former chief technology officer at Microsoft. Myhrvold worked at Microsoft from 1986 to 2000, where he laid the groundwork for Microsoft Research, recruited top computer scientists, and played a key role in shaping the company’s technology strategy.

Since leaving Microsoft, he has worked across fields including energy, science, physics, paleontology, photography, and high-tech cuisine.

In this conversation, recorded at Town Hall Seattle as part of GeekWire’s Microsoft@50 event, Myhrvold shares his thoughts on the rise of AI, his longtime collaboration with Bill Gates, the future of energy, the secrets of Microsoft’s success, and what’s next in his Modernist Cuisine book series.

Edited by Curt Milton; With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.

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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on the company's 50th, and what's next

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 15:50:26 +0000

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we talk with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about the company's 50th anniversary, and where it's headed from here.

Plus, highlights from Microsoft’s 50th anniversary event in Redmond, which featured a rare joint appearance by Nadella with former leaders Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer.

The day also reflected Microsoft's role in an increasingly complex global landscape, with a CNBC interview focusing in part on the impact of tariffs on the company and the global economy, and a protest outside the event condemning the use of the company’s technologies to support Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza.

Related coverage:

Microsoft@50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture.

More in GeekWire’s Microsoft@50 series

More: Microsoft@50

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Inside Amazon's attempt to reinvent Alexa for the new era of AI

Sat, 29 Mar 2025 13:56:48 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: A conversation with Daniel Rausch, Amazon’s vice president of Alexa and Echo, recorded at the company’s Seattle headquarters.

Rausch explained the company’s vision for Alexa+, Amazon's next-generation voice assistant, in advance of its upcoming rollout through an early access program. Alexa+ promises more fluid conversations with users, integrating with more services and devices for new capabilities, including the ability act autonomously on behalf of a user.

It's a significant upgrade for Amazon's longtime voice assistant, judging from the live demos that Rausch walked us through before and after the podcast recording.

But it remains to be seen how much value people will find in using their voice in those situations, rather than the tried-and-true simplicity of using a smartphone app or web browser. And at a fundamental level, Amazon is playing catch-up with OpenAI's ChatGPT and many other AI chatbots in the world of conversational artificial intelligence.

Related links:

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton

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Microsoft@50: Steve Ballmer on what worked, what didn’t, and what he still believes in

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:30:04 +0000

On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, as part of our Microsoft@50 special series, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer reflects on his remarkable tenure at the company he helped shape for more than three decades.

We talk about his early days working alongside Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the biggest mistake during his tenure, and his take on the company these days as its largest shareholder. He also opens up about his post-Microsoft pursuits — from his data-driven mission with USAFacts to transforming the NBA fan experience with the L.A. Clippers. And we hear his message for his former Microsoft colleagues.

Ballmer's conversation with GeekWire's Todd Bishop was recorded live in front of an audience at GeekWire's Microsoft@50 event at Town Hall Seattle, March 20, 2025.

Microsoft@50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture.

More in GeekWire’s Microsoft@50 series

More: Microsoft@50

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Microsoft President Brad Smith on AI, global turmoil, and key issues facing the tech giant at 50

Sat, 22 Mar 2025 13:52:31 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: A conversation with Microsoft President Brad Smith, on stage at GeekWire’s Microsoft@50 event this week at Town Hall Seattle, discussing the company’s anniversary and what’s next for the industry and the world.

Related Links

Links discussed in the podcast intro:

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop

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The meaning of Rocket's Redfin deal; Microsoft Copilot meets Xbox

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 14:48:56 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss the big real estate technology news of the week: Rocket Companies, the mortgage, real estate and personal finance giant, is buying Redfin, the Seattle-based tech-powered real estate company that has been a longtime disrupter in the world of buying and selling homes.

Joining us to assess the implications are Stephanie Reid-Simons, who oversees the news team at RealEstateNews.com as a senior vice president with the news site; and Tim Ellis, a former Redfin market analyst who's a podcaster and blogger, and a veteran of Seattle-area startups including Porch, Moz, and Glowforge.

Also on the show: Microsoft brings its Copilot AI technology to gaming, but can Microsoft prove this is more than Xbox meets Clippy? We’ll consider that question in the final segment with Thomas Wilde, an independent video-game journalist and editor who writes about games for GeekWire, Hard Drive, and other publications.

Join us at Microsoft@50 at Town Hall Seattle this Thursday, March 20.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.

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Alexa's AI upgrade: What it means for Amazon's business and Alexa users

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 15:41:08 +0000

This week: Michael Levin and Josh Lowitz of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) discuss the state of Amazon's Alexa and Echo business, and what the recently announced Alexa+ service means for the company and users. CIRP studies consumer behavior to provide insights for investors and industry leaders.

Related links and coverage

CIRP: Amazon Report on Substack. (Check out CIRP's Apple Report, as well.)
CIRP's Amazon Report: Alexa, Should I Pay for Alexa+? Or Get a New Echo?
GeekWire: Amazon’s new Alexa+ uses generative AI to personalize conversations and automate tasks
Amazon: Introducing Alexa+, the next generation of Alexa

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton.

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Hanging up on Skype; Google's future in Seattle; Inside Microsoft's quest for a quantum leap

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 16:07:56 +0000

This week on the Geekwire Podcast: Google prepares to say goodbye to Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, we get ready to say farewell to Skype; and we take a quantum leap with one of Microsoft's top technical leaders in the field: Chetan Nayak, technical fellow and corporate vice of quantum hardware for the company.

Related stories and links:

With GeekWire's Taylor Soper and Todd Bishop; Audio editing by Curt Milton

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Microsoft's quantum breakthrough; WA state targets Uber and Lyft; GeekWire 200; Bezos and Bond

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:08:20 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss Microsoft's quantum computing breakthrough; a Washington state bill that targets Uber and Lyft surge pricing; the latest update to the GeekWire 200 ranking of Pacific Northwest startups; and Amazon's move to take creative control of the James Bond movie franchise.

Related Links

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop and editor Taylor Soper.

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Innovation at Microsoft: Success, struggles, and lessons learned

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 15:30:29 +0000

A new book, The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft, finds universal business lessons in the company's successes and also its failures, through case studies about different products and teams in various scenarios and stages of evolution.

The book was written by two Microsoft business strategists and innovation leaders: Dean Carignan, who now focuses on AI in the company's office of the chief scientist; and JoAnn Garbin, who created and led Microsoft's Regenerative Datacenter of the Future program as part of its sustainability initiatives.

We speak with Carignan about the book on this special episode of the Geekwire Podcast, as part of our Microsoft @ 50 series.

Microsoft @ 50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture. Learn more and register here for our Microsoft @ 50 event, March 20 in Seattle.

More in GeekWire’s Microsoft @ 50 series

Hosted by Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.

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'Open source will win': Allen Institute for AI CEO Ali Farhadi on the new era of artificial intelligence

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 15:35:58 +0000

It has been a wild few weeks and eventful few months in AI: DeepSeek, OpenAI, Stargate, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Salesforce, Google, Elon Musk, and more.

In all of this, there's a heightened focus on what it takes to train AI models and the importance of open-source AI. This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we get insights from Ali Farhadi, CEO of the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2), the Seattle-based nonprofit that has been innovating in open-source AI since long before it was popular.

"If the U.S. wants to maintain its edge ... we have only one way, and that is to promote open approaches, promote open-source solutions," Farhadi says, reflecting on the past few months. "Because no matter how many dollars you're investing in an ecosystem, without communal, global efforts, you're not going to be as fast."

Related Coverage and Links:

Allen Institute for AI's new open-source iOS AI app runs on-device for secure, private, offline use
Allen Institute for AI challenges DeepSeek on key benchmarks with big new open-source AI model
Allen Institute for AI’s new model points to items in images, aims to make bigger point in industry
New York Times: An Industry Insider Drives an Open Alternative to Big Tech’s A.I.
Ken Yeung, "The AI Economy" newsletter: Ai2: The AI House That Paul Allen Built
Ai2 Blog: OLMoE, meet iOS

Hosted by GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop

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Bill Gates, Part 2: Microsoft at 50, and the next big opportunities for AI and innovation

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:46:57 +0000

For this latest installment in our Microsoft @ 50 series, we talk with Bill Gates about the company's 50th anniversary, parallels between AI and the early days of the PC, and where he sees the next big opportunities for innovation.

This is part of a wide-ranging interview coinciding with the release of his new book, Source Code: My Beginnings. We published Part 1 of the interview last week, focusing on his upbringing in Seattle, the influential people in his life, the early days of the company, and his perspective on events now unfolding in the world.

Microsoft @ 50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture. Learn more and register here for our special Microsoft @ 50 event, March 20, 2025, in Seattle.

More in GeekWire’s Microsoft @ 50 series

Hosted by GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.

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Amazon, AI, and the cloud: A reality check, with Corey Quinn of 'Last Week in AWS'

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 15:07:51 +0000

Our guest this week is Corey Quinn, the chief cloud economist at The Duckbill Group, the host of the AWS Morning Brief and Screaming in the Cloud podcasts, and the curator of Last Week in AWS, a weekly newsletter. Apart from his newsletter and podcasts, Quinn's day job involves helping AWS customers understand and manage their bills. Amid all the AI hype and billions in capex spending, he uses those insights to provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse and a reality check on the state of the cloud market today.

RELATED LINKS

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.

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Bill Gates, Part 1: His remarkable upbringing, and outlook on the world today

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 15:01:46 +0000

In advance of the release of his new memoir, Source Code: My Beginnings, Bill Gates sat down with GeekWire for a wide-ranging conversion on topics including his extraordinary upbringing in Seattle, the key people and influences in his life, the remarkable circumstances and luck that led to his work in software, and his outlook on the world today.

We're presenting this interview in two parts, this one focusing on Gates' new book and his life, and where the world is headed from here. On an upcoming episode, as part of our Microsoft @ 50 series, we'll hear his thoughts on the evolution of the company that he and Paul Allen started five decades ago, the opportunities in artificial intelligence, and what's next for Microsoft and the industry.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Contributing: Kevin Lisota.

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DeepSeek reality check; Amazon, Kuiper, Bezos, and the Post; lost in the Microsoft garage

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 15:19:38 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we dive deep into DeepSeek, the AI project that shaking up the tech world, to better understand the underlying technical advances and the long-term implications for the industry.

Joining us is Bill Howe, an associate professor at the University of Washington's Information School and the co-founding director of the UW Center for Responsible AI Systems and Experiences, among other UW roles.

Related stories:

We open the show from the Microsoft campus in Redmond, after getting an inside look at the company's history for an upcoming installment in our Microsoft @ 50 series. John marvels at the size of new campus project, which is still under way, and we experience first-hand the company's vast parking garage when we try to leave.

Also on our agenda this week: Amazon's lawsuit against Washington state over a Washington Post public records request, and what it says about the conflicts inherent to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' ownership of the newspaper.

With GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stargate, OpenAI and Microsoft; BlueSky in Seattle; and Madrona's big new funds

Sat, 25 Jan 2025 15:47:48 +0000

This week, we delve into the Project Stargate announcement by OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank, in conjunction with President Trump, and assess the implications for OpenAi's relationship with Microsoft. We explain what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella really meant with his CNBC zinger about the Stargate investment, and consider how Elon Musk's involvement in the new administration could play out in the tech industry.

PLUS, we discuss Madrona's big new funds and the potential impact on startup activity in the Pacific NW, and find a revealing piece of Microsoft history on an old CD-ROM.

‘I’m good for my $80 billion’: What Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella really meant by his Stargate zinger

CNBC: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on $500B Stargate project: Our partnership with OpenAI continues

Madrona raises $770M for new funds — here’s what the Seattle VC firm is betting on

Cascade PBS: The rise of Bluesky, a not-so-Seattle-based social media company

Microsoft @ 50: ‘The Road Ahead’ at 30: What Bill Gates’ classic book about the future says about the world today

Learn more and register here for our special Microsoft @ 50 event, March 20, 2025, in Seattle.

With GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook. Editing by Curt Milton.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Revisiting 'The Road Ahead': Bill Gates' classic book, and its insights for today

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 14:58:39 +0000

For this installment in our Microsoft @ 50 series, GeekWire revisited Bill Gates’ classic book from the mid-1990s, The Road Ahead, with the benefit of three decades of hindsight. We found in its pages a vision for technology that was essentially on the mark — foreseeing pervasive access to information, the rise of smart devices, and the central role of the internet in business, education, and the home. We also discovered striking parallels and insights relevant to the AI revolution we're experiencing today.

https://www.geekwire.com/2025/the-road-ahead-at-30-what-bill-gates-classic-book-about-the-future-says-about-the-world-today/

On this episode, we get the behind-the-scenes story of the book from Peter Rinearson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, writer, entrepreneur, and former Microsoft VP, who co-authored The Road Ahead with Gates and former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold.

Microsoft @ 50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture. Learn more and register here for our special Microsoft @ 50 event, March 20, 2025, in Seattle.

https://www.geekwire.com/events/geekwire-microsoft50/

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Inside Amazon's strategic planning process; the state of the Seattle startup community

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 15:08:26 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: An inside look at Amazon's classic process for strategic thinking and decision-making, with a former Amazon product and technology director who has written new book about the documents used by the company to determine its direction. What can others learn from its approach?

Plus, we break down this pivotal moment in Amazon's history, as employees return to the office five days a week; and we check in on the state of the Seattle startup world.

Our guest is Marcelo Calbucci, a serial entrepreneur and longtime Seattle startup community leader who has worked for both Amazon and Microsoft. His new book is The PRFAQ Framework: Adapting Amazon's Innovation Framework to Work for You. It's available in hardback and Kindle.

Calbucci has also created a giveaway contest for GeekWire readers and listeners. Enter here for a chance to win a copy of the book.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton.

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The state of AI in 2025: A solopreneur software developer's view on where the tech is headed

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 15:05:36 +0000

This week, Seattle-area software developer and AI entrepreneur Patrick Husting of Ghostwriter AI and the Equestrian App returns to the show to talk about the evolution of artificial intelligence over the past two years, how people are using the technology today, and where things are headed in 2025.

Related links

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton

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'From impossible to merely difficult': AI meets a vintage 1980s musical gadget

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 16:38:18 +0000

What happens when you mix modern AI with a piece of vintage technology and the musical stylings of a very amateur guitarist? You might be surprised.

That's the subject of this week's episode. GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop's fun holiday project, revisiting a favorite gadget from his youth, illustrated some bigger themes about the AI that has emerged in the past two years, and the role it can play in life and work.

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AI, tech talent, and regional innovation: A swan song from retiring WTIA CEO Michael Schutzler

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 15:10:39 +0000

Michael Schutzler, the newly retired CEO of the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA), joins us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to reflect on his 11 years running the not-for-profit trade association, assess the state of the tech industry in Seattle and Washington state, and discuss what's next for him.

Schutzler, who has been succeeded as WTIA's CEO by Kelly Fukai, previously its COO, wrote about the extraordinary history of the state's tech industry in a recent post marking the WTIA's 40th anniversary and his retirement.

See more highlights from the episode in this GeekWire post.

Related coverage:

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Insights from Uncommon Thinkers: How these innovators found novel approaches in their fields

Sat, 14 Dec 2024 14:38:22 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we sit down with some of the Seattle region’s “Uncommon Thinkers” — inventors, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs transforming industries and driving positive change in the world.

We recorded the episode on location, backstage at the GeekWire Gala, where we recognized five Uncommon Thinkers through this annual awards program, presented in partnership with Greater Seattle Partners.

Speaking on the episode are:

Uri Shumlak, co-founder and chief scientist at Zap Energy, a physicist leading a team in pursuit of fusion energy, taking a different approach from others in the field. Read the profile.
Ingrid Swanson Pultz, CTO at Mopac Biologics, and translational advisor at the UW Institute for Protein Design, a microbiologist who led the development of a gluten-destroying enzyme. Read the profile.
Chris Dunckley, director of chemistry and engineering of TerraPower Isotopes, a chemical engineer who leads a team turning radioactive waste into cancer therapy. Read the profile.
Andy Lapsa, aerospace engineer and CEO of Stoke Space, a company focused on developing fully and rapidly reusable space vehicles using a liquid cooling technique for re-entry. Read the profile.

Also featured in in the Uncommon Thinkers series: Hanna Hajishirzi of the Allen Institute for AI and the UW's Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, who focuses on open-source Ai models. Read the profile.

With GeekWire's Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Amazon Nova, the future of AI, and more from the AWS re:Invent show floor

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 15:13:24 +0000

Amazon's AI strategy came into focus this week with the unveiling of Amazon Nova, its new family of homegrown AI models, a new AI model marketplace for Amazon Bedrock, and other news from the AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas.

It turns out we've seen this before. As the company's AI strategy emerges, there are numerous similarities to its e-commerce business including low cost, broad selection, products from Amazon and its selected vendors, and a marketplace. (This Fortune piece by reporter Jason Del Rey explores these parallels in detail.)

After spending four days in Las Vegas, attending sessions, and talking with AWS executives and attendees, GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook offer their takeaways and dissect Amazon's AI strategy on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, recorded on location at the GeekWire Studios booth on the show floor.

Related links and coverage

Edited by Curt Milton.

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AI, Google Docs, and the messiness of innovation, with Microsoft Deputy CTO Sam Schillace

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 14:39:09 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, our guest is Sam Schillace, a deputy CTO at Microsoft and author of the new book, "No Prize for Pessimism," the first title from Microsoft's new publishing imprint, 8080 Books. Schillace discusses the importance of optimism in innovation, drawing parallels between the early cloud era and the current AI revolution. He also shares his past experiences as one of the creators of Google Docs, and emphasizes the value of tackling difficult, non-obvious problems.

Related Links:

Sam Schillace's Sunday Letters on Substack.
The No Prize for Pessimism custom GPT.
No Prize for Pessimism on Amazon.
GeekWire: Microsoft turns a new page in the book business with its own publishing imprint

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton.

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Elon Musk’s problem with Microsoft; What the GeekWire 200 says about the startup scene

Sat, 23 Nov 2024 15:29:51 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI, which now includes Microsoft, and assess the complexities of the OpenAI-Microsoft partnership, as illustrated by early email exchanges revealed in the lawsuit.

We also consider the latest update to the GeekWire 200, our ranked index of Pacific Northwest technology startups, including the rise of Highspot to the top spot, and other trends in the Seattle region's startup ecosystem.

And we share highlights from tech events around the region this week, including the WTIA's 40th Anniversary, where Mayor Bruce Harrell addressed AI and the incoming presidential administration; and an interesting takeaway from a panel of startup leaders whose companies made the latest Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list.

Related links and coverage

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop

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How Amazon is adapting to the TikTok generation

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 15:07:52 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we dive into Amazon's launch of a new discount storefront called Amazon Haul, and explore what it says about the future of e-commerce and generational shifts in shopping. Guests Michael Levin and Josh Lowitz of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) provide insights into the long-term trends around Amazon Prime membership and consumer behaviors on the platform.

CIRP: Amazon Report on Substack. (Check out their Apple Report, as well.)
GeekWire: Hands-on with Amazon Haul: First impressions of the e-commerce giant’s new Temu and Shein rival
Amazon: Introducing Amazon Haul—a broad selection of products $20 or less, with most under $10
Business Insider: Amazon's new discount section, 'Haul,' looks like a Temu version of Temu

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Microsoft’s startup story: A new look, with insights for today

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 17:09:46 +0000

This special edition of the GeekWire Podcast is the first in a four-episode series that we’ll be publishing in the months ahead as part of our year-long Microsoft @ 50 project, recognizing the company’s 50th anniversary in April 2025.

On this episode, we’ll take a fresh look at Microsoft’s startup story with tech historian and author Margaret O’Mara of the University of Washington, author of The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America; plus highlights from a recent conversation with David Marquardt, Microsoft’s first outside investor and a longtime board member.

Microsoft @ 50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture.

With GeekWire Co-Founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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What Trump 2.0 means for tech, Diller nixes Expedia + Uber, GeekWire fall update

Sat, 09 Nov 2024 15:04:01 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, it's a grab-bag of topics, including self-driving wheelchairs, Expedia Group Chairman Barry Diller's comments on the prospects for an acquisition by Uber, and an update on GeekWire's upcoming events and coverage.

In the final segment, we discuss what the new Trump administration could mean for technology regulation, including the FTC's antitrust case against Amazon and oversight for tech M&A.

Related coverage and links

Upcoming GeekWire Events

GeekWire Gala, Dec. 12: Register here.
Microsoft @ 50: Special series and March 20 event.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

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Rumors, AI, and the 2024 election

Sat, 02 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

This week, with just days to go before the Nov. 5 election, we take a fresh look at AI, social media, and some surprising trends in the spread of fake content and misinformation, with Danielle Lee Tomson, research manager for election rumors at the University of Washington Center for an Informed Public.

Guest host Ross Reynolds speaks with Tomson about AI, social media, and some surprising trends in the spread of rumors online.

Related links and stories:

Substack: Election Rumor Research @ Center for an Informed Public
New York Times: As Election Looms, Disinformation ‘Has Never Been Worse’
Washington Post: Don’t say ‘vote’: How Instagram hides your political posts

Edited by Curt Milton. Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Amazon devices chief Panos Panay on the new color Kindle, AI, and his first year on the job

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:18:20 +0000

Our guest on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast is Panos Panay, Amazon's senior vice president of Devices & Services, a longtime leader in the world of consumer technology. It has been one year since he started at Amazon, after his surprise departure from Microsoft, where he oversaw products including Surface and Windows.

Panay's division at Amazon includes the Alexa voice assistant and Echo devices, but that's just the start. His purview also spans Kindle e-readers, Fire tablets, Zoox self-driving taxis, Eero wireless networking devices, Ring and Blink cameras, Fire TV devices, and Kuiper, the company's nascent satellite internet business.

The focus this week is Kindle, with the Oct. 30 release of the Kindle Colorsoft, the first color device in Amazon's line of market-leading e-readers, selling for a premium price of $279.99. It's part of a new era for the Kindle business, driven in part by book-loving social media influencers and consumers looking for simplicity and focus in a world of non-stop smartphone alerts.

We also talked about AI, including the generative AI summaries coming with the next-generation Kindle Scribe tablet, due out in December. Panay wasn't ready to dish on what's next for Alexa in conversational AI, but he made it clear that he's bullish on AI in general, and doesn't believe it's a passing fad.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop

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Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff on AI agents, Microsoft, Seattle tech, and the future of humanity

Sat, 26 Oct 2024 13:28:35 +0000

Our guest this week is Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who says he has never been as excited about anything in his career as he is about the latest developments in artificial intelligence — AI agents that can autonomously reason, plan, and take action on behalf of businesses.

Benioff is almost as strong in his negative sentiments toward Microsoft's Copilot. He calls Copilot the second coming of Microsoft's much-maligned "Clippy" Office assistant, and asserts that the Redmond company is giving AI a bad name by disappointing customers with underwhelming results and lax security.

We spoke with Benioff in advance of the general availability of the San Francisco company's Agentforce AI technology for sales and service. We also talked about Benioff's ownership of Time magazine, and what that means for his political involvement; and the status of his past pledge to turn Seattle into Salesforce's HQ2.

Related Links

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Uber + Expedia? Ballmer on 60 Minutes; 1980s Silicon Valley revisited; What's next for AI

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 15:26:52 +0000

This week, we imagine the possibility of Uber buying Expedia Group, based on a report by the Financial Times this week that the ride-hailing company has considered a bid for the online travel giant. It would be notable in part because Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was Expedia Group’s CEO from 2005 to 2017 and remains on the company’s board.

In the second segment, we enjoy highlights from the "60 Minutes" profile of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, and a separate appearance by University of Washington historian and author Margaret O'Mara on an episode of the podcast "60 Minutes: A Second Look" about the rise of Silicon Valley in the early 1980s.

And finally, we talk about our new Geekwire project, Microsoft @ 50, and get a window into what's next in AI from Peter Lee, the Microsoft Research president. He shares the top three technical challenges and opportunities on his mind when it comes to the future of artificial intelligence. This is bonus content from an interview for the first story in the series, published this week, tracing the evolution of AI inside Microsoft.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

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Amazon puts AI in delivery vans; Ex-AMZN exec Dave Clark's new startup; AI vs. cancer

Sat, 12 Oct 2024 14:29:52 +0000

Artificial intelligence and automation are transforming the way companies get stuff to stores and doorsteps, changing the world of logistics, transportation and the supply chain, as demonstrated by a few Amazon-related stories we covered this week:

Amazon's unveiling of a new "Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval (VAPR) system for the cargo hold of its electric Rivian vans;
The announcement of Amazon’s next-generation fulfillment center, with updated and expanded versions of its robotics systems in Shreveport, La.
Former Amazon executive Dave Clark's launch of a new supply chain technology startup, based in the Seattle area, with $100 million in funding out of the gate.

Those are our topics in our first two segments of the show this week. In the third segment, we hear more about the new Cancer AI Alliance spearheaded by Seattle’s Fred Hutch Cancer Center, in partnership with other national cancer research organizations and major tech companies including Amazon, Microsoft and Nvidia.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

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Talking with AI, with our special guest host, Microsoft Copilot

Sat, 05 Oct 2024 14:39:54 +0000

We were looking for a guest expert to discuss the new Microsoft Copilot features on the show this week, when we realized, why not go straight to the source?

Our guest host for the first segment of the show is Microsoft Copilot, taking advantage of the new voice interaction mode rolled out by the company this week.

In the second segment, we get a behind-the-scenes view of this and other new features with a couple of clips from Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI, from the closing session at Madrona’s Intelligent Applications Summit on Wednesday afternoon in downtown Seattle. He spoke on stage with S. “Soma” Somasegar, a former Microsoft executive who is now a managing director with the venture capital firm.

And in the final segment, GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook — two humans! — assess Todd's conversation with Microsoft Copilot in the first segment, reflecting on the evolution of artificial intelligence and where it still falls short of human capability.

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Software pioneer Charles Simonyi on the quest for galactic discoveries

Sat, 28 Sep 2024 13:00:38 +0000

Charles Simonyi is known in the tech industry for his work at Microsoft. He played a leading role in creating Word, Excel and other programs back in the 1980s. He rejoined the company in 2017 with its acquisition of his startup, Intentional Software.

But he's had a longtime fascination with space, taking two trips to the International Space Station, in 2007 and 2009, and helping to fund a long-awaited new space survey telescope in Chile that bears his family's name.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Simonyi speaks with Geekwire contributing editor Alan Boyle, the veteran space and science journalist, about the new Simonyi Survey Telescope, the potential for new discoveries, and his longtime fascination with space.

Edited by Curt Milton.

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Amazon's quest to become a startup again; Driverless cars, 6 years later

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 14:53:06 +0000

Amazon's decision to bring its employees back to the office five days a week is a window into the challenges facing the e-commerce and technology giant, and CEO Andy Jassy's larger plan to get the company to operate like "the world's largest startup" again.

Plus, GeekWire's John Cook gets into the back seat of a driverless car for the first time since 2018, and has a very different experience.

Coverage of Amazon's announcement:

Waymo links and related stories:

NPR: Armed with traffic cones, protesters are immobilizing driverless cars
GeekWire in 2018: We rode in Uber’s self-driving car, and now we’re less confident in the future of autonomous vehicles
Video of John's Waymo ride this week.
The Verge: Waymo and Uber expand their robotaxi partnership to Austin and Atlanta

With John Cook and Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton.

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Who is the real Bill Gates? Examining the evolution of a tech icon

Sat, 14 Sep 2024 15:00:55 +0000

Our guest this week is Anupreeta Das, author of the new book, "Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates and His Quest to Shape Our World." Das is the South Asia correspondent for The New York Times. This week's guest host, Ross Reynolds, is an interviewer and moderator who is well-known in the Seattle region from his 34 years at KUOW, the public radio station from which he retired in 2021.

Edited by Curt Milton.

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E Ink's 'Wizard of Oz' moment: Color arrives on writing tablets and e-readers

Sat, 07 Sep 2024 15:07:09 +0000

The market for E Ink tablets reached a pivotal moment this week with reMarkable's unveiling of its new Paper Pro — now with color E Ink, not just black-and-white. Now the big question is whether Amazon will join the trend with a color Kindle e-reader or Kindle Scribe. The technology enabling the shift from black-and-white to color is the Gallery 3 color display, from E Ink Holdings, a company that spun out of the MIT Media Lab in 1997. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we learn more from Timothy O’Malley, associate vice president of U.S. operations at E Ink, about the evolution of the technology and the growing applications for E Ink displays.

Related links:

Challenged by Amazon, reMarkable unveils new ‘Paper Pro’ color tablet.
Launch event video for the reMarkable Paper Pro.
Here's the color-changing car mentioned by Tim on the show.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop

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New Starbucks CEO's supercommute, SeaTac cyberattack, more on AI music generators

Sat, 31 Aug 2024 12:58:46 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we revisit the controversy over Starbucks' hybrid work policy for its new CEO, Brian Niccol; discuss the cyberattack that crippled computer systems at Sea-Tac Airport in the Seattle area this week; and provide an update on last week's episode about AI text-to-music generators.

Articles and topics discussed on this episode:

With Todd Bishop and Taylor Soper. Edited by Curt Milton.

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GeekWire's quest for an AI theme song

Sat, 24 Aug 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Our regular GeekWire Podcast segment “My AI” didn’t have a musical jingle. So of course, we decided to use AI to create one. You can hear the results and our reactions on this week’s show. It's a glimpse into the issues rattling the music industry. Even when the music isn't great, the technology is pretty incredible. But as we discuss, the underlying issues are a lot more complicated.

With John Cook, Todd Bishop, and Taylor Soper; Audio editing by Curt Milton.

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What the new Starbucks CEO could mean for the coffee giant's digital future

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 22:43:01 +0000

The naming of Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol as the new Starbucks CEO on Tuesday gives the Seattle-based coffee giant a new leader from the restaurant and fast casual industry with experience leading a digital transformation. We discuss what that could mean on this special mid-week episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

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What the Google ruling means for Microsoft Bing; Amazon delivery dilemma; Seattle's return to office

Sat, 10 Aug 2024 16:02:17 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we look at the implications of the Google antitrust ruling for Microsoft Bing, and conclude that they probably aren't as rosy for the Redmond company as they might have appeared initially.

Plus, a rural community offers a window into Amazon's relationship with the independent companies that deliver its packages around the world.

And finally, the City of Seattle gets support from Amazon and resistance from workers in response to its decision to bring them back to the office for three days a week, up from two days previously.

Related coverage

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop and editor Taylor Soper.

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Zillow CEO transition: A conversation with Rich Barton and Jeremy Wacksman

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 20:07:15 +0000

Zillow Group named a new CEO, longtime company executive Jeremy Wacksman, announcing that co-founder and two-time CEO Rich Barton will be shifting to the new role of co-executive chair of the real estate media and technology company, joining co-founder Lloyd Frink in the role. Barton and Wacksman join GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop to talk about the transition on this special episode.

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Microsoft, Amazon, AI, the economy, and another bad tech ad

Sat, 03 Aug 2024 14:49:15 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we take a closer look at the earnings reports from Microsoft and Amazon this week, as a litmus test for artificial intelligence demand and the state of the economy. We also consider the implications of Boeing's new CEO being based in the Seattle region, discuss a new AI tool that aims to streamline marketing tasks, and weigh in on the backlash to Google's Olympics ad for its Gemini AI chatbot

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop and editor Taylor Soper.

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Microsoft's misunderstood era: Ben Gilbert of 'Acquired' on the tech giant's most pivotal years

Sat, 27 Jul 2024 14:59:31 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, our guest is entrepreneur and investor Ben Gilbert, co-founder and co-host of the hit podcast Acquired.

Ben and his colleague David Rosenthal have developed a huge following for their deep-dive, long-form podcasts telling the stories behind some of the most successful companies in the world, and they recently released Microsoft Volume II, the second installment in their epic exploration of the Redmond-based technology giant.

We talk about Microsoft's misunderstood era, with help from some archival highlights from GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop's interviews with Bill Gates over the years. It’s a timely topic given Microsoft’s 50th anniversary in 2025 and the company's resurgence as one of the most valuable and relevant companies in the tech industry with the rise of AI.

Before we jump in, we ask Ben to catch us up on all things Acquired. The podcast is the talk of Silicon Valley and Wall Street, as documented in a Wall Street Journal profile. Acquired just announced a live arena show coming up on Sept. 10 featuring Mark Zuckerberg at Chase Center in San Francisco, the home of the Golden State Warriors.

Edited and produced by Curt Milton.

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Beyond the CrowdStrike outage: The larger forces at play, and a long-term view on cybersecurity

Sat, 20 Jul 2024 15:09:40 +0000

This week: the aftermath of the CrowdStrike outage, the larger forces at play, the future of cybersecurity, and where the world is headed long-term.

Our guest is Erik Moore, a veteran of the cybersecurity field and program director for the online Master of Science Program in Cybersecurity Leadership at Seattle University's Albers School of Business and Economics.

Moore says cybersecurity companies are facing faster and more complex threats due to factors including AI, and geopolitical and financial forces, requiring quicker responses. Current testing and deployment processes need to be overhauled handle these new challenges effectively. But long-term, he's optimistic about where the field and the world are headed.

Related Links

GeekWire News Coverage: ‘A little frightening’: CrowdStrike outage puts Microsoft’s role in global IT back in the spotlight
CrowdStrike Blog Post: Technical Details on Today’s Outage
Microsoft: Helping our customers through the CrowdStrike outage
Seattle University: Master of Science Program in Cybersecurity Leadership
CNBC: CrowdStrike update that caused global outage likely skipped checks, experts say
KING-5: CrowdStrike Outage Hits Microsoft
Channel News Asia: What do we know about CrowdStrike?

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OpenAI wants NYT's notes; AI meets email; Startup vets eye EV charging marketplace

Sat, 13 Jul 2024 14:57:02 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we catch up on the latest twist in the New York Times' lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft over the alleged use of its reporting to train GPT-4 and other large language models. The NYT is fighting OpenAI’s request to turn over reporters’ notes, interview memos, and other materials used to produce stories, to prove they were worthy of copyright.

On a related topic, we take a closer listen to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman's comments about AI and fair use at the Aspen Ideas Festival, which were more nuanced than some of the coverage might have made them appear. Watch Suleyman's full conversation with Andrew Ross Sorkin here.

Turning to the Seattle startup scene, an entrepreneurial supergroup has quietly formed a new electric vehicle charging startup, Juicer Energy, that appears poised to create a marketplace connecting homeowners and others with personal EV charging stations to EV owners in need of places to charge up their vehicles.

In the return of our "My AI" segment, we explore the concept of using AI to turn email into a database that can be intelligently mined, in this case with Google Gemini in Gmail and Google Workspace.

We also talk about using Microsoft Copilot in the Edge browser for domain-specific queries, and discuss the importance of treating AI not as an authoritative oracle but rather as a partner in the quest for insight.

On a related note, we suggest an episode of the "Think Fast, Talk Smart" podcast, called "How to Chat with Bots." (Thanks to Mark Briggs for the recommendation.)

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop.

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The 'golden age' of the smart home, with ecobee CEO Greg Fyke

Sat, 06 Jul 2024 14:48:16 +0000

Greg Fyke is president and CEO of ecobee, the Toronto-based smart home company known for its pioneering smart thermostat and a growing ecosystem of devices, including security systems and smart doorbells.

A former Amazon Alexa executive, he’s personally based in Seattle, exemplifying how remote work has transformed the geography of the tech industry. Fyke succeeded ecobee founder Stuart Lombard as the company's CEO last fall upon Lombard's retirement.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Fyke discusses the emerging "golden age" of smart home technology; ecobee's focus on simplicity, long-term functionality, and integration across ecosystems; its competition with Amazon and Google; and its approach to automation and artificial intelligence.

Other topics include ecobee's November 2021 acquisition by Generac, and their broader focus on energy management solutions, leveraging components like home batteries, solar energy, and intelligent control systems.

The Verge: How Ecobee is becoming the smart home company Nest should have been
Greg Fyke on the HomeKit Insider podcast.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton.

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ADHD and the tech industry: Understanding the different 'operating systems for the brain'

Sat, 29 Jun 2024 14:46:01 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we get a deeper understanding of ADHD and neurodivergence in the tech industry and the workplace. Our guest is Brett Greene, a tech community leader in the Pacific Northwest who specializes in this field in his work with companies and individuals as an executive coach.

Related links

Find a list of ADHD Resources on Brett Greene's website, brettgreenecoaching.com.
Upcoming event: ADHD Strategies for Tech Founders and Investors: Understanding and Leveraging Neurodivergent Team Members for Maximum Success, July 18 in Bellevue, Wash.
Brett Greene is founder and CEO of New Tech Northwest.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton.

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AI, VC, and the next big opportunity in tech, with 'Startup Project' host Nataraj Sindam

Sat, 22 Jun 2024 14:35:10 +0000

As the creator and host of the "Startup Project" podcast, Seattle-area tech senior product manager Nataraj Sindam talks with a wide range of investors and entrepreneurs, contributing to his broad perspective on the future of artificial intelligence, investing, startups, and business technology. He's also author of the Above Average email newsletter, and venture partner with Incisive Ventures.

Our topics this week include:

The opportunity to apply the power of large language models and generative AI to the larger world of business-to-business applications, including services tailored to workflows in specific industry verticals.
How AI will drive a massive increase in data centers in the next 5-10 years to meet increased demand for compute and storage, and will require new "intelligence layers" in cloud infrastructure.
The opportunities and challenges for startups to compete with large tech companies in developing foundational AI technologies, and where tech investors are focusing when it comes to AI startups.
The different incentives in a traditional startup approach (focusing on getting to a minimum viable product) vs. long-term AI moonshots, exemplified by former OpenAI leader Ilya Sutskever's new venture.
Apple's efforts to integrate AI into its applications and operating systems, and the tradeoffs between the Apple ecosystem and the more wide-ranging Windows/Android platform approach.
In the return of our "My AI" segment, we discuss a useful way to quickly get a summary of YouTube videos using the Copilot sidebar in the Microsoft Edge browser.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton.

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Cybersecurity in the age of AI, with Steve Schmidt, Amazon's chief security officer

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 14:27:36 +0000

It was a big week for cybersecurity for Seattle's tech giants. Microsoft President Brad Smith was in Washington D.C., testifying before the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee about the Redmond company's security challenges. Listen for highlights at the end of the show.

Meanwhile, Amazon held its annual AWS re:Inforce cloud security conference in Philadelphia.The rise of AI has added some big new wrinkles to the issue of cybersecurity, and AI was one of the main topics in a conversation that I had a few weeks ago with one of the people who keynoted the AWS event this week, Steve Schmidt, Amazon's chief security officer.

Hosted by Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.

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How this professor teaches AI and thinks about human creativity

Sat, 08 Jun 2024 14:30:59 +0000

Our guest this week on the GeekWire Podcast is Léonard Boussioux, an assistant professor in the Department of Information Systems and Operations Management at the University of Washington's Foster School of Business, and adjunct assistant professor at the UW Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering.

Boussioux received his doctorate in operations research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research combines areas including machine learning and AI with a focus on healthcare and sustainability. Last year he launched a class called "Generative AI in the Era of Cloud Computing" at the Foster School.

Foster School: A New Era Of AI And Human Ingenuity In The Classroom
Boussioux's website, including photography and AI art: www.leobix.us
TEDxMIT Salon presentation: Let Art Be Your Superpower
TEDxBoston: How to Solve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals in 5 mins.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton.

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AI, the brain, and the crowd, with CMU prof Niki Kittur

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 14:37:44 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we explore the frontier of crowd-augmented cognition, the concept of humans working together with the help of technology, including new ways that artificial intelligence is changing the field.

Our guest is Aniket (Niki) Kittur, a professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, where his research focuses on new methods of augmenting human intellect using crowds and computation.

We also talk about a related project that Kittur and his colleagues developed called Skeema, a browser tab manager that helped users organize their work, projects, and ultimately their brains in the process.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Microsoft Copilot+ PCs: Has the AI computer revolution finally arrived?

Sat, 25 May 2024 15:31:01 +0000

Microsoft and major PC makers this week announced a plan to incorporate artificial intelligence directly into personal computers, adding on-board neural processing units (NPUs) as part of a new architecture that promises better performance, longer battery life, and local AI processing that unlocks new capabilities and features.

We discuss the new Copilot+ PCs with our guest on this week's GeekWire Podcast, Stefan Weitz, an investor and entrepreneur who worked at Microsoft for 18 years in groups including Microsoft Bing and MSN. He is the founder of the new HumanX conference on AI taking place in March 2025 in Las Vegas.

Weitz is bullish on the potential for Copilot+ PCs to improve the overall computing experience and motivate Windows PC users to upgrade their machines, a long-awaited milestone for Microsoft's flagship operating system.

The new Copilot+ PCs have also raised security and privacy concerns, focused primarily on the "Recall" feature that takes regular screenshots of user activity on the machine, creating an index that can be queried using AI. The company released an FAQ that emphasized the underlying security and privacy controls for users, but also made it clear that the feature will be activated if users accept the defaults during initial bootup of a new machine.

Weitz also shares some of his favorite AI apps and tools, including Cleft Notes and Read AI.

Audio editing by Curt Milton.

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The rise of 'Technocapitalism' and its impact on humanity, with economist Loretta Napoleoni

Sat, 18 May 2024 14:28:21 +0000

This week's episode features an interview with Loretta Napoleoni, conducted by Ross Reynolds, the longtime public radio host and occasional GeekWire Podcast guest host, in an event presented by Town Hall Seattle on April 18, 2024.

Loretta Napoleoni is an Italian economist and journalist whose books include "Rogue Economics" and "Insurgent Iraq." Her newest book is “Technocapitalism: The Rise of the New Robber Barons and the Fight for the Common Good."

In this interview, she explains the concept of the "present future." This refers to the disorienting era in which we're living, characterized by rapid technological change that creates anxiety and a feeling of being constantly behind.

She also discusses the control of technology by a few powerful entrepreneurs, whom she calls "technocapitalists," and the failure of society and the state to direct technological innovation for the common good.

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Inside the GeekWire Awards: What's next for AI, the economy, and startups

Sat, 11 May 2024 15:52:10 +0000

This week, we go inside the GeekWire Awards, our annual recognition of the top people, companies and innovations in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, which drew a sold-out crowd to the Showbox Sodo on Thursday May 9 in Seattle. We talk with finalists about AI, the economy and key trends in their industries, and we hear from some of the winners on stage during the program.

RELATED

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Amazon vs. Trader Joe's; Bill Gates still a force at Microsoft; Inside the Binance founder's sentencing

Sat, 04 May 2024 14:29:11 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss Amazon's efforts to compete with Trader Joe's, and the related tactics revealed in "The Everything War," the new book by Dana Mattioli of the Wall Street Journal. We also revisit last week's episode with Mattioli and share some of the reactions to the discussion.

Plus, the FTC probes Amazon's internal use of Signal's disappearing messages feature, a newly disclosed email shows how Microsoft scrambled to catch up in artificial intelligence, and a new report says that Bill Gates is still a highly influential figure inside Microsoft, especially when it comes to the company's AI strategy.

Finally, we go inside the Seattle courtroom where a prominent figure from the cryptocurrency world, Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, received a controversial prison sentence this week.

Other stories discussed on the show:

Amazon stock rises as Q1 earnings top estimates with $143.3B in revenue; AWS sales up 17%
DoorDash rips Seattle over minimum wage law; reports record quarterly revenue of $2.5B
Prudential to shut down Assurance, the insurance tech startup it acquired for $2.35B in 2019
KING5: Binance founder Changpeng Zhao sentenced to 4 months for allowing money laundering
Business Insider: Bill Gates is still pulling strings at Microsoft, overseeing AI ideas
Internet Archive: Full text: An epic Bill Gates rant

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'The Everything War': Inside Amazon with author and Wall Street Journal reporter Dana Mattioli

Sat, 27 Apr 2024 13:35:21 +0000

A conversation with Dana Mattioli, Wall Street Journal reporter and author of the new book, "The Everything War: Amazon’s Ruthless Quest to Own the World and Remake Corporate Power." With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.

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Who will be the Next Tech Titan? Previewing the GeekWire Awards

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 13:55:52 +0000

This week on the show, we get a sneak preview of the GeekWire Awards, coming up at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle on Thursday, May 9.

We look back at the past winners of the Next Tech Titan title in the awards, and consider the event's track record in predicting major companies to emerge from Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
We also contemplate the evolution of the "Workplace of the Year" category through the rise of remote and hybrid work.
And finally, we consider the impact of migration on another part of state: Spokane, Wash., and the Inland Northwest.

See more GeekWire Awards coverage, and learn more about the event, which is presented by Astound Business Solutions.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Amazon CTO Werner Vogels on AI, healthcare, and sustainability

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 13:55:09 +0000

This week on the show, we sit down with Werner Vogels, the Amazon chief technology officer, at Amazon in Seattle. We talked about the evolution of artificial intelligence, the promise of AI in healthcare and the environment, his broader tech predictions for the year, and one of his most iconic traditions at the company's annual cloud conference.

Werner Vogels - All Things Distributed
Archive of Now Go Build episodes
AWS re:Invent 2023 - Keynote with Dr. Werner Vogels
Tech Predictions for 2024 and beyond
@Werner on X.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton.

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AI for Good, with Microsoft's Juan Lavista Ferres

Sat, 06 Apr 2024 14:23:18 +0000

This week on the show: Computer scientist Juan Lavista Ferres is corporate vice president and chief data scientist at Microsoft, and the lab director of Microsoft's AI for Good research lab, leading a team of data scientists and researchers in AI, machine learning and statistical modeling, focusing on global challenges like health, climate change, and digital literacy. He's one of the editors and authors of the new book AI for Good, Applications, in Sustainability, Humanitarian Action and Health, featuring case studies from Microsoft, to be published by Wiley on April 9.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Inside a Tesla Cybertruck; how police dogs find devices; Ballmer's comedian son

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 14:58:19 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Reporter Kurt Schlosser takes us inside a Tesla Cybertruck, explains what it was like to drive one, and tells us how people reacted to the futuristic vehicle as it debuted on the streets of Seattle.

Also on the show, Kurt shares details from his recent story about Nala, the Seattle Police Department's electronics-detecting police dog, and explains how these law-enforcement K9s are trained to find all sorts of devices.

And in our final segment, we hear a clip from comedian Pete Ballmer, the son of Steve Ballmer, about growing up as one of the kids of the former Microsoft CEO.

With GeekWire's Todd Bishop and Kurt Schlosser.

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Microsoft's big AI hires, U.S. vs. Apple, and graffiti-fighting drones

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 14:23:25 +0000

This week on the show, we peel back the layers of Microsoft's hiring of AI pioneer Mustafa Suleyman and colleagues from Inflection AI, considering how it plays into the trend of the Redmond company striking deals that look a lot like acquisitions, without actually being acquisitions. Then, we delve into the U.S. Justice Department’s landmark antitrust lawsuit against Apple, and consider the parallels to the DOJ's prior case against Microsoft. And finally, we ponder Washington state's plan to fight graffiti with drones.

Additional Links

S. "Soma" Somasegar: Analysis: Microsoft’s big hires foreshadow bold new move into consumer AI
Newcomer: Microsoft’s Non-Acquisition Acquisition (second item)
The Information: Microsoft Agreed to Pay Inflection $650 Million While Hiring Its Staff
Bill Barr in the Wall Street Journal: Siri, Does Apple Violate Antitrust Law?
DOJ: Justice Department Sues Apple for Monopolizing Smartphone Markets
The Verge: DOJ’s sweeping Apple lawsuit draws expert praise

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

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Inside the plan to save Zulily, with the star of CNBC's 'The Profit'

Sat, 16 Mar 2024 13:00:00 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: The rise, fall, and revival of Zulily. We revisit one the most prominent ecommerce brands to come out of Seattle, explain its decline, and consider a plan by Beyond Inc., led by investor and entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, to acquire its brand assets and relaunch the site.

With GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper and co-founder Todd Bishop.

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AI's transparency problem: Tech leaders advocate for new insights into training data

Sat, 09 Mar 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Artificial intelligence is a powerful technology that promises to reshape the future, but it also poses many risks. One of the most pressing issues is the lack of regulation and oversight of the data used to train AI models. A new nonprofit, the Seattle-based Transparency Coalition (transparencycoalition.ai) aims to address this issue.

The co-founders of the group, veteran startup founders and technology leaders Rob Eleveld and Jai Jaisimha, join us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to discuss their reasons for starting the organization, and their goals to help shape emerging legislation and public policy in this area.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Audio editing by Curt Milton.

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AI's trust problem: Richard Edelman on the risk to the tech industry

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 15:09:05 +0000

A new report points to a crisis of trust in innovation, and the risk that rapid technological change — especially in the field of artificial intelligence — will fuel increased populism and polarization across societies.

Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman, discussed these and other findings from the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer during visits last week with the global communications firm's clients in tech-heavy Seattle and San Francisco. GeekWire sat down with Edelman during his visit to the firm's downtown Seattle office for this episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

He discusses the shift in trust from top-down authority figures to local relationships, with employees and consumers expecting companies to take a stand on important issues.
Edelman suggests that businesses and technology leaders need to focus on implementation, adaptation, and acceptance of innovation, and to be transparent and clear in their communication with the public.
He calls for collaboration between businesses, government, NGOs, and media to ensure that innovation is well-managed and benefits society as a whole.

Related links

Access the full 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer report.
Edelman: 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer Reveals Innovation has Become a New Risk Factor for Trust
Richard Edelman: Technology Industry Watch Out, Innovation at Risk
Axios: Public trust in AI is sinking across the board

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How Microsoft, Amazon, and T-Mobile use big bets to build durable businesses

Sat, 02 Mar 2024 14:59:39 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, our guests are John Rossman and Kevin McCaffrey, authors of the new book, "Big Bet Leadership."

It's a playbook for business leaders to systematically make bets in a way that reduces risk and increases long-term flexibility. The book draws lessons from the likes of Microsoft, Amazon, T-Mobile and SpaceX, while also leaning heavily on the first-hand experience of the authors overseeing and implementing big bets.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Audio editing by Curt Milton.

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BONUS: Seattle after Techstars, with guest Chris DeVore

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 14:05:12 +0000

Entrepreneur and investor Chris DeVore had an inside view of Techstars Seattle as one of the original leaders of the local startup accelerator in 2010, serving as its managing director from 2014 to 2019.

His Feb. 21 post "What went wrong at Techstars," looked closely at the organization's evolution — including its increased focus on corporate sponsorships and shift to centralized fundraising — as the backdrop for the news last week that Techstars is closing its Seattle accelerator as part of a broader reset.

So where should Seattle's tech community go from here? And what role do startup accelerators serve in the age of AI and remote work? Devore, the founding managing director of the Founders Co-op venture fund, joins us on this bonus episode of the GeekWire Podcast to share his thoughts about what happened, and his optimism about what's next. "I think Seattle is setting itself up for a great moment in its entrepreneurial journey," he says.

RELATED LINKS AND STORIES

David Cohen: Techstars is evolving and growing
Techstars: Techstars 2.0: Supercharging Founder Success
Chris DeVore: What went wrong at Techstars
GeekWire: Techstars Seattle is shutting down as accelerator shifts focus to cities with more VC activity
Marcelo Calbucci: The most successful accelerator cohort ever: How this Techstars Seattle class produced 3 unicorns
GeekWire Podcast: Techstars Seattle’s demise leaves a gap in the startup market

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Techstars Seattle's demise leaves a gap in startup market

Sat, 24 Feb 2024 15:17:56 +0000

Techstars Seattle helped launch more than 160 startups over the past decade, partnered with the likes of Microsoft and Amazon to spark even more startups, and led to the creation of three companies currently valued at more than $1 billion — making it one of the most successful programs in the Techstars network.

Founded in 2006 in Boulder, Colo., Techstars provides fledgling startups with early capital, coaching, mentorship, a chance to pitch to investors, and an opportunity to work for three months in a shared space with other entrepreneurs.

Techstars expanded to Seattle in 2010, and for more than a decade, it worked. And then, this week, it ended. TechStars announced that it's closing its Seattle accelerator as part of a broader restructuring.

So what happened? And what's next? GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper joins the show this week to address those questions.

Related stories

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OpenAI's Sora, a new Amazon book, and 5 days a week in the office

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 16:17:38 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, stick around to the end for a late-breaking addition to the show — a bonus segment about OpenAI's new AI video generation technology Sora. Joining the show is Rahul Sood, CEO and co-founder of Irreverent Labs, a Seattle-area startup that is working on AI to turn images and text into video.

We also discuss the Seattle-area startups that are bringing employees into the office five days a week; look ahead to the upcoming release of what appears to be a juicy Amazon book, due out in April; and preview the GeekWire Awards in advance of the Feb. 29 deadline for nominations. And in our "My AI" segment, we talk about a specific approach to chatting with ChatGPT on the go.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

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Bezos' big stock sale, Nadella's first 10 years, and will AI read your next book?

Sat, 10 Feb 2024 15:05:01 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, Todd Bishop and John Cook examine the timing of Jeff Bezos' plan to sell up to 50 million shares of Amazon stock, in the context of his public announcement that he would be moving to Miami; assess Satya Nadella's track record as Microsoft CEO as he reaches 10 years in the role; and test an example of how text-to-speech applications could change the way we engage with printed books — or maybe not, based on the way one of them reacts.

Audio editing by Curt Milton; theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Apple Vision Pro, a developer's take; Defusing AI deepfakes

Sat, 03 Feb 2024 15:44:00 +0000

First up this week on the GeekWire Podcast: an inside take on developing software for the Apple Vision Pro.

We talked with a longtime software developer for Apple platforms, Ken Case, co-founder and CEO of Seattle-based Omni Group, which makes productivity apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and just released a version of its OmniPlan project management software for the newly launched Apple Vision Pro.

Related story: Apple Vision Pro: Why one longtime software shop is jumping head-first into spatial computing

Then, it's AI, politics, and a new attempt to detect and defuse deepfakes.

A few weeks ago on the show, Oren Etzioni, a University of Washington computer science professor and longtime artificial intelligence specialist, hinted at a secret project in the works. This week, he unveiled nonprofit, nonpartisan technology organization, TrueMedia.org, that is developing an AI-powered tool to detect AI-generated deepfake videos, photos, and audio, aiming to combat political disinformation in the leadup to the 2024 elections.

We jumped back on the line with Etzioni to get the details on the new initiatives, and discuss the pros and cons of the rapid development of new generative AI tools for democracy and society.

Related story: New nonpartisan AI nonprofit TrueMedia, led by Oren Etzioni, is making a political deepfake detector

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing by Curt Milton.

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Experiments in AI, with Kevin Leneway of Pioneer Square Labs

Sat, 27 Jan 2024 16:37:25 +0000

Our guest this week is someone who is experimenting every day with AI, pushing the capabilities of the existing tools and technologies: Kevin Leneway, principal software engineer at the Pioneer Square Labs startup incubator in Seattle. He talks about the tools he's using across his personal and work life, and how they're transforming the process of innovation and creativity. He also shares details about a new project he's been working on, an AI coding assistant called JACoB.

Hosted by GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.

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Costco vs. Amazon, Microsoft's latest Copilot, and a Zulily conspiracy theory

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 15:41:20 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we consider Microsoft's latest AI product, the $20/month Copilot Pro, compare it to the likes of ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro and Otter.ai — and realize in the process that one of us is already paying way too much for AI assistants on a monthly basis.

Plus, a deep dive on Zulily bolsters a hypothesis about the motives of the private equity firm that acquired and later shut down the online retailer.

And finally, we compare, contrast, and appreciate the very different approaches taken by Costco and Amazon for authenticating the identity of customers at store entrances and check-out.

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop.

Related Stories:

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Amazon Ring CEO Liz Hamren on AI and the future of home monitoring

Sat, 13 Jan 2024 16:18:18 +0000

Liz Hamren has been CEO of Amazon's Ring business for almost a year, as the successor in the role to Ring founder Jamie Siminoff.

Hamren previously held technology and business leadership positions at companies including Dropcam, Microsoft, Oculus, and Discord, and was involved in product launches including Xbox consoles and Meta VR headsets. In addition to Ring, she leads Blink, Amazon Key, and Amazon Sidewalk in her current role. She spoke with us recently in her first public interview since becoming Ring CEO last year.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Audio editing by Curt Milton.

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Can AI level the playing field? Nancy Wang of Advancing Women in Tech

Sat, 06 Jan 2024 14:40:49 +0000

This week's guest, Nancy Wang, is a technology product and engineering executive, advisor, and investor. A former Amazon Web Services general manager and former Google lead product manager, she is a venture partner at Felicis Ventures, where she invests in early-stage startups in cybersecurity, enterprise infrastructure, and business-to-business software as a service. She is also founder and board chair of Advancing Women in Tech, and a contributor to Forbes.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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NY Times vs. Microsoft; Plus, Oren Etzioni on AI in 2023 and beyond

Sat, 30 Dec 2023 15:04:32 +0000

Our guest this week on the GeekWire Podcast is computer scientist and entrepreneur Oren Etzioni, assessing the past year in AI, and looking ahead to what's next. Etzioni, an AI leader for many decades, is professor emeritus at the University of Washington, Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence board member, AI2 Incubator technical director, and Madrona Venture Group venture partner.

In the first segment of the show, GeekWire's John Cook and Todd Bishop discuss the big AI news of the week: The New York Times Co.'s landmark lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI over their use of the newspaper's articles in AI models.

Audio editing by Curt Milton.

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Surviving Amazon: Work, life, and bias inside one of the world's most ambitious businesses

Sat, 16 Dec 2023 14:44:56 +0000

Our guest this week is Kristi Coulter, whose latest book is Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career. It’s a memoir about what she learned in her 12 years at Amazon about work, gender bias, and herself. Exit Interview is Coulter's second book. Her first, Nothing Good Can Come From This, is a collection of essays about quitting drinking. As you’ll learn from this podcast conversation, it intersects with her Amazon career.

Guest hosting is Ross Reynolds, whose voice is well-known in the Seattle region from his 34 years at KUOW, the public radio station from which he retired in 2021.

Production assistance from Curt Milton.

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How to be an 'Uncommon Thinker'

Sat, 09 Dec 2023 17:04:33 +0000

GeekWire's reporters have spent the past month profiling a group of six “Uncommon Thinkers”: Seattle-area inventors, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs transforming industries and driving positive change in the world.

This editorial series, presented in partnership with Greater Seattle Partners, was based on the deliberations of a panel of outside judges who chose the Uncommon Thinkers from nominations submitted by GeekWire readers.

Working on these profiles helped us identify the commonalities among our honorees, including their inspirations, mindsets, and approaches. On this week's GeekWire Podcast, we talk with four of our Uncommon Thinkers in interviews recorded backstage at the GeekWire Gala, where we honored them this week.

Read the six “Uncommon Thinkers” profiles here:

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.

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'Amazon Q' and the new era of AI for business

Sat, 02 Dec 2023 16:04:24 +0000

AI was the big theme inside the long-running Amazon Web Services re:Invent cloud conference in Las Vegas this week, where the company's announcements included a new AI assistant for work called Amazon Q. We spoke with Matt Wood, AWS vice president of product, about the new service and the new era of AI for business.

Related Coverage:

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What's next for Microsoft and OpenAI; Amazon car sales; disappearing unicorns

Sat, 25 Nov 2023 16:18:55 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we assess the outcome of the drama at OpenAI, considering what the removal and ultimate return of its CEO Sam Altman, and everything that happened in between, means for Microsoft.

While Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella earned kudos for masterfully navigating the mess, the situation also showed how the company was vulnerable to being blindsided due to OpenAI's convoluted structure.

And while for-profit interests are likely to get more influence on OpenAI's reformulated board, it's not yet clear if Microsoft will end up with a seat on that board, leaving the ultimate outcome for Microsoft unclear, for now.

We also look at Amazon's move into car-buying, and examine the Seattle region's dwindling flock of unicorns.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

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The shakeup at OpenAI, and what it means for Microsoft

Sat, 18 Nov 2023 18:00:45 +0000

The surprise removal of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is the buzz of the tech industry — raising questions about the company’s role in the AI revolution, the ambitions of Altman and his team, the impact of his exit on the rest of the tech industry, OpenAI’s complex corporate structure, and its unusual partnership with Microsoft.

This week, we recap the latest developments in this fast-moving story, and then talk with Matt McIlwain of Madrona Venture Group about the broader implications of Altman's ouster for Microsoft, Amazon, and the tech industry.

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AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li on the future of humanity

Sat, 11 Nov 2023 15:28:03 +0000

Fei-Fei Li's new book is the story of her journey from China to the U.S., from small business to Big Tech, and from academic research to corporate life, and back again. But more than that, it's the story of the dawn of artificial intelligence, as told through her experience as one of the people summoning this new day and standing there awestruck, excited and concerned about what it will mean for humanity.

Dr. Li joins us on this episode to discuss the book, The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI, published by Moment of Lift Books, an imprint from Melinda French Gates and Flatiron Books.

Known for her foundational contributions to AI and computer vision, Dr. Li is the inventor of ImageNet, a large-scale dataset of images that enabled rapid advances in deep learning for visual recognition. She is a professor of computer science at Stanford University and a co-director of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, who worked as Google Cloud's chief scientist for AI/ML during a 2017-2018 sabbatical.

Note: GeekWire's Todd Bishop will be speaking further with Dr. Li on Monday evening Nov. 13 at Town Hall in Seattle. See this site for details and tickets.

Edited by Curt Milton.

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Jeff Bezos' big move, Convoy's final stop, AI meets VC

Sat, 04 Nov 2023 14:51:43 +0000

What should we make of Jeff Bezos' decision to move his primary residence from Seattle to Miami? That's our first topic on this week's episode. Plus, Convoy's final destination; a new AI feature from Seattle startup Yoodli that helps startup founders hone their pitches; and Amazon tests Bluetooth earplugs for warehouse workers.

Related stories and links

Flexport buys Convoy’s tech; Convoy CEO Dan Lewis, other employees to join freight company

AI-powered ‘VC pitch coach’ from Yoodli helps startup founders prepare to face investors

Amazon tests letting warehouse workers listen to music and other audio via Bluetooth earplugs

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

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Inside the AI Revolution: Tech execs on the new realities for software, startups, and the future

Sat, 28 Oct 2023 14:37:04 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we're featuring a panel discussion from the recent GeekWire Summit in Seattle, with three technology and business leaders offering first-hand insights into the new era of artificial intelligence.

Bridget Frey, CTO at Redfin, the tech-powered real estate company that operates in more than 100 markets in the U.S. and Canada.
Inbal Shani, chief product officer at GitHub, the software development platform used by more than 100 million developers around the world.
David Shim, CEO at Read AI, a Seattle-based startup using AI to provide a new window into meetings, and transform them in the process.

Frey, Shani and Shim share real-world examples of AI impacting software development, real estate, and meetings. They address topics like privacy, bias, education, and the future of work. They also discuss the changing nature of technical jobs, and a blurring of the line between developers and non-developers.

From the audience, we get questions about adapting AI to account for emotional intelligence; advice for aspiring engineers; preventing synthetic content from corrupting human experiences; protecting proprietary corporate data; and the prospects for improving work-life balance as AI increases productivity.

See GeekWire.com for notes and takeaways. Hosted by GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Podcast audio editing by Curt Milton. On-site A/V by Adavanza.

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What the heck happened at Convoy?

Sat, 21 Oct 2023 12:51:18 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we examine the market forces, debt, and other dynamics that put the digital freight marketplace Convoy out of business, bringing one of the Seattle region's top startups to the end of the road.

Related coverage:

Convoy raised $260 million just 18 months ago, at a valuation of $3.8 billion. Its investor list was a who's who of tech moguls and celebrities, including Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Marc Benioff, and even Bono and The Edge of U2 fame.

GeekWire co-founder John Cook, who has covered startups and venture capital since before the dot-com bust, compares Convoy's implosion to past flameouts of high-profile startups, and explains the long-term trends in investing that served as the backdrop for Convoy's demise. After a long stretch of free-flowing capital at astronomical valuations, fundamental business realities are catching up to some heavily funded startups.

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Robots, AI, and the future of labor: 'Way bigger than the steam engine'

Sat, 14 Oct 2023 14:13:14 +0000

Our guest this week is Geordie Rose, co-founder and CEO of Sanctuary AI.

The global conversation about robots and the workforce has shifted substantially in recent years, from concern about robots taking jobs to questions about how quickly they can fill gaps in the labor market.

One of the ventures at the forefront of this issue is Sanctuary AI. It's a Vancouver, B.C.-based company that has raised more than $100 million Canadian dollars to pursue its vision for labor as a service.

Sanctuary makes a 5-foot, 7-inch general-purpose humanoid robot called Phoenix, powered by an advanced AI system called Carbon.

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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella vs. Google

Sat, 07 Oct 2023 14:36:21 +0000

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testified this week in Google's antitrust case in Washington, D.C., supporting the U.S. Justice Department's contention that the search giant unfairly leverages its market power to stifle competition, a charge that Google vehemently disputes.

On this episode of the podcast, we reenact portions of Nadella's testimony, explain the positions staked out by Microsoft and Google in the case, and discuss the irony of Microsoft siding with the DOJ two decades after fighting its own antitrust battle against the agency.

Read additional excerpts in this GeekWire Post: What Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in court about Google, Apple, search, and the future of AI

Plus, Generative AI and the "Ghost of Lesser Seattle." We revisit our attempt to channel the late, great Seattle newspaper columnist Emmett Watson with the help of ChatGPT, and assess the reaction.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

Related links and coverage:

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Unpacking the FTC's case vs. Amazon

Sat, 30 Sep 2023 14:57:09 +0000

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we dive deep into the landmark lawsuit filed by the FTC against Amazon with insights from former Amazon seller Jason Boyce, co-author of "The Amazon Jungle," host of the Day 2 podcast, and CEO of Avenue7Media, an agency that works with online sellers.

We discuss the implications of the lawsuit for Amazon, consumers, and sellers in the context of the changing dynamics of the online retail. Boyce, with his 17 years of experience as a seller and his current role working with third-party sellers, offers a unique perspective on Amazon's practices and the broader e-commerce landscape. We also touch upon Amazon's evolving relationship with sellers, the challenges of omni-channel retail, and the rise of new online marketplace competitors.

GeekWire coverage

Lawsuit: FTC et al vs. Amazon, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

New York Times: For Amazon’s Andy Jassy, a Cleanup Job Just Got a Lot Bigger

Reuters: Amazon drops planned merchant fee as FTC lawsuit looms

CNBC: FTC Chair Lina Khan: Amazon lawsuit is about protecting free and fair competition

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Lumen CEO Kate Johnson: Seattle tech, AI, Microsoft, and 'cloudifying' telecom

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 13:47:07 +0000

Kate Johnson is based in Denver in her role as Lumen Technologies CEO and president, but she has been spending a lot of time in the Seattle area recently, and not just because one of the local stadiums bears the company's name.

Johnson sees the Seattle region an ideal test bed and proving ground for Lumen's offerings, including consumer and business broadband, voice, and data services.

Yes, it helps that she has a home here, as a holdover from her prior role as Microsoft's U.S. president. But beyond that, she cites the region's importance as a major U.S. tech hub, the home of the biggest cloud platforms, a strong community of tech companies, and tech-savvy families who understand the appeal of fiber internet service.

"The market is growing, and we are well-positioned to serve it," she said. "I've been spending time making sure we're making the appropriate investments, that I'm understanding our opportunities, and that we're capitalizing on them."

It's part of a broader effort by Johnson and her team to reinvent the publicly traded telecommunications company, which was formed by the combination of Level 3 Communications and CenturyLink in 2017 and rebranded as Lumen in 2020. Johnson was named Lumen CEO a year ago and took over the role in November 2022.

Educated as an engineer, with past experience at companies including Oracle, Red Hat, and Deloitte, Johnson is one of 53 female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. She is charged with sparking new growth at a company that reported a net loss of $1.5 billion last year, after special charges, on revenue of $17.5 billion, down 11% year-over-year.

In a recent podcast interview at Seattle's Lumen Field, she discussed topics including:

The evolution of the telecommunications industry and the need to reinvent the classic telecom business model amid the rapid increase in data and the rise of generative artificial intelligence.
Her ongoing efforts to change Lumen's culture, including an unusual series of internal meetings that have been ultimately constructive but initially unsettling for some longtime employees and executives.
Her tenure at Microsoft, and her recent experiences using Microsoft 365 Copilot as part of her work. Lumen has been one of the companies piloting Microsoft's corporate AI tools prior to their broader release in November.

Audio editing by Curt Milton. Hosted by Todd Bishop.

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Longtime Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley is our Copilot on this episode

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 14:18:16 +0000

It was a big week for Microsoft, with the unveiling of the company's latest Windows and AI features and new Surface devices at a special event in New York City on Thursday.

This was preceded, by only a few days, by the surprise resignation of Panos Panay, the chief product officer in charge of the company's Windows and Devices division. Shortly after that announcement, Bloomberg News reported that Panay was set to join Amazon as the new leader of its Devices & Services division, a surprise twist that has yet to be confirmed as of publication time.

To help sort it all out, we're excited to be joined on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast by someone who has covered the company for many years, journalist Mary Jo Foley, editor in chief at DirectionsOnMicrosoft.com.

Related Stories

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Human creativity and AI: Catching up with Chris Pirillo

Sat, 16 Sep 2023 13:58:02 +0000

Chris Pirillo is an entrepreneur, creator, event organizer, and online community leader who has been a guide to the world of tech for everyday users since the early days of the web.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we catch up with Chris about his latest project, CreatorTech.net, an email newsletter and monthly meetup focused on the intersection of creativity and artificial intelligence. The next CreatorTech meetup is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 25, at the Microsoft Reactor in Redmond.

We also discuss some of the latest AI and tech tools that Chris has been finding useful, and hear his take on corporate return-to-office mandates — spoiler alert, he's not a fan!

Chris Pirillo on the new iPhone 15, and the edited take discussed on the show.
The latest CreatorTech email with a list of 25 AI tools to check out.
Our last GeekWire Podcast/Radio conversation with Chris in June 2013.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Is Elon Musk calculated or crazed? Walter Isaacson on his new book

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 14:16:03 +0000

Our guest on this special episode is journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson, whose new book about Elon Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla founder and X (Twitter) owner, was published this week. Isaacson addresses the question of whether Musk is "calculated or crazed," as one anecdote in the book puts it; discusses Musk's role in some of the world's most vital infrastructure, including SpaceX's Starlink satellites; compares Musk's approach and style to Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos; addresses Musk's outlook on artificial intelligence and space travel; and outlines the key issues that could determine Musk's legacy.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited and produced by Curt Milton.

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Amazon's robots and its larger vision for work

Sat, 09 Sep 2023 14:45:22 +0000

Tye Brady, chief technologist for Amazon Robotics, joins us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to talk about the company's latest warehouse robots, explaining how they represent the emergence of the larger vision that prompted him to join Amazon more than eight years ago. Our conversation at Amazon HQ in Seattle followed a trip by GeekWire's Todd Bishop to Austin and San Marcos, Texas, to see many of Amazon's newest autonomous robots first-hand.

Related coverage:

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Amazon is done debating return to office; Robot umps update; GeekWire Summit sneak peek

Sat, 02 Sep 2023 13:30:38 +0000

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy made it clear in a recent internal meeting that he wants employees to "disagree and commit" to the company's policy of working three days in the office, and find somewhere else to work if it doesn't work for them. We discuss the news in our first segment this week, and ponder why Amazon seems to be getting a bigger backlash than other big companies implementing similar policies.

In our second segment, we consider new changes in the MLB automated ball/strike system for Triple-A games, as an update to Seattle Mariners CEO John Stanton's comments in a recent interview with our GeekWire colleague Taylor Soper.

And finally, we give a sneak preview of the upcoming GeekWire Summit, scheduled for Oct. 19 at the iconic Seattle movie theater formerly known as the Cinerama.

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop. Edited and produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Shift AI Podcast: Seattle's place at the center of the AI universe, with Madrona's Matt McIlwain

Sat, 26 Aug 2023 13:33:46 +0000

On this week’s GeekWire Podcast, we're featuring an episode of Shift AI, a podcast hosted by Boaz Ashkenazy, CEO of AI solutions provider Simply Augmented, with guest Matt McIlwain of Seattle-based venture capital firm Madrona Venture Group.

A thriving tech hub requires access to ideas, people, and experiments that produce collective lessons sooner and with greater fidelity than anywhere else. This is what made the Seattle area the cloud capital of the world. It also positions the region as one of the world’s top centers of excellence for artificial intelligence.

That’s one of the insights from Matt McIlwain, managing director at Madrona Venture Group, on this episode of Shift AI, a show that explores what it takes to thrive and adapt to the changing workplace in the digital age of remote work and AI. We discuss Matt’s background and experience building companies and advising founders, and get his take on the future of AI.

Subscribe to ShiftAI and hear more episodes at ShiftAIPodcast.com.

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Building an 'AI chief of staff,' with Xembly CEO Pete Christothoulou

Sat, 19 Aug 2023 14:44:32 +0000

How can startups differentiate themselves in the new era of AI?

We've been discussing that question a lot recently on the GeekWire Podcast, and on this episode, we'll get a first-hand look from business and technology veteran Pete Christothoulou, who has been immersed in this world for many years.

Christothoulou is the former CEO of Marchex, the call and conversational analytics company, who is now founder and CEO of Xembly, a Seattle-based startup developing AI-powered technology that replicates a chief of staff and executive assistant, automating tasks such as meeting notes, scheduling, and action items.

Xembly was founded in Madrona Venture Labs nearly three years ago, long before the current mania over large language models. The company has raised $20 million from major venture capital firms and angel investors. It employs about 45 people, with customers including Salesforce, Qualtrics, and Twilio, among others.

We talk about the rapid developments in AI over the past year, and take a close look at Xembly as a case study for insights into how startups can differentiate themselves in this new era of AI.

In the final segment, we consider the big-picture implications of AI in the current deluge of information and the quest for meaningful productivity.

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Mariners CEO and wireless pioneer John Stanton on the future of baseball

Sat, 12 Aug 2023 15:28:24 +0000

How can baseball embrace technology and new traditions while honoring its legacy and listening to its fans? Those were the questions at the heart of the Seattle Mariners CEO's conversation this week with Taylor Soper, at the GeekWire Rooftop BBQ and Mariners Day at the First Mode headquarters in Seattle.

Stanton brings his experience as a longtime business and tech leader to his role with the Mariners. He also chairs Major League Baseball's competition committee, the group leading some of the biggest changes in the history of the sport, including the pitch clock that has dramatically shortened game times this year. He spoke with Taylor in the midst of a Mariners' winning streak that has since been extended to eight games with a 9-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.

An early McCaw Cellular executive and founding partner at Bellevue, Wash.-based venture firm Trilogy Equity Partners, Stanton was CEO of Western Wireless and VoiceStream, the predecessor to T-Mobile USA, and also served as chairman of broadcast communications provider Clearwire.

Listen for highlights from Stanton's remarks in the second segment, and read an extended writeup with more of his comments on GeekWire.

In the first segment, GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop revisit a recent conversation with Brinc CEO Blake Resnick based on John's sighting of the company's technology during an armed standoff in his neighborhood this week.

In the final segment, John and Todd offer their thoughts on Stanton's remarks, Todd rants about an annoying tradition carried on by Seattle Mariners fans in the stands during a pivotal moment in a game this week, and they discuss Todd's idea to use technology to help fans keep more engaged with the action on the field.

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Amazon's AI strategy, how AI startups can stand out, and hope for AI and humanity

Sat, 05 Aug 2023 14:58:17 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we look at how Amazon is positioning itself in the emerging era of generative artificial intelligence. We play and assess clips of Amazon CEO Andy Jassy explaining the company's AI strategy on its earnings call this week.

We also discuss the history of AI usage by startups, and consider advice from investors and startup leaders at Seattle Tech Week for emerging tech companies looking to stand out with their own AI applications and solutions.

And finally, we reconsider our approach to interacting with machines and contemplate the possibility of artificial intelligence reflecting not just the worst but the best of humanity.

Related links and headlines

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Drones and the future of public safety, with Brinc CEO Blake Resnick

Sat, 29 Jul 2023 14:13:53 +0000

Blake Resnick built a fusion reactor in his garage at age 14, and interned at McLaren Automotive, Tesla, and DJI, before dropping out of Northwestern University in 2017 to launch drone startup Brinc.

Now, at age 23, he oversees a team of nearly 100 people making drones and other technology for public safety agencies, serving more than 400 customers.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, recorded on-location at the company's headquarters in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, Resnick talks about Brinc’s origins, its move from Las Vegas to Seattle, the upcoming release of its Lemur 2 drone, his recent White House visit, and the geopolitical forces impacting its products.

He also explains the mind-blowing series of events that led OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to become the company’s first investor. Listen to the end for that.

Related stories and links

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Microsoft's big bet on the AI economy

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 14:01:29 +0000

Microsoft staked its financial claim in the AI gold rush this week, announcing the pricing for its upcoming Microsoft 365 Copilot technology: a whopping $30/user per month on top of its existing enterprise subscription license fees.

Wall Street loved it. One analyst called it "eye popping." Investors sent the company's shares to a new record on the day the pricing was announced.

The upcoming product, fueled by Microsoft and OpenAI technologies, is designed to integrate with Microsoft productivity apps and work with internal business data, going beyond the capabilities of web-based generative AI technologies.

But will companies see that much value in what Microsoft has to offer? Microsoft 365 Copilot is still in private preview, for now, but the pricing suggests that the company likes what it's seeing and hearing from early users.

It's part of a big week that also saw the company clear a major hurdle in its $69 billion Activision-Blizzard acquisition, winning a key court ruling and giving itself an extra three months of breathing room to complete the blockbuster gaming deal.

But behind the scenes, Microsoft is grappling with shaky morale amid ongoing cutbacks, and growing questions about the gap between employee and executive compensation. Meanwhile, a high-profile U.S. government breach by a Chinese hacking group is raising new questions about the security of Microsoft products, and threatening to undermine a growing source of revenue for the company.

It's shaping up as one of the biggest years in Microsoft history, and this was perhaps the biggest week of the year so far for the company. Next up: Microsoft will make its quarterly earnings report on Tuesday.

Stories discussed on this week's show:

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Amazon's Alexa and the rapid evolution of AI

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 14:34:26 +0000

This week, we take a closer look at Amazon's Alexa in a world where generative AI is enabling increasingly sophisticated conversations with digital assistants.

How does Alexa stack up against ChatGPT? Is that even a fair comparison? How will privacy play into all of this? And what's Amazon's commitment to Alexa in this era of corporate cutbacks. Those are some of the topics we discuss with Rohit Prasad, the longtime senior vice president and head scientist for Alexa, whose role has expanded in the past year to lead the entire Alexa business.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited and produced by Curt Milton.

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What generative AI means for cities

Sat, 08 Jul 2023 14:00:00 +0000

If the use of generative AI in the workplace didn’t seem complicated enough already, just consider what it means for big cities and other governmental agencies.

The implications of common AI problems such as algorithmic bias and attribution of intellectual property are magnified in the public sector, and further complicated by unique challenges such as the retention and production of public records.

Jim Loter, interim chief technology officer for the city of Seattle, grappled with these issues as he and his team produced the city’s first generative AI policy this spring. Loter recently presented on the topic to the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio, and he joins us to discuss the issue on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited and produced by Curt Milton.

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How AI is changing Microsoft Windows

Sat, 01 Jul 2023 16:09:41 +0000

For more than four decades, since the 1980s, pointing and clicking has been the primary method of using a personal computer. What if that changed to simply thinking, typing and doing? That's one promise of AI. Rather than remembering the keyboard shortcut to take a screenshot, or the setting to shift the screen into dark mode, you could just tell the computer what you want it to do in natural language.

Microsoft is moving in this direction with the development of Windows Copilot, an adaptation of its Open AI-powered Bing search chatbot integrated directly into the operating system, showing as a persistent sidebar once activated by users via a new taskbar button.

This week, the company started to give users in the Windows Insider preview program a very early look at Windows Copilot.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we're featuring a conversation with Aaron Woodman, the Windows vice president of marketing, recorded shortly after Windows Copilot was unveiled a few weeks ago.

Here is the full video of Windows Central's hands-on with the Windows Insider early preview of Windows Copilot, as highlighted in the intro to this episode.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.

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The story of OceanGate and Stockton Rush

Sat, 24 Jun 2023 15:17:05 +0000

"Our rule is, we risk capital — we don't risk people." That was the guiding principle for Everett-Wash.-based OceanGate, as described by its CEO, Stockton Rush, at the GeekWire Summit in October 2022.

Rush's engineering decisions, and his tolerance for risk, as reflected in his comments at our event, are getting new scrutiny after the apparent implosion of OceanGate's Titan submersible, near the site of the Titanic wreck deep under the North Atlantic Ocean this week, killing Rush and four others on board.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we're joined by Alan Boyle, GeekWire contributing editor, who has been covering OceanGate for the past seven years. He tells the story of Stockton Rush and the company, discusses the tragedy of the past week, and contemplates what's next for OceanGate and the larger world of ocean and space exploration.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop

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Inside the Amazon and Walmart rivalry, with Jason Del Rey

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 14:03:35 +0000

Our guest this week is Jason Del Rey, a business reporter who covered Amazon, Walmart and the business of online retail for more than a decade at Recode and Vox Media. His new book is "Winner Sells All: Amazon, Walmart, and the Battle for our Wallets," which takes an inside look at what he calls "the defining business clash of this generation—a battle waged for our loyalty and wallets, with hundreds of billions of dollars at stake and millions of jobs on the line."

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton.

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Data's destiny: Bob Muglia on the future of AI and humanity

Sat, 17 Jun 2023 14:26:18 +0000

This week: the origins of data, and the future of the digital species.

Our guest is business and tech leader Bob Muglia, a startup investor and advisor who played key roles in the emergence of Microsoft's database, server, and business software products, and served as the CEO of data warehouse company Snowflake Computing. He's the author, with Steve Hamm, of a new book called "The Datapreneurs: The Promise of AI and the Creators Building Our Future," published by Peakpoint Press.

Muglia connects the dots between early data innovation and the emerging era of artificial intelligence; talks about lessons from one of his favorite authors, Isaac Asimov; compares Microsoft and IBM to Microsoft and OpenAI; explains why he's ultimately an optimist about technology and humanity; and tells the story of the data center he built in his house when he was a Microsoft executive.

"We've gone from the verbal way of recording information ... to various forms of writing, to the printing press, to ultimately digital computers and the internet. And now data of every type is recording society in a way that essentially has a permanence attached to it. And these intelligent entities that we can create in the future will learn from all of this. ... It's a little scary, for sure, but it's pretty exciting."

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton.

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Apple vs. Microsoft: Vision Pro, HoloLens, and the future of computing

Sat, 10 Jun 2023 14:58:29 +0000

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday unveiled the company's new $3500 Vision Pro headset, declaring a new era for spatial computing, and it was difficult not to notice the similarities to Microsoft's unveiling of its HoloLens headset back in 2015.

The comparison of Vision Pro and HoloLens, and the way the devices match a certain historical pattern, is one of our topics this week in a broader discussion about the new Apple device and what it means for the future of technology and computing.

Our guest is John Tomizuka, co-founder and CTO of Seattle-based tech startup Taqtile, which makes augmented reality work instruction software for enterprise companies. Taqtile has been working on HoloLens applications since the beginning, and the company said this week that it plans develop for the Vision Pro, as well.

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Voices from the Amazon walkout

Sat, 03 Jun 2023 14:33:24 +0000

Hundreds of Amazon employees walked out of the office in Seattle this week, gathering in between the company's headquarters towers while holding signs, participating in chants and listening to speakers urge the tech giant to do better. It was part of a global walkout that organizers said drew participation from more than 2,000 Amazon employees worldwide.

So why did they walk out, and what do they hope to accomplish?

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we hear from Amazon employees in the crowd and speakers at the podium, explain the company's perspective, and put the walkout in the larger context of the tectonic shifts taking place in the tech industry.

With GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser and co-founder Todd Bishop.

AI hype vs. reality, returning to the office, and a driving tour of Amazon HQ

Sat, 27 May 2023 14:35:49 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we're coming to you from our mobile recording studio, aka Todd's car, as he and John make the most of their time in a clogged parking garage to discuss the comments they had just heard from T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert at the Technology Alliance annual State of Technology luncheon.

Topics include artificial intelligence, national security concerns over Chinese hacking, downtown safety, and getting employees back to the office. From there, we take an impromptu driving tour of Amazon HQ to see things first-hand.

Stories discussed on this week's show:

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Audio clips of Sievert provided by the Tech Alliance. See GeekWire.com for more coverage.

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AI, startups, and Star Wars: Highlights from the GeekWire Awards

Sat, 20 May 2023 16:29:47 +0000

The theme at this week's GeekWire Awards was Star Wars, but we didn't need to go to a galaxy far, far away to find the force that promises to reshape the technology industry. The game-changing potential of AI was on the minds of many finalists and attendees, and integral to the business models of many of the companies featured on stage. This episode features conversations with finalists and attendees about the economy, artificial intelligence, and more ... plus lots of cool tech along the way.

More Coverage: GeekWire Awards 2023

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Google I/O takeaways: AI is changing the way we read, write, and work

Sat, 13 May 2023 14:25:04 +0000

We're back this week on the GeekWire Podcast as humans, not bots, we promise, but we've still got a lot of AI to talk about.

On this week's episode, Todd shares highlights from his visit to Google I/O, including two of the generative AI tools that demonstrated the potential of technology to change the way we process and convey information.

Todd and John wrestle with the implications of these AI tools for human creativity, consider the long-term impact on society, balance these concerns against their natural sense of awe and wonder about innovation, and discuss ways that new tech realities are shielding companies from scrutiny.

Stories and topics referenced on this week's show.

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop.

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AI voice clones take over; Amazon returns to office; GeekWire Awards preview

Sat, 06 May 2023 14:28:09 +0000

For all the hype over generative artificial intelligence, how far has AI really advanced? Where is the new line between humanity and technology, and what does it mean for the future of our daily lives and work?

GeekWire is exploring these questions in our Bot or Not series, and this week on the GeekWire Podcast, we share and assess the preliminary results of an experiment that we’ve been doing as part of this effort. We created AI voice clones for GeekWire's John Cook and Todd Bishop, and had those clones read an AI-generated podcast script.

You can hear a short clip from this experiment in the first segment of this week’s episode, followed by reactions from our colleague Kurt Schlosser, and from John, who was hearing his own voice clone for the first time.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for a more in-depth look at this process and the larger issues raised by AI voice cloning as part of our Bot or Not series.

In the second segment, we get Kurt’s first-hand report from Amazon headquarters as the tech giant’s employees return to the office en masse for the first time in more than three years.
In the final segment, listen for a preview of the GeekWire Awards, coming up May 18 in Seattle. Check out all of our GeekWire Awards coverage here, and learn more on the GeekWire Awards event site.

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Insights from GeekWire's STEM Educators of the Year

Wed, 03 May 2023 14:05:47 +0000

Today's top STEM teachers embrace learning opportunities wherever they arise, whether it's baby squirrels that have fallen from their nest, or engineering design failures that literally go up in smoke.

At the GeekWire Awards on May 18, we’re celebrating two STEM Educators of the Year:

Ted Rodriquez, an instructor for high school juniors and seniors at the Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center in Everett, Wash.
Melissa Pearcy teaches kindergarten-through-fifth-grade students in her role as a science specialist at Jefferson Elementary, which is part of Spokane Public Schools.

These teachers are among the best in delivering science, technology, engineering and math education. They're teaching students fundamental scientific principals -- but perhaps even more importantly, they're helping them learn how to solve problems, take risks, and recover from failure.

The GeekWire Awards recognize the top innovators and companies in Pacific Northwest technology. Our STEM educator honorees were selected based on community nominations, along with input from GeekWire Awards judges.

We recently spoke with the two teachers to learn more about their creative, engaging efforts to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders. Bank of America is the sponsor of this award, now in its third year.

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AI and the future of human health

Sat, 29 Apr 2023 13:32:03 +0000

Biomedicine pioneer Leroy Hood says that artificial intelligence will play a key role in the future of healthcare by accelerating the progress of "scientific wellness," an approach that he has championed for many years.

Hood, co-founder of the Institute for Systems Biology, delves into this approach in his new book, “The Age of Scientific Wellness,” which he wrote with co-author Nathan Price, an ISB professor and chief scientific officer of Thorne HealthTech.

In this week's GeekWire Podcast we talk with Hood about the book, how AI is key to the future of medicine, and what the average person can do now to live a healthy life.

"AI will be the core foundation for the diagnosis and delivery of actionable possibilities for the information that comes from data-driven health in the future," he said. "It will be able to take each individual and map out exactly how they should optimize their health and keep track of it."

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A mysterious Twitter suspension, weird AI hallucinations, and David Bowie's crystal ball

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 14:47:50 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we're joined by a University of Washington professor whose Twitter account was abruptly suspended last week for reasons that seemed inexplicable at the time. The story is a glimpse into the erratic, arbitrary, and divided state of social media, communications, and modern economics.

We also get a reality check on the new era of artificial intelligence, including the ongoing tendency of OpenAI's ChatGPT to generate facts out of thin air.

And in the final segment, we hear why the late David Bowie was right all along about the "exhilarating and terrifying" future in which the rest of us our now living.

Our guest is Kathy Gill, a tech veteran who is an adjunct professor at the University of Washington and Bellevue College, focusing on communications and user experience. Her current courses include a writing class for UW engineering students. She's a writer, motorcyclist, and self-described news hound. Follow her @kegill or @kathygill, and read her work at wiredpen.com.

Related links and resources

TechDirt: Twitter Suspends User For Sharing Washington Post Story About Pentagon Docs Leaker
WiredPen: Yes, ChatGPT can answer questions. Can you trust it? Nope
Conducting research: a guide for undergrads, by Kathy Gill
Watch the full interview with David Bowie from the BBC in 1999, as resurfaced by Michael Warburton this week.

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Amazon's new agenda

Sat, 15 Apr 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's annual letter to shareholders this week delivered a dual message: while the company might not be done streamlining its operations, it's also not scaling back its ambitions for future growth.

Jassy outlined the company's strategy to expand further into generative artificial intelligence, healthcare, satellite broadband and other sectors, even as he hinted that the company might continue to cut costs in other areas.

He also made it clear the company isn’t backing down from its push to get employees back in the office for at least three days a week starting in May.

GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook share some of their key takeaways from Jassy's shareholder letter and talk about the future of the tech giant on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton.

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Reclaiming our lives through more mindful use of technology

Sat, 01 Apr 2023 14:39:12 +0000

Humans have become increasingly vulnerable to technology engineered to grab our attention, pulling us away from more meaningful and fulfilling moments and interactions in our lives. Can technology itself be part of the solution? Our guest this week on the GeekWire Podcast is Caroline Cadwell, co-founder and CEO of Unpluq, a recent graduate of the Techstars Seattle accelerator program. The startup offers an app, subscription service, and keychain tag designed to help people become more conscious and mindful about their use of smartphones, social media, and other addictive apps and services.

Rational Overrides: Influence Behavior Beyond Nudging — research that helped to inspire Unpluq's approach.

Could You Live Without a Smartphone? — TedX talk by Anastasia Dedyukhina of Consciously Digital, who is referenced by Caroline Cadwell on the episode.

Our favorite startup pitches from Techstars Seattle Demo Day

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Microsoft, OpenAI, and startups, with Neo CEO Ali Partovi

Sat, 25 Mar 2023 15:04:25 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we're joined by Ali Partovi, a technology investor, entrepreneur, and mentor who is the CEO of Neo, a startup accelerator, mentorship community, and venture firm.

Neo's accelerator this week announced a new AI track, working in collaboration with OpenAI and Microsoft to help startups build businesses on newly emerging artificial intelligence capabilities.

Partovi, who grew up in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq war, sold his startup LinkExchange to Microsoft in 1998, was an early investor in companies including Airbnb, Dropbox, Facebook, and Uber, and 10 years ago co-founded Code.org with his twin brother Hadi Partovi, who continues to lead the computer science education nonprofit.

On this episode, Ali Partovi discusses the role that AI will play in the startups, Microsoft's relationship with OpenAI, his experience at Microsoft reporting to a young Satya Nadella as his manager, Neo's approach to identifying and supporting a diverse group of technical and entrepreneurial leaders, the backdrop for the Silicon Valley Bank meltdown, and more.

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SVB aftermath; remote work 'affliction'; and Microsoft puts AI to work

Sat, 18 Mar 2023 14:21:12 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast ...

We catch up on the latest on the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, and consider the long-term implications of the meltdown on the startup ecosystem and the U.S. financial system.

Then, a point-counterpoint on the issue of the return to office, as Downtown Seattle Association President Jon Scholes laments the "affliction" of remote work, and Zillow Group CEO Rich Barton says the ways we work (and the places we work) have changed forever.

And finally, we catch up on the latest in the world of generative artificial intelligence, listening to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's pitch for the company's new Microsoft 365 Copilot. We consider the potential of AI to change the way we work, the competition between Microsoft and Google, and touch briefly on antitrust issues.

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop.

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What's next in the Silicon Valley Bank saga

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 14:39:37 +0000

Startups and investors cheered the U.S. government's promise this weekend to fully protect deposits after the Silicon Valley Bank collapse. But the move left many unresolved questions and challenges for the U.S. financial system and the tech industry.

Our guests on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast discuss their recent experiences and offer their informed opinions on what could come next. Speaking with GeekWire co-founder John Cook are: Kirby Winfield, founding general partner of Seattle venture capital firm Ascend; and Aviel Ginzburg, general partner at Seattle VC firm Founders’ Co-op.

They both reflect on what happened last week, explaining how they and their portfolio companies navigated the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history.

But most of the discussion focuses on how things could play out from here — including Ginzburg's concerns about the likely impact on venture debt due to the loss of Silicon Valley Bank, and Winfield's more optimistic hypothesis about the potential for recent events to set the stage for a venture capital rebound later this year.

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Inside the world of aerospace news with Hype Aviation

Sat, 11 Mar 2023 14:00:00 +0000

This week, we go behind the scenes of Hype Aviation, a news aggregation site that you might think of as Techmeme for aviation, space and defense news. Our guests are Robin Koenig, who started the site, and Isaac Alexander, a Seattle-area aviation geek who serves as its chief content officer.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton.

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The Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 22:59:22 +0000

What was previously a point of pride on Silicon Valley Bank's website now reads like a warning sign: nearly half of U.S. venture-backed technology and life sciences companies bank with the financial institution. Financial regulators on Friday morning shut down Silicon Valley Bank and put it in the hands of the FDIC, a jaw-dropping move that has created a crisis for startup founders and their financial backers.

Based in Santa Clara, Calif., Silicon Valley Bank has long been a key player in the Seattle region. GeekWire's reporting suggests that the percentage of tech startups in the Seattle area that used Silicon Valley Bank was even higher than the national average, upwards of 80% or more of the venture-backed companies in the area.

GeekWire co-founder John Cook, who started covering startups and venture capital before the dot-com bust, calls this an "absolute meltdown," the likes of which he hasn't seen before on the startup beat. On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we talk about what caused the situation, what it says about the state of the tech economy, and what could be next for those impacted by the shutdown.

Related coverage:

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Pay, perks, and remote work: The new landscape for tech jobs and compensation

Sat, 04 Mar 2023 16:36:28 +0000

The workplace and the job market are a volatile mix of variables these days, including the economy, tech layoffs, inflation, pay transparency, remote work, and a push by some companies to bring employees back to the office. So how are all of these changes impacting pay and perks? Our guest this week is Lexi Clarke, chief people officer at Payscale, the Seattle-based compensation software and data company, which just came out with its 2023 Compensation Best Practices Report.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton; Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Microsoft Bing reports for local paper; Amazon's back-to-office-plan; Jeff Bezos and the NFL

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 15:54:15 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: What happened when Microsoft's new Bing AI search chatbot was called upon to help report a story for a small-town community newspaper. Plus, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's back-to-office plan draws opposition from the company's employees and support from Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. And Jeff Bezos appears serious about buying an NFL team.

With GeekWire's Todd Bishop and Kurt Schlosser.

Stories and topics discussed on this week's show.

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'Ghostwriter' in the machine: Integrating AI into work and life

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 14:25:36 +0000

Software developer Patrick Husting is excited about the potential of generative AI to transform daily work and life, but he's also cautious about the role of big tech companies -- and he sees an opportunity for independent operators such as himself to unlock the potential of artificial intelligence for users across different platforms.

Husting is the developer of a new third-party add-in called Ghostwriter that lets users query OpenAI’s ChatGPT in a Word sidebar and watch content generated by the natural language chatbot unfurl directly in the document they’re drafting. It's available for Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and other Office products coming soon.

Husting, a Seattle-area business leader, serial entrepreneur, and software developer who worked in Microsoft’s consulting business in the late 1990s. He came up with the idea last fall when he was using ChatGPT for writing assistance, and got tired of cutting and pasting, and switching between windows.

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The new Microsoft Bing, and how AI is changing the web

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 17:43:31 +0000

Yusuf Mehdi is a Microsoft veteran of more than 31 years, who has been involved in the development and launch of some of the company's biggest products, including Windows 95 and Windows 11, the Xbox One console, and past versions of Microsoft's search engine. He's currently the corporate vice president and consumer chief marketing officer.

He spoke with GeekWire's Todd Bishop on the Microsoft campus on Tuesday, a few hours after introducing the new Bing search engine and an updated version of Microsoft's Edge browser with a sidebar that uses AI to generate and analyze web content.

Topics of the discussion include the potential impact of AI search on content creators, Google's preemptive response to Microsoft's announcement, the precautions Microsoft is taking to prevent another "Tay" moment, and both the capabilities and limitations of this new generation of AI.

The new Bing, along with an updated version of Microsoft’s Edge browser, are available in a limited preview, with a wait-list for those who want to try the AI search and web copilot as they roll out more broadly.

Related Coverage

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The problem with AI, and other predictions for the future of technology

Sat, 04 Feb 2023 17:26:50 +0000

Popular methods of artificial intelligence have an "explainability problem," the inability to understand exactly what's happening between input and output, and this black box will hinder new advances from neural networks

That's one of the predictions for 2023 from Mark R. Anderson, founding chair and CEO of Strategic News Service (SNS) and the Future in Review Conferences. An author, scientist, and entrepreneur, he's known for using pattern discovery to accurately predict the future, and his predictions are part of the reason SNS has been followed closely in the industry since 1995.

Anderson happens to have vested interest in his take on neural networks as the CEO of machine learning company Pattern Computer, which uses an alternative approach, focusing on pattern recognition.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Anderson explains Pattern's approach and shares details from two more of his predictions for 2023: skeptical takes on the near-term future of autonomous systems and the metaverse.=

The full list of predictions is available to SNS subscribers. Anderson is also the featured speaker at an upcoming dinner event, Feb. 9 in Bellingham, Wash., benefitting the Rotary Club of Bellingham. Tickets available here.

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How layoffs are impacting gender diversity in tech

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 17:24:14 +0000

The ongoing layoffs across the tech industry are impacting women at a disproportionately higher rate than men, representing a possible setback for the industry's efforts to improve its gender diversity. That’s according to research conducted by talent intelligence platform Eightfold AI. Our guest this week is Sania Khan, chief economist at talent intelligence platform Eightfold AI, and a former U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics senior economist.

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How AI's new era is inspiring one startup founder

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 17:54:43 +0000

This podcast features Kirill Zubovsky, a startup founder and consultant, who is now working with AI to create applications. He talks about his journey over the past few months with AI, his experience with generative AI and GPT-3, and the application of AI he has been working on, Smartynames, a domain and business name finder. He also talks about his experience living in a van with his two kids and two pets and his thoughts on the current "App Store moment" for artificial intelligence.

(This summary was produced by SwellAI.com based on its AI analysis of the content in this week's episode, with only minor human edits for style.)

GeekWire story: Putting the AI in domains: Why the new era of artificial intelligence inspires this startup founder

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The power dynamics behind the Big Tech job cuts

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 17:01:04 +0000

One of the defining tech industry trends of the past decade, along with the meteoric expansion of big companies and their insatiable appetite for talent, was the growing influence of engineers commanding ever-increasing salaries.

That's changing with the waves of layoffs by Amazon, Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, Salesforce, Facebook parent Meta, and others. The big salary increases that workers could expect when changing jobs are becoming a thing of the past.

It's one of the major behind-the-scenes shifts happening as a result of the Big Tech cutbacks, our topic this week on the GeekWire Podcast.

Seattle Schools vs. Social Media

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 15:16:43 +0000

Seattle Public Schools is suing TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat for damages stemming from what the suit describes as a youth mental health crisis.

That crisis, the suit alleges, has been caused by the deliberate actions of the companies in deploying algorithms designed "to maximize engagement by preying on the psychology of children."

GeekWire broke the news of the lawsuit last weekend, and it went on to be covered by media outlets across the country.

Critics say the suit over-simplifies the causes of mental health challenges by pinning the blame on social media companies and not recognizing the responsibilities of parents and schools, and other societal factors.

The suit, modeled after e-cigarette litigation, will also need to overcome some significant legal hurdles. But beyond the outcome of the lawsuit itself, what's at stake is the national conversation over social media and youth mental health.

The suit already succeeded in drawing more attention to the issue of youth mental health, and the roles and responsibilities of the companies behind some of today's most popular apps.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we're replaying highlights from GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop's conversations about the lawsuit on two radio programs this week: Soundside on KUOW Public Radio in Seattle with host Libby Denkmann; and The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC Public Radio in New York.

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Microsoft, OpenAI, ChatGPT ... and Bing?

Sat, 07 Jan 2023 17:55:49 +0000

What would a combination of OpenAI's ChatGPT natural language chatbot with Microsoft's Bing search engine look like?

We discuss the potentially surprising possibilities with longtime journalist and Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley, editor-in-chief at DirectionsOnMicrosoft.com, following a report this week by The Information, citing unnamed sources who say Microsoft is working on just such an integration.

Also on the show, we discuss the evolution and future of Microsoft Power Platform, and the key issues facing the company in the year ahead. Plus, we get the details on Mary Jo's new role, which includes writing the new Directions on Microsoft Blog, and hosting the Directions on Microsoft Briefing podcast.

Read Mary Jo Foley's posts for more on these topics:

Hosted by GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com.

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GeekWire's 2022 News Quiz

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 17:10:26 +0000

How closely were you reading GeekWire this year? Here's your chance to put that accumulated knowledge to the test. It's our 2022 News Quiz — this year featuring multiple planes, a famed arcade, breakthrough innovations in science and technology, and the adventures of our local tech moguls.

If you want to take the quiz yourself before listening to the show, see geekwire.com/2022newsquiz.

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An 'App Store moment' for AI: ChatGPT tops list of key technologies for 2023

Sat, 17 Dec 2022 16:41:51 +0000

Startup entrepreneur and investor Ben Gilbert, co-founder and managing director of Pioneer Square Labs and PSL Ventures, is always watching for the next big tech wave. He concedes that there have been plenty of false starts in the industry in the past: augmented and virtual reality, "personal audio computing," and more.

But Gilbert, who also co-hosts the popular podcast "Acquired," didn't hesitate for a moment when asked what he believes will be the most important technology of 2023.

"ChatGPT based on GPT 4," he said, referencing a future version of OpenAI's conversational AI chatbot running on the next version of its large language model.

Gilbert and his Acquired co-host David Rosenthal were two of the business and tech leaders who spoke with us about the challenges of the past year and their outlook for the future at the GeekWire Gala on Dec. 4. The potential for generative and prescriptive AI to transform industries was a key theme running through many of the conversations.

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Resetting Amazon: A new blueprint for the tech giant

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 17:15:47 +0000

Amazon is resetting its business. Is it doing enough to change its mindset?

In an analysis published this week, advisor, speaker, author, and former Amazon executive John Rossman presents a blueprint for turning the company around — advocating a "zero-based mindset" in which every initiative needs to be justified from scratch, and a "brutal rationalization of capital expenses," among other steps.

"I honestly think that Jeff's biggest concern about Amazon was always that it would become a bureaucracy," says Rossman, referring to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. "This is the opportunity to change the forward-looking narrative on Amazon: are they going to go into the slow bureaucratic mindset, or are they going to return to their roots as a scrappy, small-team oriented, highly accountable organization?"

Rossman joins GeekWire's Todd Bishop on this episode to discuss Amazon's path forward.

Rossman is the founder of Rossman Partners, a management consulting team, he worked previously at turnaround consulting firm Alvarez and Marsal. During his tenure at Amazon, from 2002-2005, helped to launch and build Amazon Marketplace before leading the company’s Enterprise Services business.

He has authored three books, including The Amazon Way, and he writes the weekly Digital Leader Newsletter, found at Substack.

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Inside the battle against bad bots

Sat, 03 Dec 2022 16:08:22 +0000

For anyone reading the news about Ticketmaster and Taylor Swift, or Twitter and Elon Musk, the problem of malicious bots might seem insurmountable.

These automated programs can snap up concert tickets in the blink of an eye, or pose as humans on social media, among countless other mischievous tasks. Bad bots are a big problem, accounting for one-quarter to as much as one-half of global internet traffic, or even more, by different estimates.

But they are not invincible.

That's the assessment of F5 CEO François Locoh-Donou. Seattle-based F5 is one of a growing number of tech companies that offer solutions to detect, deter, and defeat bots.

"You beat that automation — that bad automation from bad actors — with better technology, and that better technology does exist today," he says.

Locoh-Donou joins us to discuss the issue on this week's GeekWire Podcast. Plus, his take on the economy, and the future of the physical office.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Produced by Curt Milton.

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What's wrong with Alexa

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 19:56:57 +0000

Amazon created the initial technical scaffolding for Alexa quickly, jumping out to an early lead in the market for smart speakers and voice assistants in the home. But nearly a decade later, Alexa is still under construction.

That's the perspective from Tigger (Charlie) Kindel, a Seattle tech industry veteran who worked at Amazon from 2013 to 2018, leading Alexa product management before building the Alexa smart-home technology team.

We contacted him this week to get his perspective as Amazon resets its strategy for Alexa and Echo. The company is making widespread layoffs on its Devices & Services team amid reports that the division is losing as much as $10 billion a year.

Plus: New comments about the future of Alexa from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.

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What we're thankful for in tech

Sat, 26 Nov 2022 18:04:23 +0000

It doesn't always come naturally to us, as cynical reporters, but every Thanksgiving week on the GeekWire Podcast, it's our tradition to take a step back and take stock of the positive things in technology, business, and science.

This year's installment offers several reminders of the technologies that we might take for granted, gradual advancements that we incorporate into our lives over time, to the point that we suddenly can't remember what we did without them: automated scoring for sports pools among friends; remote printing over the internet; natural language processing; language translation; mobile ticketing; and drone photography; to name a few.

We hear from several readers and listeners about what they're grateful for right now, including robotic process automation, continued advocacy for diversity in tech, and support networks for startup founders.

In a contrarian twist this year, GeekWire's John Cook also talks about some of the silver linings in these cloudy economic times, including a return to more realistic (and potentially realizable) valuations for tech startups. We're also seeing a silver lining in the job market right now, as layoffs open up the market for hiring by smaller companies.

And in an even more contrarian view, John shares why he's thankful for ... Elon Musk! Be sure to listen to his reasoning before getting out your pitchforks.

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Layoffs land at Amazon HQ; Redfin's reversal; Jeff B and Jay-Z

Sat, 19 Nov 2022 14:37:32 +0000

Amazon became the latest tech giant to make layoffs in its corporate workforce this week in the face of the economic downturn, but the manner in which the plan unfolded left some employees scratching their heads, at best.

Foreshadowed in a Nov. 10 Wall Street Journal report foreshadowing cutbacks in Amazon's devices division, the scope became clear with a New York Times report Nov. 14, saying that the company planned to lay off about 10,000 corporate and tech workers. But that number was an approximation, not a precise count or a specific target, because Amazon is leaving the decisions to leaders in its divisions.

It also took couple days for Amazon to officially acknowledge the layoffs, with a memo from Devices and Services chief Dave Limp, and later from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, explaining that the job cuts could extend into next year.

The reaction was a mix of frustration, fear, uncertainty, and also acceptance, as GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser discovered when he visited the Amazon campus in Seattle this week. Kurt joins us to share what he saw and heard.

Also this week: the impact of the downturn on high-tech real estate brokerage Redfin, and our thoughts on a potential collaboration between Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z.

Share your perspective for next week's show: What are you thankful for in tech? Is there a technology that has changed your life, your job, or your company for the better this year? Or a trend in the economy or the industry that you're especially grateful to see? Send a message or a voice memo with your thoughts to podcast@geekwire.com for a chance to be included in next week's episode.

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop.

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When Mark Zuckerberg met Seattle

Sat, 12 Nov 2022 15:37:36 +0000

The year was 2011, Facebook was serving a mere 600 million users, and Mark Zuckerberg was making his pitch to a crowd of prospective hires inside the company's office near Pike Place Market — explaining why the social network had chosen Seattle for its first remote engineering hub.

"We were like, alright, at some point, we should probably think about opening up offices in other places," he said. "And we figured that Seattle would be a good starting place, because it's culturally pretty similar to the Bay Area, pretty close by. ... It's the same time zone. So it's easier to schedule time to hang out and talk with folks."

Originally an experiment, it quickly became much more than that.

"We've been totally overwhelmed with awesome folks we've had the opportunity to talk to, from Microsoft, Amazon, Google, different startups here," he said. "And it's just really impressive. It has definitely blown away our expectations for how quickly we were going to be able to find good people."

The trend only continued from there. In the decade that followed, Facebook grew to more than 8,000 people across numerous offices in the Seattle area, as the company grew to reach nearly 3 billion users across the globe, and dramatically expanded its footprint under the Meta umbrella ... until this week.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss Zuckerberg's decision to cut 11,000 jobs, or 13% of Meta's workforce; examine the company's growth in the Seattle region as an emblem of Silicon Valley's global ambitions; and consider the new realities of popular tech business models in the face of the economic downturn.

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop.

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Amazon's new reality: How the tech giant is adjusting to the tough economy

Sat, 05 Nov 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Amazon has grown dramatically over the past decade, surpassing 1.5 million employees and extending its reach into nearly every corner of commerce and society. But now, the turbulent economy is forcing the tech giant to make a series of difficult decisions, cutting back in many areas while making strategic bets in others.

It’s far from alone in facing these decisions. However, with its reach across e-commerce, physical retail, cloud computing, robotics, AI, transportation, logistics, and many other areas, Amazon is a microcosm of the larger economy. That makes it worth examining not just for its own future but for the broader implications.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we take a closer look at the forces influencing Amazon’s business, and how the company is responding.

See this GeekWire post for more information and related links.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

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The road ahead for autonomous vehicles: Aurora CEO Chris Urmson on the future of cars and trucks

Sat, 29 Oct 2022 15:04:21 +0000

Fully autonomous vehicles are closer to commonplace than you might expect, as cars and big rigs gain the ability to operate safely on our streets and highways.

As one of the pioneers in the field, Chris Urmson has been there from the beginning, competing in the landmark DARPA Grand Challenge before going on to lead Google’s self-driving car initiative.

Now he’s following through on the vision as the CEO of Aurora, which is developing self-driving technology for use by a variety of car and truck makers.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we're playing highlights from our conversation with Urmson at the recent GeekWire Summit.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

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Microsoft cybersecurity leader Charlie Bell on the quest to bring civilization to the digital world

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 17:36:05 +0000

Can the online world move from the digital equivalent of medieval times to a new era of civilization?That was the question on Charlie Bell’s mind when the veteran engineering leader decided to leave Amazon after more than 23 years and join Microsoft to lead its $15 billion cybersecurity business, taking on what he described as “one of the greatest challenges of our time.”

More than a year into that quest, Bell joined us recently at the GeekWire Summit for a status report — sharing insights on the state of digital security, and the potential for progress in the years ahead.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we're featuring highlights from Bell's conversation on stage with GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.

Special Coverage: GeekWire Summit 2022.

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GeekWire's Elevator Pitch: Analyzing the four winning pitches in advance of the upcoming live finale

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 16:57:38 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we hear the pitches made by four startup CEOs in the 32 seconds it takes to get to the top of Seattle's historic Smith Tower, on their way to winning their respective episodes on this season of GeekWire's Elevator Pitch series.

It's a preview of the upcoming season finale, in which each of the four will make a final pitch at the GeekWire Summit next week, live on stage.

Episode 1 winner: Amina Moreau, CEO of Radious, an online marketplace that turns houses, apartments and other residential properties into workspaces, rentable by the day.
Episode 2 winner: Devin Miller, co-founder and CEO of SecureSave, a purpose built emergency savings solution designed to help people feel and be financially secure.
Episode 3 winner: Erin Quick, co-founder and CEO of PairTree, a service that provides tools, resources and support to navigate and simplify the process of adoption.
Episode 4 winner: Katherine Sizov, CEO & co-founder of Strella Biotechnology, creators of sensing technology that predicts the ripeness of produce.

More: GeekWire Elevator Pitch Season 3, and the GeekWire Summit, Oct. 6-7.

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The new world of hybrid work, and the next generation of smartphone users

Sat, 24 Sep 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Hybrid work is here to stay, but some big changes are needed to make it work.

That was the message from Microsoft this week as the tech giant presented the results of a new study showing a disconnect in the perceptions of productivity between workers and leaders at companies around the world.

Meanwhile, the number of meetings for many workers has soared since the beginning of the pandemic, in what appears to be the new normal at many companies. But there has also been a significant rise in multi-tasking during those meetings, as distractions threaten to undermine communication and productivity.

That's our first topic on the GeekWire Podcast this week, as we go over some of the takeaways from Microsoft's study and preview the upcoming GeekWire Summit, where the future of work will be a recurring theme.

Then we turn to the next generation of smartphones, and to the next generation of smartphone users. John Cook provides an update on his efforts to ensure that his 12-year-old adopts his first smartphone in a healthy and sustainable way, and offers Todd Bishop some tips for a parallel situation in my own household.

Finally, we talk about John's initial experience with the iPhone 14, his first new smartphone in several years, and spend a little time doing some remedial tech support in the process.

Edited and produced by Curt Milton

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The world's first sustainable mega-region? Former Gov. Chris Gregoire on Cascadia's climate quest

Sat, 17 Sep 2022 15:26:11 +0000

Business, government and environmental leaders from Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia met at the U.S.-Canada border this week to discuss the next steps in the quest to become the world's first sustainable mega-region.

The Cascadia 2050 Vision conference was led by former Washington state governor Chris Gregoire, the CEO of Challenge Seattle and the co-chair of the steering committee for the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, a cross-border initiative that brings together leaders from Washington state, Oregon and British Columbia. Gregoire joins us on this episode to discuss the key innovations and funding initiatives that make her optimistic about the prospects for achieving long-term climate goals.

Hosted by GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton.

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Robot law: Public policy, legal liability, and the new world of autonomous systems

Sat, 10 Sep 2022 14:39:50 +0000

Our guest this week is Ryan Calo, a University of Washington law professor who specializes in areas including privacy, artificial intelligence and robots. He's one of the organizers of We Robot, an annual conference where scholars and practitioners discuss legal and policy questions relating to robots and artificial intelligence. It's taking place this year at the University of Washington from Sept. 14-16.

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Why live digital audio isn't actually live

Sat, 03 Sep 2022 16:05:48 +0000

We are now decades into the digital revolution, so why haven't high-tech audio streams caught up to old-fashioned radio waves?

That was my question on last week's GeekWire Podcast, after conducting an experiment inspired by the tradition of tuning into the play-by-play announcers while watching a baseball game in the stands.

During a Seattle Mariners game at T-Mobile Park, I found that the audio streams from various smartphone apps, were at least 30 seconds behind the action on the field, and sometimes even further behind. That compared to a lag of just a few seconds when listening on a $22, battery-powered AM transistor radio.

I offered my theories about the reasons for this, and heard from a bunch of people who listened to the podcast or read the article last week. One was streaming media veteran Rob Green, who was group manager of Microsoft's Digital Media Division from 1998 to 2006, a pivotal era for the industry. He went on to lead a variety of tech and digital media startups, including a past role as CEO of Seattle-based Abacast, which streamed broadcast radio stations online.

Green is a longtime GeekWire reader who emailed me after last week's post: "Simply put, streaming requires buffers to work correctly, hence the delay you experienced," he wrote. "Broadcast expects a perfect network, and streaming expects an imperfect network, and they are respectively architected accordingly."

I jumped on the line with him to learn more, and you can hear his comments on this week's episode, along with an explanation from Major League Baseball, and a fun story about the early days of live-streaming baseball games from Seattle tech veteran Daryn Nakhuda.

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GeekWire at the Ballpark: AM radio vs. digital audio; robot umpires; and Amazon cuts the line

Sat, 27 Aug 2022 17:19:54 +0000

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, recorded on location at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, we pit old-fashioned terrestrial radio against a newfangled digital audio stream for play-by-play in the stands. Then, we debate pros and cons of baseball analytics and robot umpires. And finally, we experience the highs and lows of Amazon's latest retail technology at the tech giant's hometown stadium.

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A deeper understanding of Amazon

Sat, 20 Aug 2022 14:55:58 +0000

Amazon is one of the most extraordinary business stories of our time. Many people in the tech industry have a general understanding of this story, picking up bits and pieces of its lore and culture over the years.

But what are the real reasons for Amazon's success? What can today's startup entrepreneurs learn from what Jeff Bezos did? And where is the company headed next? Two investors spent the better part of two months researching Amazon in their spare time to answer questions like those, and they just shared what they learned.

Ben Gilbert, managing director at Seattle-based Pioneer Square Labs, and David Rosenthal, a San Francisco-based angel investor, this week released an episode of their podcast, Acquired, that spans nearly 4-and-a-half hours, providing a deeper understanding of Amazon and new insights into how the company works.

Gilbert joins us on this week's episode of the GeekWire Podcast to discuss some of the key takeaways and highlights from their Amazon deep dive.

With Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited and produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Insights from the life of early Amazon investor and Seattle business leader Tom Alberg

Sat, 13 Aug 2022 16:40:44 +0000

Seattle investor and business leader Tom Alberg, who died last week at the age of 82, was a key figure in the e-commerce and wireless industries, and in the Seattle startup community, through his roles as an early Amazon investor and longtime board member, executive at McCaw Cellular, and co-founder of Madrona Venture group.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Todd Bishop and John Cook share their own insights from Alberg's life. See our earlier coverage for more on Alberg’s legacy; read tributes from his friends and colleagues; and see Madrona’s LinkedIn post for more remembrances from those who worked with and knew Alberg during his life and career.

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Inside the tech economy, with Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta and Alphabet

Sat, 06 Aug 2022 16:35:02 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we play highlights and share takeaways from the recent earnings calls of Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, and Alphabet, seeking a clearer understanding of what's next for the tech economy. With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook; audio editing and production by Curt Milton.

The pioneering spirit and joyful life of late 'Cranium' creator Richard Tait

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 18:14:51 +0000

Tributes and memories have been pouring in from longtime friends and colleagues of Cranium creator Richard Tait since the Seattle entrepreneur's death on July 25 the age of 58 from complications due to COVID-19.

A passionate and visionary entrepreneur known for being tough, Tait had a generous spirit, effusive personality, and rare ability to connect with people he encountered.

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we're listening back to a conversation that Tait recorded with Fuel Talent CEO and founder Shauna Swerland in 2018 for her podcast, What Fuels You. It's inspiring, insightful, and bittersweet, and we're grateful to Shauna for allowing us to share it with you here.

Read our earlier coverage for more on Tait's life and career, and memories from friends and colleagues.

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From White House to Amazon: Jay Carney on tech and politics

Sat, 23 Jul 2022 16:29:07 +0000

Amazon's head of global corporate affairs, Jay Carney, the former White House press secretary under President Obama, made some news of his own this week, announcing that he's leaving the Seattle-based tech giant after more than seven years to join Airbnb. This week on the GeekWire Podcast, in light of the news, we're listening back to highlights from our 2019 interview with Carney at the GeekWire Summit.

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How the '7 Forms of Respect' can change work

Sat, 16 Jul 2022 17:24:49 +0000

Do people on your team multitask in meetings, or focus intently on the person speaking? The answer to that question will help to how much your organization prioritizes attention, which is one of the "7 Forms of Respect" in the framework and book of that name by Julie Pham.

Don't worry, this isn't about setting rules. Pham is not giving advice on having laptops open or closed in meetings, for example. Instead, she's providing a way to establish and communicate the priorities of different people, teams, and companies — defining organizational culture not by abstract concepts but by desired behaviors.

That insight is key to understanding and benefiting from the new book by Pham, a Seattle-based entrepreneur, marketer, consultant, journalist, historian, and former non-profit executive. It's called 7 Forms of Respect: A Guide to Transforming Your Communication and Relationships at Work.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Pham discusses the practical applications and benefits of the "7 Forms of Respect" with GeekWire co-founder John Cook.

Audio editing and production by Curt Milton.

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Amazon's Astro ambitions

Sat, 09 Jul 2022 18:36:57 +0000

“Astro is our first consumer robot. It’s not going to be our last.”

Ken Washington, the executive in charge of Amazon’s first home robot, speaks confidently about the future despite mixed reviews and early skepticism about Astro’s usefulness. A nuclear engineer by training, Washington was chief technology officer at Ford Motor Co., overseeing initiatives including autonomous vehicles, before joining Amazon as VP of consumer robotics last year.

He sat down with us at Amazon re:MARS in Las Vegas.

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Microsoft's president on turbulent times for the company, country, and world

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 18:47:38 +0000

Microsoft President Brad Smith, like many in tech and the broader world, hoped 2022 might bring a bit of a break in the onslaught of national and global challenges. Halfway through, the reality has been anything but.

"This has been another year where, to use an old phrase, we have to borrow from our sleep in order to get everything done," the Microsoft president said in an interview this week in his office in Redmond. "I don't think any of us thought, when the year began, that we'd find a major war in Europe."

But helping to defend Ukraine in the Russian cyberwar is just one issue on Microsoft's radar.

In the first six months of the year, the company has made a series of moves driven by the turbulent economy, new state and national legislation, growing pressure from employees and investors, a shifting labor market, regulatory challenges, and a pending acquisition that would be the largest in its history.

Microsoft boosted employee compensation, significantly reduced its use of non-compete agreements, and announced plans to publicly disclose salary ranges in job posts nationally starting next year.
The company commissioned an outside review of its sexual harassment and gender discrimination policies and practices, and announced plans for a civil rights audit, joining a larger industry movement. It also removed confidentiality clauses from agreements involving internal allegations of misconduct.
Microsoft pledged a new approach to the prospect of labor unions in its current and future workforce, seeking in part to appease regulators weighing the company's proposed $68.7 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard.
The company has continued to press ahead on its climate initiatives in the midst of all of this, attempting to navigate the challenge of higher energy prices while focusing on the environmental crisis.

And then there's the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. That's where we started our wide-ranging conversation with Smith this week.

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Amazon, robots, and the future of work

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 17:17:37 +0000

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, recorded on location at Amazon re:MARS in Las Vegas, we sit down with Tye Brady, Amazon Robotics chief technologist, to talk about the company's new warehouse robots. Then we jump on the line to reconnect with recent GeekWire Podcast guest Philip Su, a former Microsoft and Facebook software engineering leader who worked the peak season last year inside an Amazon warehouse, to get his take after he watched the keynote.

Hear more about Philip Su's experience in his 15-episode podcast series, Peak Salvation, and in our prior GeekWire Podcast conversation, published June 11.
Watch Amazon Robotics chief technologist Ty Brady's re:MARS keynote here, and see our earlier coverage of Amazon's new robots, including videos of them in action.

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Jeff Bezos' big mistake ... and other lessons in 'career self-care'

Sat, 18 Jun 2022 17:12:07 +0000

In many ways, Jeff Bezos would seem to have it all. But when is enough enough?

In the new book, "Career Self-Care: Find Your Happiness, Success, and Fulfillment at Work," Inc. magazine columnist and Seattle-area author Minda Zetlin points to the Amazon founder's push for financial incentives in the company's search for a second headquarters as a prime example of "the dirty little secret about success."

After Amazon's choice of Queens, N.Y., backfired due to objections over financial incentives, a report by Bloomberg News revealed that Bezos and Amazon had originally been motivated in part by envy over the incentives that Elon Musk and Tesla were getting from Nevada for building their gigafactory there, despite much different circumstances.

Zetlin sees in this anecdote a lesson for the rest of us.

"We spend our whole lives pursuing success. But where is that spot, exactly?" she says. "If you're the richest person in the world, which he was at that time, and you're still not satisfied, you're still not happy, you're still jealous of somebody else, it just seems to illustrate that there is no there there."

Zetlin's book draws on her reporting, interviews and experiences to examine self-care with the underlying assumption that, for many of us, work and the rest of our lives are now inevitably intertwined. she joins us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to talk about these topics and more from her book.

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A software engineer walks into an Amazon warehouse ...

Sat, 11 Jun 2022 14:03:17 +0000

Philip Su, a software engineering leader turned non-profit founder, decided to shake up his life last fall — seeking an antidote to his seasonal depression in a job with more structure and less pay than he had experienced in many years.

Su worked the peak season at Amazon's giant flagship warehouse south of Seattle, in Kent, Wash., known by the code name BFI4 inside the company. It was a life-changing and eye-opening experience, as Su documents in his 15-episode podcast series, Peak Salvation.

A former Microsoft software engineer who was the second employee at Facebook's Seattle engineering office, Su led the London engineering office for Facebook (now Meta), then founded and ran the global health software nonprofit Audere before adding Amazon warehouse worker to his LinkedIn profile.

A newcomer to the front lines of global fulfillment, Su readily acknowledges that there could very well be good reasons for some of the quirks that he perceived as dysfunctions. Not only that, but he was a short-term worker, with a tenure of less than two months. He’s no logistics expert.

However, he brought fresh eyes and an engineer’s mind to the e-commerce giant’s operational nerve center. So we asked Su what changes he would make, based on his experience and observations.

With GeekWire's Todd Bishop; Audio editing by Curt Milton.

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Wild times for tech startups

Sat, 04 Jun 2022 15:52:22 +0000

What the heck is going on in the economy, and how will the current market gyrations and geopolitical uncertainty impact startups and venture capital?

To help answer these questions we invited Tim Porter to join us this week on the GeekWire Podcast. He's a Madrona Venture Group managing director who has invested in early-stage technology startups at the Seattle-based venture capital firm for the past 15 years, in areas including cloud, AI and enterprise software companies.

Follow along with our extended notes from the discussion.

With GeekWire co-founder John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton; Theme Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Microsoft's union pledge, and the new era of organized labor in tech

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 15:14:29 +0000

Conceding that the rise of labor unions in tech may ultimately reach its own business, Microsoft released a new set of principles Thursday acknowledging the rights of its employees to organize, pledging to work constructively with any who do, and making it clear that it hopes they won't feel the need.

The move follows a union vote last week by the quality assurance team inside Activision-Blizzard subsidiary Raven Software, maker of Call of Duty. Microsoft needs regulatory approval for its $68.7 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard. Its approach contrasts with its fellow Seattle-area corporate giants Amazon and Starbucks, which have opposed the formation of labor unions by their workers.

What's really going on here? On this episode, we talk with Microsoft President Brad Smith — getting his explanation of the principles, the reasons for creating them, and the broader context around them. We also get reaction and analysis from Marcus Courtney, who led an effort to organize Microsoft's temporary workforce starting in the late 1990s as co-founder of the Washington Alliance of Technology Workers.

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What we learned about Amazon from its annual meeting

Sat, 28 May 2022 17:33:57 +0000

Addressing the issue of warehouse worker safety in response to a shareholder question this week, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy described the company's safety initiatives — most of them related to technology and invention. The focus on innovation is "true to their DNA," says former Amazon general manager and retail category leader Andrea Leigh, who is now founder and CEO of the Allume Group, an e-commerce learning company.

Looking at it from Amazon's perspective, the approach makes sense, she points out: "If you have half a million or more warehouse workers, you are probably thinking about it algorithmically." But labor unions and employees are focused more on the individual human impact. "And I think those two points of view just won't ever marry," Leigh says.

That's one of the takeaways from this discussion with Leigh, recapping and analyzing Amazon's annual meeting this week. Several shareholder proposals at the meeting addressed employee issues including warehouse worker safety and unionization.

Related Coverage

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Startup turnaround specialist Matt Hulett on unlocking growth, competing with giants, and surviving turbulent times

Sat, 21 May 2022 15:15:57 +0000

Our guest this week is Matt Hulett, a veteran of the Seattle tech community and the author of the new book, Unlock: 5 Questions to Unleash Your Company’s Hidden Power, published by Page Two Books.

A former executive with companies including Expedia, Mpire, Rosetta Stone and RealNetworks, Hulett is now the CEO and president of PetMed Express, a publicly traded, Florida-based online pet pharmacy.

We talk about finding the right market segment to pursue, how startups and investors should approach the potential of an economic downturn, tips for competing with tech giants, the role that private capital can play in turning around struggling businesses, and how to think about competition, among other topics.

Read our notes on the discussion here.

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Former Amazon exec Jeff Wilke on his industrial roots, and the future of U.S. manufacturing

Thu, 19 May 2022 15:25:24 +0000

PITTSBURGH — In his 22 years at Amazon, including his role as the first CEO of the company’s Worldwide Consumer business, Jeff Wilke always kept the place he was raised, and the people he grew up with, in the back of his mind.

“I always wanted to lead in a way that if I went back, and people from high school could ask me anything about what I was encountering, the decisions I made, how I made them, that they’d be proud of me,” Wilke said.

Born at Allegheny General Hospital in 1966, Wilke grew up in the community of Green Tree, Pa., just outside of Pittsburgh. He wore flannel shirts to class at the public high school, Keystone Oaks, and played baseball in the shadow of the water tower still visible from the Parkway on the drive into the city.

In addition to shaping his values as a leader, his hometown gave him a first-hand view of the decline of the steel industry that had put Pittsburgh at the center of the industrial revolution. In the decades that followed, Pittsburgh’s role in the rise of robotics and artificial intelligence have made the city an emblem of U.S. resilience and reinvention.

Since leaving Amazon last year, Wilke has returned to his industrial roots as the chairman and co-founder of Re:Build Manufacturing, a Massachusetts-based company seeking to revive the U.S. manufacturing industry. Re:Build has made nine acquisitions, in areas including engineering services and advanced materials, with 600 employees in eight states.

We caught up with Wilke as part of GeekWire’s recent return to Pittsburgh, talking about his upbringing and history in the city, and his outlook for the future of robotics, AI, automation and U.S. manufacturing.

Previous Podcast: After helping Amazon reinvent commerce, Jeff Wilke turns attention to reviving U.S. manufacturing

Related Coverage: GeekWire's return trip to Pittsburgh

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Startups, superheroes, and the economy at a crossroads: Voices from Seattle's tech community

Sat, 14 May 2022 18:53:12 +0000

After holding the GeekWire Awards virtually for the past two years, there was a feeling of real catharsis Thursday evening as hundreds of people streamed through the doors of the Showbox Sodo in Seattle for our annual celebration of the Pacific Northwest's top tech startups, leaders, and innovations.

For the finalists in the 2022 GeekWire Awards, recognition at the superhero-themed show came with the added bonus of knowing that their companies made it through a period of unprecedented challenge and change.

But the week also brought a new sense of uncertainty about what's to come.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's widely cited memo on Monday was a flashpoint for the tech industry, adding to existing concerns by warning of a “seismic shift” in the markets, signaling tougher times and tighter belts ahead. Some of the startup CEOs in attendance acknowledged reading his message closely.

So we took our cues from the backdrop, literally and figuratively — inviting tech leaders aside at the event to ask questions such as:

What's your take on the possibility of new economic realities?
What are your biggest challenges and priorities for the rest of the year?
And, of course: which superhero best reflects your company's ethos?

The result was a glimpse into the collective psyche of the tech community in a key U.S. innovation hub, at a pivotal moment for the country and the world.

Guests on this episode, in order of appearance:

Xiao Wang, CEO of Boundless Immigration, finalist for CEO of the Year.
Maria Karaivanova, co-founder & COO of WhyLabs.
Varun Puri, co-founder of Yoodli, winner of Young Entrepreneur of the Year with his co-founder Esha Joshi.
Lisa Gurry, COO of Truveta, winner of Health Innovation of the Year
Dave Cotter, chief product officer of Leafly, and chair of the Washington Technology Industry Association, sponsor of the Public Policy Champion for Innovation Award.
Laura Ruderman, Technology Alliance CEO.
David Kirtley, founder and CEO of Helion, finalist for Innovation of the Year.
Stephanie Winslow, Teacher, South Kitsap High School, one of three STEM Educators of the Year.
Grant Goodale, carrier experience officer, Convoy, past winner of Next Tech Titan.
Mo Bhende, co-founder & CEO at Karat, finalist for Next Tech Titan.
Faisal Masud, CEO of Fabric, finalist for Next Tech Titan.
Kiana Pan, president of CodingDojo, honoree in the Geeks Give Back category.
Tushar Garg, CEO of Flyhomes, finalist for Workplace of the Year.
Byron Baker, head of design at Blink UX, sponsor and judge in UX Design of the Year.

Thanks to the tech leaders who answered our questions, to our GeekWire Awards attendees, finalists, and sponsors, and to our social media partner Jordan Curtis of Line Leader Media for his help with this episode.

Read about all of the GeekWire Awards finalists and winners in our special coverage.

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'My name is Reggie ...' Former Nintendo of America leader on his new book, and what's next in games

Tue, 10 May 2022 17:13:54 +0000

One of the most memorable lines of the past two decades in video games was delivered not by a character in a game but by an executive on stage.

“My name is Reggie. I’m about kicking ass and taking names — and we’re about making games,” declared Reggie Fils-Aimé, introducing himself during Nintendo’s presentation at the E3 convention in Los Angeles in 2004.

The line represented a new attitude from Nintendo, a statement that the legendary game company hadn’t given up in its battle against the would-be bosses of the industry, Sony and Microsoft. It marked the beginning of a resurgence for the Japanese company and its Redmond, Wash.-based subsidiary, Nintendo of America, which Fils-Aimé would go on to lead as president and chief operating officer.

But it actually wasn’t how that line was originally drafted.

The last-minute change is one of many behind-the-scenes stories told by the retired Nintendo of America executive in his new book, “Disrupting the Game: From the Bronx to the Top of Nintendo.”

The book combines Fils-Aimé’s life story with leadership insights and some eye-opening anecdotes for fans of Nintendo and video games, including inside details about his working relationships with legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and late Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata.

Reggie Fils-Aimé joins us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to talk about his career, his book, and what’s next in video games. He also shares the story of that pivotal introductory line, how it was originally supposed to be delivered, and the larger significance of the change that was made on the eve of the event.

Read more on GeekWire.

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Robots, automation, AI, and the Pirate Parrot: Insights from our return to the epicenter of robotics

Fri, 06 May 2022 17:54:02 +0000

It's going to be a long time before robots replace sports mascots, but it might be better for one of our GeekWire colleagues when they do.

That's one of the more lighthearted takeaways from our return trip to Pittsburgh, where GeekWire co-founder John Cook somehow managed to make enemies with yet another pro sports mascot, but we also came away with some more fundamental insights into the state of robots, automation and artificial intelligence:

Supply chain challenges and labor shortages are changing the national conversation about automation, and accelerating adoption of robotics especially in manufacturing and distribution.
Amazon's ambitions for rapid delivery are boosting robotics and automation across the e-commerce industry by prompting competitors to follow suit with their own solutions to increase logistics efficiencies.
Robotics startups and autonomous driving companies are finding success in business and enterprise markets, as evidenced by Aurora Innovation's work with Paccar and FedEx on a self-driving truck.
Many consumer robotics companies are still trying to do too much in making multi-purpose robots, rather than focusing on doing one thing well, as illustrated by the initial reception to Amazon's Astro home robot.

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Robots, AI, cars, and the future, with Matthew Johnson-Roberson of CMU's Robotics Institute

Sat, 30 Apr 2022 14:37:11 +0000

We're coming to you from Pittsburgh, where GeekWire is reporting on the future of robotics, AI and automation this week in conjunction with the Cascadia Connect Robotics, Automation & AI conference, organized by Seattle-based Cascadia Capital, which is underwriting our independent coverage of this topic.

This week's podcast is with Matthew Johnson-Roberson, the director of the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, which has been the source of numerous breakthroughs in robotics and automation since its founding in the late 1970s. Johnson-Roberson spent part of his childhood in Seattle, where he went to Garfield High School. He was a CMU computer science undergrad who went on to get his doctorate in robotics at the University of Sydney and worked at the University of Michigan before returning to CMU as the leader of the Robotics Institute earlier this year.

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Secrets of STEM: Top teachers share insights on innovation in learning

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 17:09:46 +0000

Innovation is alive and well in STEM classrooms across Washington state, inspiring students to seek opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math.

At the GeekWire Awards on May 12, we're celebrating the accomplishments of three STEM Educator of the Year honorees who are excelling in their jobs by embracing creative, rule-breaking teaching strategies in their classrooms. These educators are eschewing traditional grading structures, putting students in charge of teaching lessons and empowering them with real-life, project-based learning.

We recently sat down to chat with our honorees along with DreamBox Learning CEO and President Jessie Woolley-Wilson to learn more about their efforts to breakdown traditional barriers. DreamBox is the sponsor of this award, now in its second year.

The STEM Educator of the Year honorees are:

Johanna Brown, a teacher at Pullman High School who brought Advanced Placement chemistry and computer science to her Eastern Washington high school, led their Science Bowl team to championships and embraces a "gradeless" classroom.

Devina Khan, a computer science and information technology instructional designer at the West Valley Innovation Center who partnered with an international program to connect female students with STEM professionals, coached students to earn tech certifications and helped kids share their tech expertise with the broader community in ag-focused Yakima County.

Stephanie Winslow, a teacher at South Kitsap High School who was one of the first STEM-certified career and technical educators in Washington and teaches AP environmental science, astronomy and earth science classes. She is also an advisor for STEM Club.

The GeekWire Awards recognize the top innovators and companies in Pacific Northwest technology. Our STEM educator honorees and other award finalists were selected based on community nominations, along with input from GeekWire Awards judges.

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Netflix ads, Amazon shipping, Paul Allen's legacy

Sat, 23 Apr 2022 14:08:29 +0000

Does it seem like activity is picking up out there in the tech world? Big fundings may be happening less frequently (with notable exceptions such as Convoy) but the return of events and in-person meetings seems to have created a collective energy that's been missing for the past two years.

In that spirit, we've got a grab bag of topics on this week's show:

New era for Netflix: News that Netflix is exploring a lower-price tier, supported by advertising, has us thinking back to our recent episode with Anthony Skinner, tech chief of advertising measurement and analytics company iSpot, who foreshadowed this move.

We also marvel at the brief lifespan of CNN+, and lament all the streaming subscriptions on our monthly bills.

Amazon's next big business? Amazon's unveiling of a new program called "Buy with Prime" will let Prime members buy items on non-Amazon e-commerce sites, and it's a key step toward a standalone Amazon shipping business, perhaps meeting the qualities of a "dreamy" business that Jeff Bezos outlined in his 2014 letter to shareholders.

Paul Allen's legacy: The reported sale of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s Flying Heritage Collection fits a pattern of his estate divesting some of his more fanciful projects, while sticking with his core investments in technology and science. It also hints at what's ahead for Living Computers Museum, the Seattle Seahawks, Cinerama, etc.

More topics: GeekWire's upcoming trip to Pittsburgh; the May 12 GeekWire Awards; our recent episode with Soviet-born Seattle tech CEO Sergei Dreizin; and an upcoming episode with Reggie Fils-Aimé, the former Nintendo of America president, about his new book.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook; Audio editing and production by Curt Milton; Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Moscow-born Seattle tech CEO grapples with invasion of Ukraine, closes 800-person Russian operation

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 14:22:41 +0000

Sergei Dreizin is co-founder and CEO of software engineering company Akvelon, based in Bellevue, Wash. Born and raised in Moscow, he moved to the U.S. in 1992, after the Soviet Union's collapse, getting his computer science degree from the University of Minnesota before going to work for Microsoft in the Seattle area.

But he maintained personal connections to Russia, and Akvelon established a large engineering operation in the country — numbering about 800 people, or more than half the company's workforce. Akvelon also has 300 people in Ukraine, with a large office in Kharkiv, a city near the Russian border that has come under heavy attack.

On March 11, Akvelon shut down its operations in Russia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

But that was just the beginning of the story, as Dreizin explains on this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast in conversation with GeekWire co-founder John Cook. See GeekWire.com for written excerpts.

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The new frontiers of AI and robotics, with CMU computer science dean Martial Hebert

Sat, 16 Apr 2022 15:01:16 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we explore the state of the art in robotics and artificial intelligence with Martial Hebert, dean of the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science in Pittsburgh.

A veteran computer scientist in the field of computer vision, Hebert is the former director of CMU's prestigious Robotics Institute. A native of France, he also had the distinguished honor of being our first in-person podcast guest in two years, visiting the GeekWire offices during his recent trip to the Seattle area.

As you'll hear, our discussion doubled as a preview of a trip that GeekWire's news team will soon be making to Pittsburgh, revisiting the city that hosted our temporary GeekWire HQ2 in 2018, and reporting from Cascadia Connect Robotics, Automation & AI conference, with coverage supported by Cascadia Capital. More details soon.

Hosted by GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited and produced by Curt Milton, with music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Words with AI: Language and the future of work, with Textio CEO Kieran Snyder

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 16:07:20 +0000

What's the impact of the words we use? Augmented writing platform Textio uses machine learning and natural language processing to take the guesswork out of business communication, offering predictive analytics designed to help companies recruit a diverse workforce and build an inclusive culture.

The 120-person Seattle-based tech company, led by CEO Kieran Snyder, has been going through a transformation of its own during the past two years, expanding its product lineup while taking its own workforce fully remote, and recruiting more people outside the Seattle area.

In the process, the company built its own in-house online tool for participatory time-boxed conversations, for team-building and collaboration among its employees. Dubbed "Umeo," it's not a product ... at least not yet.

Snyder, who was named the CEO of the Year in the 2021 GeekWire Awards, joins us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast for a conversation about the importance of language, Textio's evolution, the future of workplace technology, regional differences in business language, and her formative experience as a "Scrabble hustler" in college in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square.

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Technology, data, and the future of TV, with iSpot tech chief Anthony Skinner

Sat, 02 Apr 2022 17:26:00 +0000

Most online publishers and advertisers are accustomed to real-time analytics, the ability to see how many people are viewing a website or app at any moment, where they're coming from, generally who they are, and what they're doing on the site.

But that concept was a novelty in TV advertising before a startup called iSpot.tv came along in 2012. The company, based in Bellevue, Wash., took the turnaround time for data about television ads from weeks and days to hours and minutes.

A decade later, iSpot is a key partner and resource for major media platforms and advertisers. With more than 300 employees, the company has been growing organically and through acquisitions, it's increasingly becoming an alternative to industry stalwart Nielsen as a standard for audience measurement.

Meanwhile, Nielsen announced this week that it will be acquired by a private equity firm for $16 billion.

In the most recent example of the shift, NBCUniversal announced a multi-year agreement with iSpot to provide real-time audience measurement across platforms, starting with the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and Super Bowl LVI, and most recently for NBCUniversal's "upfront" negotiations with advertisers for the 2022-23 television season.

The upfront news was announced iSpot tech chief Anthony Skinner during an NBCUniversal developers conference on the Saturday Night Live stage in March. He joins us on the GeekWire Podcast to talk about the underlying changes in how we're all watching TV and consuming content, and how analytics have evolved along the way.

The company is a finalist in the category of Next Tech Titan in the 2022 GeekWire Awards, and Skinner was featured in a 2019 GeekWire Geek of the Week profile.

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Testing SpaceX Starlink; U.S. tech worker migration; and a GeekWire Awards sneak peek

Sat, 26 Mar 2022 16:28:33 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we talk about what could be an enduring era of remote work — for some people, at least — as enabled by new technology and illuminated by new data about migration within the United States.

First up, GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop reports on his experience testing the SpaceX Starlink satellite service in my hometown in rural Northern California, including efforts to use the service from multiple locations.
Then GeekWire co-founder John Cook assesses a high-profile effort by his home state, Ohio, to attract workers from Seattle and other U.S. tech hubs.
And to round things out, we discuss new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau that show the population of King County, Wash., home to the tech hubs of Seattle and Bellevue, declining by more than 20,000 people last year, as other counties in the state saw an influx.

Finally, we give a sneak preview of the five finalists in one of the categories for the upcoming GeekWire Awards.

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Tony Hsieh, Zappos, and Amazon

Sat, 19 Mar 2022 15:03:00 +0000

Tony Hsieh was a legendary entrepreneur who built Zappos and sold the online shoe retailer to Amazon for $1.2 billion in 2009. He was known for unusual experiments in management and business structure, and for pursuing long-term passions over short-term profits, as described in his 2010 book, Delivering Happiness.

A new book, Happy at Any Cost: The Revolutionary Vision and Fatal Quest of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, tells the rest of the story of Hsieh's life, leading up to his tragic death from injuries sustained in a fire in New London, Conn., in November 2020. The book also goes behind-the-scenes of the company's relationship with Amazon.

Wall Street Journal reporter Kirsten Grind, who wrote the book with her colleague Katherine Sayre, joins me on the GeekWire Podcast to talk about what they discovered in writing the book, and what we can learn from Hsieh's life.

Kirsten Grind was previously based in the Seattle area as a reporter for the Puget Sound Business Journal. Her reporting on the collapse of Washington Mutual formed the basis for her first book, The Lost Bank.

Resources: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255; Crisis Text Line: 741741

Happy at Any Cost: The Revolutionary Vision and Fatal Quest of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, by Kirsten Grind and Katherine Sayre, is published by Simon and Schuster, and available wherever books are sold.

Podcast edited by Curt Milton; Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Jeff Bezos, future Seahawks owner?

Sat, 12 Mar 2022 17:33:00 +0000

This week's blockbuster trade of Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson could be the first in a series of moves that leads to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owning the team.

That was the hypothesis offered by veteran Seattle sports columnist Art Thiel in a piece this week at PostAlley.org, blending smart sourcing with informed speculation. Rumors of Bezos' interest in buying the Seahawks have been around for years, but the team's deal with the Denver Broncos makes the possibility worth revisiting.

Thiel, our former Seattle Post-Intelligencer colleague and the founding editor of Sportspress Northwest, joins us on this episode to discuss this theory and what it could mean for Bezos, Amazon and the NFL.

More from Art Thiel:

Edited by Curt Milton; Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell

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A former tech columnist's antidote for 'dangerously divided times'

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 14:54:00 +0000

What would happen to the divisions in our country if we set aside our phones, and our assumptions, and truly tried to understand people who are different from us?

Mónica Guzmán did this in her own family, and she's convinced that the country could do it, too. The Seattle-based journalist, entrepreneur and self-described liberal starts her new book with the personal story of coming to terms with her own parents, Mexican immigrants who voted twice for Donald Trump for president.

The rest of the book is a guide for the rest of us: I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times.

Longtime readers will remember Guzmán as a technology columnist who wrote regularly for GeekWire in the early years of the site. We also worked together previously at the Seattle P-I newspaper, where she started the Big Blog for SeattlePI.com.

She wrote for the Seattle Times and went on to co-found The Evergrey newsletter in Seattle. She's currently digital director of the non-profit Braver Angels, whose mission of bringing together people of different political beliefs matches the premise of her recent work. She's also the host of Crosscut's Northwest Newsmakers.

We talk about her new book, and the role of technology in all of this, on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast. Hosted by GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.

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Amazon's Bizarre Bazaar

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 00:28:00 +0000

“Best Book Club Ever,” read one sign inside Amazon Books at Seattle’s University Village this weekend. On the bookshelves below it were products including an electric 1.5-liter ceramic kettle, a sugar dispenser, and a marble cheese slicer.

Elsewhere in the store, shoppers browsed items as varied as a plush baby shark, a Lite Brite, Funko figurines, a USB mic, game consoles, a smart fitness scale, a WiFi router, and kitchen scissors.

There was not, as far as I could tell, a kitchen sink.

Yes, there were books in this bookstore. But they were surrounded by a cacophony of commerce. Looking around at the seemingly random array of products, it felt like a bookstore subsumed by a variety store — an experiment gone awry, or more likely, an approach influenced by two different executive regimes.

No wonder Amazon is pulling the plug, I thought to myself.

Listen to the full story on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, or read it here, as published on GeekWire on March 7, 2022: Amazon’s bizarre bazaar: Strange final chapter for tech giant’s first bricks-and-mortar bookstore

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Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on the State of the Union in Numbers

Sat, 05 Mar 2022 14:19:00 +0000

Understanding any subject requires knowing the numbers, and that includes looking at the long-term trends. That was one of Steve Ballmer's guiding principles as Microsoft's CEO, and it remains his mantra as founder of USAFacts, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that compiles and reports U.S. government data.

Ballmer, the chairman of the L.A. Clippers and former Microsoft CEO, joins us on the GeekWire Podcast to discuss the USAFacts State of the Union in Numbers report, including the data to watch as the country emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and confronts the global economic impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

We also discuss trends he's watching in tech, the future of the pro sports experience in Seattle and beyond, and his philanthropic initiatives with his wife Connie through the Ballmer Group in areas including homelessness and education.

We last spent time with Ballmer when USAFacts partnered with GeekWire on the podcast Numbers Geek in 2018 and 2019, exploring the data behind many of the key issues facing the country. Of course, many of those issues have been upended in the time since. It was good to catch up with him and revisit some of these topics.

More: USAFacts founder and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on the State of the Union in numbers

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Rewind: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talks about his son, Zain

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 23:23:00 +0000

This is a special episode in remembrance of Zain Nadella, the son of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and his wife, Anu Nadella, who died Monday at the age of 26.

Those who knew him are remembering Zain for his wide-ranging taste in music, his bright smile and for his profound impact on his dad's life. Zain suffered from asphyxia in utero and developed cerebral palsy. Satya Nadella wrote candidly about his experience as Zain's dad in his 2017 book, Hit Refresh, and he spoke with me about Zain's influence in an interview that year on stage at the GeekWire Summit.

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Key trends in digital commerce, with the former Amazon exec leading Seattle’s newest unicorn

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 16:25:31 +0000

This week brought news of a big fundraising by e-commerce technology startup Fabric, a $140 million Series C round led by Softbank. With the deal, Fabric became the Seattle region’s newest unicorn startup, a privately held company valued at more than $1 billion, or about $1.5 billion in its case.

Our guest on this week’s GeekWire Podcast is Fabric’s CEO, Faisal Masud a former executive with companies including Amazon, Alphabet, Groupon, Staples and eBay.

We talked about the state of physical and online retail as we emerge from the pandemic, business to business commerce, the Amazon heritage on Fabric’s executive team, competition with Shopify and Salesforce, and why Amazon itself hasn’t been able to get traction in the area Fabric is focusing on.

The 300-person company offers software, APIs, and other behind-the-scenes technology used by retailers and business-to-business brands for many aspects of online commerce, including pricing/promotion, inventory management, digital storefronts, and payments/checkout.

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How Zillow's flexible work strategy is going

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 18:13:00 +0000

Zillow Group knows a thing or two about homes, and during the past two years the Seattle-based online real estate company has emerged as a leader enabling its employees to work from theirs — or from anywhere else they want.

As companies including Microsoft and Expedia make the transition back to the office, in some cases expecting employees to spend at least half of their time working in-person, Zillow has already been through its own transition to a completely flexible approach to work.

So how’s it going? On this episode, we hear from a Zillow executive who is not only overseeing the company’s flexible work experience, but living it first-hand: Meghan Reibstein, Zillow's vice president of project management and flexible work.

Related links and content

Meghan Reibstein on LinkedIn: Flexible Work Improves Employees’ Quality of Life, Zillow Survey Reveals

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Armoire's startup survival story

Sat, 19 Feb 2022 13:38:44 +0000

Armoire CEO and founder Ambika Singh and her team built a women's clothing subscription service with their "bosslady" members in mind, providing an on-demand wardrobe of apparel primarily for work and events.

Two years ago, the Seattle-based startup was on a roll, posting a record month in February 2020 after growing nearly 400% in 2019. But then came the pandemic. Armoire's members no longer needed to dress up for the office or to go out.

So close the door on Armoire, right? Not so fast.

Ambika Singh talks with GeekWire's John Cook and Todd Bishop about Armoire's survival story, how the startup's underlying business works, competition with Rent the Runway and others, its return to the office, and what's next in its startup journey.

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Why Microsoft's return to the office may not be the norm

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 01:07:00 +0000

What does Microsoft's return to the office mean for everybody else?

That was one of the questions raised by the tech giant's announcement Monday that it will fully reopen its Washington state offices, including its Redmond headquarters, starting on Feb. 28. The company says it will offer flexibility but expects most employees to be back in the office at least 50% of the time.

Microsoft and other big tech companies were among the first in the country to ask employees to work from home at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly two years ago. The rest of the industry followed suit.

But the return could be different, based on fundamental changes in the industry and society in the meantime.

For an overview and status report, we spoke with Michael Schutzler, CEO of the Washington Technology Industry Association, which represents tech companies across Washington state, and has gone fully virtual itself, giving up its downtown Seattle offices for good. WTIA is also redefining its own boundaries in the process.

See excerpts and links on GeekWire: Why Microsoft’s return to the office may not be the norm across the rest of the tech industry

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The realities of Amazon's pay increase; inside Microsoft's HoloLens business

Sat, 12 Feb 2022 15:52:52 +0000

Our guest this week, Ashley Stewart, is a Seattle-based senior tech correspondent for the news site Insider who reports on Microsoft and Amazon.

She and her colleagues reported on Amazon’s executive exodus and its internal deliberations about compensation in advance of the increase in maximum base pay announced by the company this week. After the announcement, they reported on internal documents indicating the types of pay increases employees can expect.

We also discuss her reporting on turmoil inside Microsoft's HoloLens business, and where recent changes leave the company in the race to create the Metaverse.

And in our final segment, we compare notes on what it's like to cover these two companies, and what the differences say about their corporate cultures.

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Amazon's big salary bump

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 21:20:00 +0000

Amazon informed employees about a major change coming to their pay structure Monday morning. The company raised the cap for its base pay to $350,000 as part of its larger package of stock and cash compensation for corporate and tech employees. The maximum base pay has long been $160,000. The move has implications not only for Amazon employees but for the broader tech industry.

Garry Straker, senior compensation consultant at salary.com, spoke with GeekWire's Todd Bishop about the Amazon news, the future of work and the major changes taking place in the world of employee pay.

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Amazon defies gravity, Microsoft's biggest challenge, and one startup's quest to wipe out deforestation

Sat, 05 Feb 2022 16:26:07 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Amazon's latest results demonstrated its extraordinary flexibility and ability to overcome challenges in the broader economy using the built-in safeguards in its business, most notably the Amazon Web Services cash machine. Amazon spent an extra $4 billion to keep its business running smoothly despite a clogged economy.

Plus, Microsoft hires an Amazon veteran to take on "one of the greatest challenges of our time," and Seattle startup Cloud Paper raises $5 million in new funding for its environmentally friendly, tree-free toilet paper.

With Todd Bishop and John Cook; Edited by Curt Milton; theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell

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Sony's $3.6 billion Bungie buy, explained

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 01:32:00 +0000

The latest jaw-dropping deal in video games is Sony Interactive Entertainment's agreement to buy Bellevue, Wash.-based Bungie, maker of the Destiny series of online multiplayer first-person shooter games, originally known for developing Halo for Microsoft's Xbox.

Bungie was spun out of Microsoft in 2007 and has operated as an independent company in the meantime. It's expected to be an independent Sony Interactive Entertainment subsidiary and continue to operate under its current management. Bungie is promising to expand its 900-person employee base and move into new areas of entertainment as a result of the Sony deal.

Games writer Thomas Wilde joins us on this special episode to explain what the deal means for Sony, Bungie, Microsoft and the world of video games at large.

The announcement Monday morning came two weeks after Microsoft struck a $68.7 billion deal for Activision Blizzard, the Call of Duty and Candy Crush maker.

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Data journalist Sherrell Dorsey on her new book, 'Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us'

Sat, 29 Jan 2022 16:17:00 +0000

Data journalist and entrepreneur Sherrell Dorsey is a Seattle native whose story is a powerful testament to the potential of kids in overlooked communities, and to the possibilities that emerge when their paths are cleared. Dorsey is founder and CEO of The Plug, a venture-backed news and insights platform covering Black startups and ecosystems. Her new book is Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us.

Read an excerpt from Dorsey's book on GeekWire: Seattle’s ‘Motown of tech’ changed Sherrell Dorsey’s life — now she’s passing it along

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Microsoft's Candy Crush: Madrona's Hope Cochran, former King CFO, on the $68.7B Activision deal

Sat, 22 Jan 2022 15:29:09 +0000

Hope Cochran, managing director at venture capital firm Madrona Venture Group in Seattle, was previously the chief financial officer of King Digital, the maker of Candy Crush and other hit mobile games. She led King through its initial public offering in 2014, and its $5.9 billion acquisition in early 2016 by Activision Blizzard.

That gives her a unique perspective on Microsoft's deal this week to acquire video-game giant Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion.

We also talk about Cochran's career, including her past role as the chief financial officer of Clearwire leading up to its $15 billion acquisition by Sprint; and her current role at Madrona investing in fintech and gaming companies, including Seattle-based VR gaming company Rec Room, where she's a board member.

We also discuss her leadership role in the Onboarding Women group created by Madrona and several other Seattle-area businesses to increase the percentage of women on public company boards. Cochran herself is on the boards of public companies Hasbro MongoDB and NewRelic.

Cochran majored in economics and music at Stanford, and she gave a fun and inspiring answer when asked to name the song that best represents her as an investor. Listen to the end of the show for that.

More: Hope Cochran on The Room podcast and Madrona's Founded and Funded podcast.

Editing and production by Curt Milton; Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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NFTs, Metaverse, Web3, and new realities of startup investing, with Founders Co-op’s Aviel Ginzburg

Sat, 15 Jan 2022 16:41:00 +0000

So much of what happens in the startup world comes from serendipitous moments, random interactions that lead to fresh insights and new collaborations. And so much of that has traditionally happened at events, meetups, coffee meetings, and other in-person gatherings.

Two years into the pandemic and remote work, what are the implications?

That's our first topic on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, with entrepreneur, software engineer and investor Aviel Ginzburg, general partner at Seattle-based seed-stage venture fund Founders Co-op.

The former Techstars Managing Director for Amazon's Alexa Accelerator, Ginzburg was co-founder of social analytics platform Simply Measured, acquired by Sprout Social in 2017. Before that, he was one of the first software engineers at Appature, which was later acquired by IMS Health.

We also dive into NFTs, crypto, Web3, and the Metaverse, getting his take on each as an investor and entrepreneur (and longtime World of Warcraft gamer).

We discuss how he and Chris DeVore, the Founders Co-op managing partner, are looking to differentiate themselves from other VCs and investors at a time when so much funding is sloshing around.

And we take a look at our newly published list of unicorn companies in the Seattle area, which include some of Founders Co-op's portfolio companies, as well as one big one that got away.

With GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Amazon's Alexa is going to space

Sat, 08 Jan 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Alexa, open the pod bay doors.

Amazon's voice assistant hasn't quite reached the level of HAL, the iconic AI from 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, we learned this week that Alexa is going to space later this year, and around the moon, for a technology demonstration on the Orion deep-space capsule as part of NASA’s Artemis 1 mission.

Veteran space reporter Alan Boyle, GeekWire contributing editor, joins us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to explain what Alexa will be doing during the mission, and what the partners on the demonstration — Lockheed Martin, Amazon and Cisco — hope to prove in the process.

Then we discuss some of the key milestones from the past year in space, including Blue Origin taking the first paying passenger on a suborbital commercial flight, plus highlights from SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and others. And we look ahead to upcoming events to keep an eye on, as detailed by Alan in his annual space recap and preview.

And in our final segment, we come back to Earth, as podcast producer Curt Milton and I discuss celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's surprising disclosure about what we thought was a well-known Amazon company.

Also check out Alan's podcast, Fiction Science.

By the way, we used Alexa Skill Blueprints to get Alexa to impersonate HAL in the opening of this week's show. You'll hear a very different response if you ask Alexa the same question on your own device.

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GeekWire's 2021 News Quiz

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 17:53:20 +0000

This year was a bit of a blur — fighting through waves of Delta and Omicron. But there was other important news this year, too. And before we wave goodbye to 2021, we thought it would be fun to test your geek knowledge.

Spoiler alert: we give the answers as we go, so if you want to test your knowledge first, you can take an interactive version of the quiz in the post for this episode at geekwire.com, then come back here and listen.

Edited by Curt Milton; theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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The new era of work, with Qualtrics CEO Zig Serafin

Sat, 18 Dec 2021 14:00:00 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: How the pandemic is changing attitudes toward work, jobs, geography. Plus, the market for IPOs and acquisitions, and the future of downtown Seattle from the perspective of a newly public company.

Our guest, Zig Serafin, has a unique window into all of these topics as the CEO of Qualtrics, the experience management technology company based in Seattle and Provo, Utah. Qualtrics’ technology helps companies survey employees, customers and other stakeholders, and take action on the resulting insights.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced and edited by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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AWS outage, AI quiz, and Amazon's Halo View

Sat, 11 Dec 2021 17:47:00 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Is the world relying too much on Amazon Web Services? We assess the fallout from the big AWS outage, which was the subject of a detailed explanation from the company Friday night.

Plus, what's your AI IQ? We test our own artificial intelligence literacy in a new online quiz from the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Seattle. Read more in this story by our colleague Alan Boyle.

And finally, we try on Amazon's new Halo View, and explain what's different in this new health tracker.

Produced and edited by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Immigration and tech: New realities, old problems, and what's at stake for the future

Sat, 04 Dec 2021 16:29:00 +0000

This week: how the pandemic, politics, labor shortages, and the rise of remote work are impacting U.S. immigration in the tech industry and beyond — and how ongoing challenges in the system could be putting the country's future at risk.

Our guest is Xiao Wang, CEO and co-founder of Boundless, a Seattle technology company that streamlines the immigration process.

Related Stories and Links

Hosted by GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced and edited by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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What we're thankful for in tech, science, and innovation

Sat, 27 Nov 2021 15:12:00 +0000

This was a week when many of us in the U.S. paused to reflect and give thanks. We're keeping the tradition on the GeekWire Podcast. On this special holiday episode, we offer our gratitude for some of the technologies, trends and hopeful developments of the past year, as reflected in news coverage on GeekWire.

Hosted by GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced and edited by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Robbie Bach on 20 years of Xbox, and his debut novel, 'The Wilkes Insurrection'

Sat, 20 Nov 2021 15:40:00 +0000

Can you believe Xbox has been around for 20 years? Our guest on this week's GeekWire Podcast, Robbie Bach, was there at the beginning, and led Microsoft’s gaming business for many years as Chief Xbox Officer and President of the company's Entertainment & Devices Division.

These days, Bach is board chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that promotes bipartisanship. He serves on the national board of governors for Boys and Girls Clubs of America and is on the board of the Magic Leap augmented reality company.

And to top it all off, he just published his second book, which is his debut novel, a techno-thriller called The Wilkes Insurrection.

Referenced in the show:

Listen In with Raquel Ark podcast: Former #Xbox CEO Robbie Bach on #Listening to #Creativity and Writing His first #Novel
Alex Kantrowitz: Why LinkedIn Is the One Good Social Network
September 2015 GeekWire Podcast discussion with Robbie Bach

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced and edited by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Zillow, Amazon, Facebook and the pitfalls of rampant automation

Sat, 13 Nov 2021 16:17:00 +0000

The downfall of Zillow's iBuying business is a reminder of the downsides of relying too much on automation and machine learning algorithms at this stage in the evolution of technology. A conversation about the pitfalls of real estate valuations leads John Cook and Todd Bishop into a larger discussion about the continued importance of human judgment and attention in the modern world.

Plus, cat vs. coyote: the crazy scene on Todd's Ring camera this week.

And in our final segment, we test a new feature: Tech Crank, in which Todd and John each offer a rant about something irksome in the tech world this week.

Podcast produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell

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Jane Park on SPACs, the immigrant ethos, and brands in the Amazon era

Sat, 06 Nov 2021 13:28:40 +0000

Jane Park, the CEO of newly public Athena Consumer Acquisition Corp., hadn't imagined herself leading a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, before accepting the job. She decided to consider the pitch from venture capitalist Isabelle Freidheim for one reason.

“It took some convincing, a little bit. I wasn’t sure if I had the right capabilities. I have always sat on the entrepreneur side. So to be on the acquiring/money side is a new perspective and vantage point for me,” she said. “I don’t think I would have taken the call if it wasn’t the fact that it was an all-female SPAC.”

That's how the Seattle entrepreneur ended up with Freidheim and the Athena team at the New York Stock Exchange this week, as they rang the opening bell a week after raising $230 million in an initial public offering. Next on Athena's agenda is the process of identifying and acquiring a consumer-oriented company, leveraging those funds.

Park is believed to be the first Korean-American woman to take a company public as CEO on the NYSE.

A Yale Law School graduate and former Starbucks executive, she went on to found and lead Julep Beauty, a physical retail chain and e-commerce brand that was acquired by private equity giant Warburg Pincus. She went on to found sustainable gift-wrap company Tokki, leading the company through a pivot during the pandemic.

She’s also a board member of the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship, which holds its 2021 OpportunityTalks Breakfast at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Park talks about the ambitions of Athena's team, the future of consumer brands in the Amazon era, her family's experience as immigrants, and her own life story.

With GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook; Audio editing by Curt Milton; Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Amazon's new reality, Facebook's virtual reality, and Microsoft's big milestone

Sat, 30 Oct 2021 16:21:55 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast ...

We dissect Amazon's earnings, offering our take on Andy Jassy's take on the company's latest predicament.
We assess a major Microsoft milestone, as the Redmond company surpasses Apple to become the world's most valuable company again.
We look forward to the Metaverse, but question whether Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook friends are the right people to take us there.
And finally, by popular demand, for one show only, we bring back one of our most beloved segments, the App of the Week.

With GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited and produced by Curt Milton; Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Tech pay, cloud trends, Kraken, and self-driving cars with Qumulo CEO Bill Richter

Sat, 23 Oct 2021 14:22:03 +0000

Everyone is closely monitoring the implications of remote work as we emerge from the pandemic, so it's no surprise that one of the most widely read stories on GeekWire this week — right behind the Titanic's disappearing bathtub and Facebook's potential name change — was a story on trends in tech salaries.

Two big trends stood out in the report from jobs site Hired:

Average tech salaries in Seattle are up 4.6% from last year, to $158,000, second only to the Bay Area, which saw its average dip slightly to $165,000.
Nationwide, the average U.S. tech salary fell 1.1% to $152,000. With the shift to remote work, “employers are expanding their addressable candidate pool, filling roles faster and paying lower average salaries,” Hired said.

What's going on here? That's our first topic on this week's GeekWire Podcast.

Guest commentator: We get a real-world perspective on tech hiring, remote work, and pay trends from Bill Richter, president and CEO of Qumulo. The cloud file storage and management company joined the ranks of Seattle's unicorns with a valuation of $1.2 billion in its latest funding round. Richter was previously a venture partner at Madrona Venture Group, and a leader at Isilon Systems and EMC.

"We are far more open to remote locations," he said. "It really doesn't make that much of a difference where they are when they appear on their video conferencing screen. And that opens up a lot of new talent pools."

It also opens up new opportunities for people previously based in Seattle to relocate and continue working for the company. For its remote work policy, Qumulo's executive team has delegated decisions to its functional leaders, with a plan to learn and adjust as it goes, adopting an Amazon-like policy before Amazon did.

"So we're definitely approaching things differently," he added. "That's not a temporary state for us; that will be the future of the way we go as a company."

What does that mean for pay? The Hired survey shows that new employees in far-flung locations might not command as much as those in tech hubs. But unlike some other tech leaders, Richter, whose background is in accounting and finance, doesn't see much merit in attempting to adjust salaries when existing employees relocate.

"It's a global market for talent. And in exchange for the talent and the impact that the individual provides the organization, they shall be compensated," Richter said. "All the micro-tuning of things like location and that sort of thing, that might work in the short run. In the long run, what we'll see is a market clearing for compensation in return for talent."

Other topics this week

The boom in unstructured cloud data, which is fueling Qumulo's business. My colleague John Cook makes his best effort to get Richter to disclose Qumulo's financial data and IPO plans. Richter does share some insights into which sectors are seeing the biggest increase in data, and thoughts on how companies are viewing Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform in this environment.

The home debut of the new Seattle Kraken NHL franchise Saturday. Our colleagues Kurt Schlosser and Kevin Lisota got to tour Climate Pledge Arena this week. Check out t heir story and video. We reminisce about John's run-in with the Pittsburgh Penguins mascot, Iceburgh, during GeekWire's 2018 stint in the Steel City, and wonder if he'll have a similar altercation with the Kraken mascot. We'll soon find out.
The future of self-driving cars, and the news that Amazon's Zoox will test its technology in Seattle's "different driving culture." John is a skeptic of autonomous vehicles, based on part his terrifying ride in one of Uber's self-driving cars. Richter is an optimist. We can only imagine what will happen when four-self driving cars arrive simultaneously at a four-way stop in Seattle.

Produced and edited by Curt Milton; Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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The shared orbits of Microsoft and Amazon, and the tech industry's future in space

Sat, 16 Oct 2021 14:46:00 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: a new Microsoft leader finally gets to work, Amazon makes a surprising change in its remote work policy, and the promise of space for the tech industry.

Our guest commentator is Charlie Kindel, who worked for many years as a Microsoft general manager in areas including its server and mobile businesses, before jumping into the world of startups and then ending up at Amazon, where he led mobile payments and built the Alexa Smart Home organization.

After working as chief product and technology officer at home automation company SnapOne, previously known as Control4, he’s now an independent advisor and consultant to companies including space and satellite startups.

Stories covered on this week's show:

With GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell. See geekwire.com/podcast for more episodes and links to subscribe.

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Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, and more from the GeekWire Summit

Sat, 09 Oct 2021 13:27:00 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we’re sharing a few highlights from the GeekWire Summit, our annual business and technology conference, which we held this week for an audience in Seattle and online.

For online access to the full video of every GeekWire Summit 2021 session, purchase a ticket at geekwire.com/summit to watch at your convenience.

On this week's show:

Computer scientist and entrepreneur Yoky Matsuoka talks about her journey from academia to Silicon Valley, and compares and contrasts her experiences at Apple and Google. Matsuoka is leading an independent Panasonic subsidiary called Yohana that recently launched a personal assistant subscription service.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy addresses questions about the company’s impact on the world and responsibilities beyond serving customers. The GeekWire Summit appearance was Jassy's first live on-stage interview since succeeding founder Jeff Bezos as Amazon CEO — leading one of the world's most influential companies at a pivotal moment in its history.

Grammy-award winning entertainer and entrepreneur Ciara discusses creativity and independence in music and business. She talks about the moment of insight that accompanied her hit song "Level Up," which became an ethos that translates into her work in music, business, fashion, and more.

Audio editing and production by Curt Milton; Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Microsoft's larger lesson from TikTok: Brad Smith on the future of U.S.-China tech relations

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella this week called the company's unsuccessful efforts to acquire TikTok's U.S. operations last year "the strangest thing" he's ever worked on.

Brad Smith, Microsoft's president and newly named vice chair, laughed when he read that — agreeing with the sentiment, even if he has seen stranger things in his two decades representing the tech giant in its dealings with companies and governments around the world.

In the new paperback edition of his book, Tools & Weapons, Smith writes that the situation showed it's "possible to run a foreign technology service in a domestic data center with strict security, privacy, and digital safety controls in a manner that provides appropriate transparency to local government officials."

"In effect, this creates the opportunity to consider a new technology regulatory model for those instances where the US government wants technology trade to continue across the Pacific, but in a more controlled manner," he writes.

Smith elaborates on the issue in this GeekWire Podcast conversation about the paperback update to Tools & Weapons, written with co-author Carol Ann Browne.

They made extensive updates in the new paperback version of Tools & Weapons, including new chapters on the challenges created by unprecedented cyberattacks and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Smith also talks about Microsoft's new cybersecurity initiatives, his concerns about a lack of transparency and communication about cyberattacks among U.S. agencies and companies, and the future of work after the pandemic.

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What to expect in Windows 11: Former Microsoft PM Kevin Stratvert on the OS upgrade

Sat, 25 Sep 2021 15:01:56 +0000

Come on, how much has really changed in Windows 11 vs. Windows 10? To paraphrase a certain Spinal Tap guitarist, is it really worthy of taking it up to eleven?

Kevin Stratvert hears that question all the time, and based on his experience so far, his answer is yes. Stratvert is a former Microsoft program manager who left the company to focus full-time on his work as a YouTube creator, producing how-to videos about software and services from Microsoft and others.

Stratvert joins us this week on the GeekWire Podcast to look ahead to the launch of Windows 11 on Oct. 5, providing a sense for what to expect.

We talk about the new Windows 11 user interface, overall performance improvements, the centered Start menu, Windows 11 Widgets, upgrades to the multiple virtual desktops feature in Windows, the integration of Microsoft Teams Chat, the updated Your Phone app, Windows 11 hardware requirements, and Microsoft's plan for a gradual rollout of the operating system.

Stratvert has been focusing on Windows 11 in many of his recent videos:

In the second segment, we discuss some highlights from this week's Microsoft Surface event, including the Surface Laptop Studio and the new Surface Duo 2.

And in the final segment, we talk about Stratvert's own journey from Microsoft program manager to full-time YouTube creator, which was documented in this CNBC story.

Subscribe to Kevin Stratvert's YouTube channel, or see his site, kevinstratvert.com.

Audio editing and production by Curt Milton; Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Amazon's Kindle Vella through the eyes of a longtime Seattle author

Fri, 24 Sep 2021 13:27:11 +0000

Fred Moody is a retired journalist in the Seattle area, the former managing editor of Seattle Weekly, and the author of a series on Kindle Vella, Amazon’s new episodic storytelling platform for mobile devices. It's called Barfly on the Wall: A meteoric misadventure into Seattle bartending.

GeekWire's Todd Bishop has been looking into Kindle Vella and other story platforms as a reflection of broader changes in how people publish and read stories. Moody is one of the authors featured in a GeekWire story on the subject.

Moody has followed Amazon since its early days as an online bookseller, interviewing Jeff Bezos for an article when the company was based in a modest office south of downtown Seattle. The company was so small at the time that Bezos personally followed up with Moody to explain how the journalist's out-of-print book about the Seattle Seahawks ended up in Amazon's online catalog.

"He was talking about why he was located in Seattle, and what his plans were, to be the world's biggest bookstore and all that, but there was no sense that they were headed where they were headed, at least not to my benighted eyes," Moody recalled this week. "You could tell he was really onto something, but nobody could have imagined what that something was."

In 2004, as the tech economy was taking off in the city, Moody wrote about Seattle's "struggle for its soul" in his book, Seattle and the Demons of Ambition. That book was inspired in part by his experience encountering protesters during the World Trade Organization riots, which opened his eyes to Seattle's evolution into a "massive establishment symbol with all this corporate power," as he puts it.

More than a decade later, in 2015, his eyes were opened to yet another side of the city when he came out of retirement to work as a day-shift bartender at the Shanghai Room in Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood, which his daughter Caitlin and son-in-law Tony took over when they opened the adjacent North Star Diner. (They stepped down as owner/operators earlier this year.)

Moody started taking notes about the characters at the bar, the people he worked with, and his experiences with the late Anthony Bourdain and his crew when the famed chef and television host visited Seattle for his final show here.

When the pandemic hit, Moody found himself with the time to write.

"I wanted to experiment with a different kind of narrative, where I'm telling these short little pieces, sometimes anecdotes, sometimes conversations, or little pieces from people's lives, then just kind of jumping from one to the other," he explained, describing it as "a mosaic" that builds into a larger narrative.

Then he heard about Vella.

"It was almost like a perfect format for what I'd been doing," he said. "I could just take these bite-sized, little things, and make these episodes."

Vella also matched the trends he had witnessed from behind the bar.

"I was really taken with the idea that it would be so phone-friendly, because the audience I was thinking about for this book were people that read exclusively on their phones, which I noticed in my bartending was the case with almost everybody under 40 years old," he said.

Read the full story on GeekWire.

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'They proved me wrong.' Investor who passed on Seattle startup analyzes its IPO

Sat, 18 Sep 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Jason Stoffer was still early in his career at venture capital firm Maveron in 2012 when he declined an opportunity to invest in Remitly, then a fledgling Seattle startup with ambitions to challenge Western Union by bringing a tech mindset to the business of international money transfers.

He was impressed by Remitly co-founders Matt Oppenheimer and Josh Hug but knew they faced a huge challenge in getting the state-by-state regulatory approval required to make monetary remittances to what was then their initial international market, the Philippines.

"It felt like the end vision was powerful — if they can get there," Stoffer recalled. "But two guys in a room in Seattle saying they were going to navigate an incredibly complex regulatory environment and figure out how to market in a country a continent away, it felt like too big a hill to climb. And they proved me wrong."

Ten years later, Remitly is poised to go public in an initial public offering that values the company at $6.5 billion, as we reported this week.

Stoffer, whose successful exits as an investor include Flywire, Course Hero, General Assembly and Zulily, analyzed Remitly's financials recently on his new blog, Ringing the Bell, displaying an admirable humility in his assessment of a company that could have been part of the Maveron portfolio.

He joins my colleague John Cook and me on the GeekWire Podcast to talk more about Remitly, lessons learned, the current market for tech investing, and his approach to reading S-1 regulatory filings.

In the final segment, we discuss Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's first television appearance since assuming the top role from founder Jeff Bezos. Stoffer is an investor in Cap Hill Brands, an aggregator of third-party Amazon sellers.

Audio editing and production by Curt Milton; Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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How the pandemic is taking a toll on collaboration; AI, ML and the NFL; Listener feedback

Sat, 11 Sep 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Remote work is putting productivity and innovation at risk. That was one of the conclusions of a peer-reviewed study of more than 61,000 Microsoft employees, published this week, and it’s our first topic this week.

We talk about the workplace dynamics that are creating the situation, and explain why the implications go far beyond Microsoft’s workforce as the COVID-19 Delta variant pushes back the return to the office.

Plus, how predictive analytics and machine learning could change the NFL and other sports, and a preview of the GeekWire Summit, featuring Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, pop superstar Ciara, and a lineup of top leaders in tech, business and science.

For the audiophiles in the audience, our listener feedback section offers another important clarification in our seemingly never-ending discussion of the Blue Yeti microphone.

A special request for loyal listeners: Help us get to 100 reviews on Apple Podcasts!

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U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal: Amazon, antitrust, and the future of big tech

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 13:29:00 +0000

GeekWire's Mike Lewis talks with U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat who represents the 7th Congressional District in Washington state, including Amazon’s hometown of Seattle. Rep. Jayapal is also the Vice Chair of the House Antitrust Subcommittee, and the author of a bill that aims to prevent what it calls monopolistic practices by big tech companies including Amazon. In addition to antitrust issues, they discuss online privacy, vaccine mandates and infrastructure spending.

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Startup secrets; Windows 11 launch; In defense of the Blue Yeti

Sat, 04 Sep 2021 13:00:00 +0000

A global pandemic might seem like the wrong time to pursue a new startup idea, given all the uncertainties, but in many ways, the timing couldn't be better.

That's one of the insights from our GeekWire Podcast conversation this week with Seattle-area entrepreneur and investor Shirish Nadkarni, author of the book From Startup to Exit: An Insider’s Guide to Launching and Scaling your Tech Business.

The changes in user behavior and tech platform shifts caused by the pandemic dovetail with one of the lessons Nadkarni is hoping to get across to entrepreneurs.

"Look for opportunities where there is either some major technology shift or some macro trend that either surfaces an old problem, or enables you to build a solution in a unique fashion that could not be done before," Nadkarni says. "I think those are the best opportunities for an idea to succeed."

We also talk about startup opportunities in artificial intelligence and machine learning; the impact of the IPO and SPAC craze on startup psychology; and the effect of remote work on investing and recruiting.

Nadkarni founded mobile wireless email pioneer TeamOn Systems, acquired by Blackberry in 2002, and co-founded language learning site Livemocha, acquired by RosettaStone in 2013. He began his career at Microsoft, working on Windows development tools, overseeing MSN's transition into a web portal, and leading Microsoft’s Hotmail acquisition.

In the news this week ...

Microsoft announced an Oct. 5 release date for Windows 11, but said it won't be making Android apps available on the new OS until a later date, under a partnership with Amazon.
Seattle-based money remittance company Remitly disclosed key financial results on its path to its upcoming IPO. It posted $257 million in revenue and a $32.5 million net loss in 2020.

And in our final segment, we hear from a loyal listener, Steve Case (no, not the AOL founder), with feedback on our recent behind-the-scenes episode about the audio technology we use for the show. I had critical things to say about the Blue Yeti mic on the show, to which Steve gave this response:

I like and use the Blue Yeti (with an external pop filter). It was the logical choice when I was doing a bit of voiceover, and pondering podcasting. The Yeti is perfect for podcasting because of its three condenser capsules and four modes, so it’s good for one person (cardioid mode) or interviewing someone in person (bi-directional mode). Of course that was back in the pre-quarantine days when we might actually sit on the other side of a microphone from someone outside of our household.

Many people who use these for podcasts, YouTube videos and the like, don't seem to understand the modes – or even which side to talk into. This is a side-address microphone, but I see people talking into the end of it, or even into the back side when using cardioid mode. Then there are the folks way too close to the mic, without a pop guard, and the gain set to full. The built-in gain control is a great feature, but with the power to change gain at the microphone comes the responsibility to set it appropriately.

Noted! Thanks to Steve for his insights. You can reach us at podcast@geekwire.com with your thoughts on mic technology or anything else we discuss on the show.

Audio editing by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Inside the White House cybersecurity summit with Hadi Partovi of Code.org

Sat, 28 Aug 2021 14:30:00 +0000

President Joe Biden brought together top executives from the nation's biggest technology, financial services and energy companies this week to address the growing challenge of cybersecurity, speaking to tech leaders including Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

"The federal government can't meet this challenge alone," Biden said in his public remarks to open the meeting. "I've invited you all here today because you have the power and the capacity and the responsibility, I believe, to raise the bar on cybersecurity. And so, ultimately, we've got a lot of work to do."

So what happened next? And did any real solutions emerge? Our guest on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast was in the closed-door meeting. Seattle-area investor and entrepreneur Hadi Partovi, CEO of computer science education nonprofit Code.org, shares details and key takeaways on this week's show.

In the third segment, Partovi reflects on his own childhood in Iran, as a 6-year-old during the 1979 revolution, later immigrating to the U.S. with his family, and finding success as a computer scientist and entrepreneur along with his twin brother, Ali, who joined him in founding Code.org.

Read his full thread on that topic and see our earlier coverage.

See GeekWire.com for more.

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Inside our hybrid studio: GeekWire's tech tips and tricks for the latest twist in virtual meetings

Sat, 21 Aug 2021 14:52:00 +0000

The last 18 months have been an audio-visual adventure, requiring many of us to improve and refine our at-home tech setups for virtual meetings and remote work.

And just when we thought we'd figured it out, we were hit with a new scenario entirely: hybrid work, with some people together in the office, and others dialing in from home. Getting things to work seamlessly in these situations is no easy task.

This can be especially challenging when you're trying to get good sound. We’ve struggled with this latest twist on GeekWire's podcasts, with multiple people in the studio, for example, and others joining us remotely. We’ve figured it out, mostly, through lots of trial and error — emphasis on the error.

We're sharing our hard-won lessons on this behind-the-scenes episode of the GeekWire Podcast, including details on hardware and software we’ve been using.

Even if you're not recording audio or video, or producing your own show, we hope these insights might help with your own hybrid meetings and events.

We use a few of our favorite mics to record the show, letting you hear the difference in quality. In addition, we discuss mics to avoid, based on our experience.

Also making an appearance are some new Microsoft headsets and microphones that we’ve been trying out on loan from the company.

Stepping out from behind the virtual booth to participate in this episode is Curt Milton, who edits and produces the GeekWire Podcast every week.

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How SPACs are shaking up Seattle's startup scene

Sat, 14 Aug 2021 13:00:00 +0000

An online marketplace that helps to facilitate trade between marijuana sellers and buyers will soon see its own stock traded on the Nasdaq.

Another that connects pet owners with walkers, boarders and other caregivers just posted its first earnings as a publicly traded company.

And a 3-year-old Redmond-based biotech company with a mere 25 employees just raised $80 million its stock market debut.

SPACs are shaking up Seattle's startup scene. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we examine how special purpose acquisition companies are turning startups into publicly traded stocks at a rapid clip. The SPAC phenomenon is giving many of these companies access to additional sources of capital while creating new risks for investors and raising questions about the long-term direction of the stock market.

Our guest (and guest audio editor) is Laurel Deppen, a journalist who has been working as an intern at GeekWire in Seattle this summer through the Dow Jones News Fund, reporting a wide range of stories about the region's tech and business community, including an earlier story about soon-to-be public online cannabis marketplace Leafly.

She studied broadcast journalism at Western Kentucky University, where she was editor-in-chief of the College Heights Herald, and in addition to joining us for the podcast conversation, she edited this episode as one of the final assignments of her summer internship.

In the second segment of the show, we talk with Laurel about her overall impressions of Seattle as a newcomer to the city, as documented in part in her story, How Bumble BFF helped this Kentucky transplant find friends and break The Seattle Freeze.

And in our final segment, it's the return of the Random Channel, our segment exploring the random things that caught our attention this week. Laurel talks about the HBO drama The White Lotus, GeekWire co-founder John Cook suggests the new podcast The Edge, and I share my enthusiasm about recent episodes of Kara Swisher's New York Times podcast, Pivot.

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The new realities of real estate: Redfin CEO on tech, climate, housing, and the era of 'a thousand HQs'

Sat, 07 Aug 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman joins us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to discuss the latest twists in the housing market; delays in returning to the office; the role of climate in real estate; how technology is changing homebuying; and the impact of remote work and migration on Seattle and other big U.S. cities.

In some ways, "it's our employees who are deciding where Redfin's headquarters are going to be," Kelman says. "We now have 1,000 headquarters. There are people who have moved all over the country."

In literal terms, Kelman explains, he's committed to keeping Redfin's headquarters in Seattle. But he says the migration of employees creates a new dynamic for city officials seeking to work with business leaders to address economic inequality.

We talked after the tech-oriented real estate brokerage released its second-quarter earnings report this week. Redfin's revenue jumped 121% to $471 million, and its net loss widened to $27.9 million from $6.6 million a year earlier. Kelman also addressed the dynamics prompting Redfin to focus on growth over profits.

Earlier in the week, Redfin announced a new feature for home listings: a numerical rating that gives a climate score to a given house or property, analyzing the risk of heat, fire, drought, and storms over a 30-year period by county, city, neighborhood and zip code. Redfin is partnering with ClimateCheck on the feature.

On the COVID front, Redfin had planned a broad reopening of its headquarters and field offices for Sept. 6, but told employees this week that the milestone would be pushed back indefinitely for now, promising to give them at least 30 days notice of the new date. Those working in the office must be vaccinated, and the company is asking those who haven’t been fully vaccinated to work from home.

Microsoft said the full reopening of its U.S. workplaces will happen no earlier than Oct. 4. Amazon went even further, delaying its return to January 2022.

Podcast edited and produced by Curt Milton; Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Satya Nadella's biggest success as Microsoft CEO; Inside GeekWire's Great Race; Number of the Week

Sat, 31 Jul 2021 15:25:00 +0000

When Microsoft announced its acquisition of LinkedIn for more than $26 billion five years ago, there was lots of skepticism, and for good reason.

After all, Microsoft was a company known for taking huge write-downs when its biggest acquisitions (aQuantive, Nokia, etc.) failed to live up to expectations.

But that was then, and after becoming the new leader of the venerable software giant, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was taking a different approach, sticking to Microsoft's strength in business technology by picking up the popular business social network.

It remains the biggest deal in Microsoft's history, and with that in mind, now it also qualifies as Satya Nadella's biggest success as Microsoft CEO.

This week, we learned that LinkedIn has joined the ranks of Microsoft's $10 billion-dollar businesses, crossing that threshold in annual revenue for the first time.

Unfortunately, we still don't know for sure if LinkedIn is a profitable business, as Microsoft stopped disclosing LinkedIn's operating profits a couple of years ago. But based on the underlying economics of the business, and the prior trajectory of LinkedIn's bottom line, it's a relatively safe bet that it's operating in the black.

We discuss the LinkedIn deal, five years later, in the second segment of this week's GeekWire Podcast.

My colleague John Cook are back in the GeekWire studio at our offices in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood for the first time in 18 months, along with podcast producer Curt Milton.

We start with a behind-the-scenes discussion of GeekWire's Great Race II, and conclude with a new feature, Number of the Week, plucked from our local coffee giant's latest results.

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Day 2: Amazon's earnings reveal a fundamental shift

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 19:36:02 +0000

This is a special presentation of Day 2, GeekWire's podcast about everything Amazon. For more episodes, see geekwire.com/day2 or subscribe to Day 2 in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Direct retail sales are poised to represent less than half of Amazon's business for the first time in its history — a fundamental shift that reflects the e-commerce giant's expansion beyond its roots as an online store.

Revenue from Amazon Web Services, Amazon Prime, third-party seller services, online advertising and other services added up to 49.3% of Amazon's business in the second quarter. It almost matched the company's revenue from online and physical stores, and appears to be on a trajectory to surpass them in the future.

That's one of several takeaways from Amazon's second-quarter earnings report, released Thursday afternoon. On this episode of Day 2, GeekWire's Podcast about everything Amazon, we nerd out over Amazon's numbers.

Joining GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop for the discussion are two online retail industry veterans who pay close attention to Amazon's business:

Our podcast collaborator, Jason Boyce, former Top 200 third-party seller, founder of Avenue7Media and co-author of The Amazon Jungle.
Andrea Leigh, vice president of strategy and insights at Ideoclick, a Seattle-based e-commerce technology and services firm that works with vendors to Amazon’s first-party retail sales, and third-party sellers. Leigh was an Amazon general manager and retail category leader for nearly 10 years.

Coverage of Amazon earnings:

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How Facebook works: Secrets of the social network's engineering process

Sat, 24 Jul 2021 15:31:45 +0000

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees recently that the company's long-term goal is to "bring the metaverse to life" — helping to create an interconnected world of physical, virtual and augmented reality spaces that will reshape the way we work, interact with each other, create new things, and generally experience life.

So how exactly will Facebook approach such an audacious plan?

A new book called "Move Fast: How Facebook Builds Software" doesn't delve into the metaverse, specifically. But in looking at Facebook's engineering practices — the way the company makes stuff — the book examines the digital DNA of the social network, sheds new light on its most infamous motto, and explains the inner workings of a company that wants to reshape the human experience, again.

Facebook influences the engineering culture and economy not just in its hometown of Menlo Park, Calif., but also in its development offices in the Seattle area, where it employs 7,000 people. And of course, ultimately, Facebook's internal practices end up influencing people around the world who use its products.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we talk with the author of the book, Jeff Meyerson, the longtime host of the Software Engineering Daily podcast, about the ways Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon and Google make things, and what those different approaches tell us about where they're taking us.

Audio editing by Curt Milton, theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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How to make tech more equitable

Sat, 17 Jul 2021 12:57:00 +0000

A new report details extensive gender and racial inequities in Washington state's technology workforce, and makes a series of recommendations to address them.

Among the recommendations: creating state-supported worker-owned co-ops for independent and contract workers; establishing a state startup fund to support women and people of color in the technology industry; and broadening the focus of the state's technology industry point person and training programs to address equity issues.

The report, Creating Quality Jobs for All in Washington’s Tech Sector, was published by OneAmerica, an immigrant and refugee advocacy organization, and authored by our guests on this week's episode of the GeekWire Podcast: researcher and consultant Kimberly Earles; and Marcus Courtney, a public affairs consultant who specializes in labor issues.

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Bezos, Branson and the billionaire space race

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 13:58:51 +0000

Sir Richard Branson added new fuel to the billionaire space race July 11 when he and his Virgin Galactic crewmates floated in suborbital space.

"To all you kids down there, I was once a child with a dream, looking up to the stars," Branson said before unbuckling. "Now, I'm an adult in a spaceship with lots of other wonderful adults, looking down to a beautiful, beautiful Earth. For the next generation of dreamers, if we can do this, just imagine what you can do."

Can Jeff Bezos top that? We'll soon find out. Amazon's founder is set to go even higher as a passenger July 20 on the first crewed flight for his space venture Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket.

On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast: the dawn of a new era in space tourism, what to watch when the Amazon founder blasts off next week, and what's next for commercial space exploration.

Joining us is longtime space journalist Alan Boyle, GeekWire contributing editor, who has covered Bezos' space ambitions for years.

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Former Amazon exec Jeff Wilke on his next big thing

Sat, 10 Jul 2021 13:25:44 +0000

Jeff Wilke did something unusual when he left his role as Amazon's Worldwide Consumer CEO in March, after more than two decades with the company: he learned to code in the Python programming language.

"I had lots of computer scientists that were working for me and the organization, and I was heavily involved in a bunch of architectural decisions, but I hadn't written code in years," he explained. "I didn't understand exactly what it took to turn the ideas that we had into actual code. ... So I just thought it'd be useful to update my skills after a couple of decades."

He was "blown away" by the experience.

"The coolest thing about coding ... is that you get to stand on the shoulders of all the other people who have written code and uploaded it to libraries before you and so you don't have to go back and reinvent everything. And that just means innovation and invention and goodness can accelerate," he said. "So I actually left those two weeks totally optimistic."

Wilke is translating that optimism into a variety of investments and projects, across a range of interests and industries, from biotech to honeybees. But the venture getting most of his time and attention is Re:Build Manufacturing, a Massachusetts-based company on a quest to reinvigorate the U.S. manufacturing industry.

Re:Build has raised more than $400 million and made six acquisitions in engineering services and advanced materials, with six facilities in five states.

Wilke is the company's chairman and co-founder, and it's a return to his roots. He grew up in Pittsburgh and worked early on in pharmaceuticals, chemicals and electronics.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we talk about the future of U.S. manufacturing with Wilke and Re:Build Manufacturing CEO Miles Arnone, a longtime industrial business leader, inventor and investor who co-founded the company with Wilke.

Later in the show, during a momentous week for Amazon, we also get Wilke's thoughts about his former employer, as Andy Jassy succeeds founder Jeff Bezos as CEO. Wilke was considered a potential and even likely successor to Bezos prior to the announcement of his departure. He addressed that in a prior interview with our partners at the tech news site dot.la.

Audio editing by Curt Milton; theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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'LEGO Masters': Behind the scenes with Boone Langston

Sat, 03 Jul 2021 14:15:08 +0000

Boone Langston is an accomplished LEGO builder from the Portland, Ore., area who shares his creations with the world at BooneBuilds.com and on his Boone Builds YouTube channel. He also runs a virtual Boone's Build Camp for kids and adults.

After working as an IT support specialist and videographer early in his career, he became a fan favorite in 2020 as one half of the team Mark and Boone, a.k.a. the "Bearded Builders," on the first season of the FOX TV show LEGO Masters, in which teams of two compete by building spectacular LEGO creations.

He was also known for his impromptu singing, belting out his signature refrain, "Here We Go, We're Building With Bricks Now!" in true rock-star style, to the delight of LEGO Masters host Will Arnett.

Much to the dismay of their shocked fans, Mark and Boone did not win their season of the show, as judges Amy Corbett and Jamie Berard gave the nod to newlyweds Tyler and Amy, who had announced earlier in the season that they were expecting a child.

My colleague Kurt Schlosser captured the ensuing controversy perfectly in his headline at the time: Oh, baby, ‘LEGO Masters’ finale lands like a brick on outraged fans who dispute choice of winner.

My family was among those surprised and disappointed by the outcome. As fellow Pacific Northwesterners, we cheered for Mark and Boone throughout the season, and everyone in our living room considered their “Artopia” project in the finale objectively superior.

That sentiment was not shared by Tim Ellis, an electrical engineer by training, Redfin employee by day, and host of the podcast Dispatches from the Multiverse, who writes occasionally for GeekWire about games and other topics. After Kurt and I talked about the outcome on the GeekWire Podcast at the time, Tim started a lively debate with the two of us over text.

“Tyler & Amy totally deserved the win, and if anything Mark & Boone should have been in third place behind Sam & Jessica’s peacock!” Tim texted us at the time, referring to the third-place finishers. “You should only do a recap podcast of Season 2 if you let me join for some much-needed balance. 🤣🤣”

This spring, before Season 2 of LEGO Masters began, Tim resurfaced his proposal of recording an entire podcast episode about the show. I took him up on the idea — with my own surprise twist.

Without telling Tim, I contacted Boone via his website. He graciously agreed join us as a guest on the podcast, and I scheduled him to join us as a surprise midway through the session — after Tim and I rehashed our debate over the outcome of Season 1. For some added fun, we had two LEGO fans join us for the recording: Tim’s daughter, Maezie, 9 years old; and my daughter, Maggie, 10 years old.

Listen to the episode to hear what happened.

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Ben Gilbert of PSL and 'Acquired' on the red-hot market for IPOs, VC and acquisitions

Sat, 26 Jun 2021 13:26:40 +0000

Another day, another deal.

Keeping up with the flurry of acquisitions, IPOs, SPACs and venture capital these days is no easy task. In fact, IPO dollar volume for 2021 has already reached $171 billion, surpassing the record totals of last year. Same goes for mergers and acquisitions, with record levels of deal activity tracked for 2021.

The money is certainly flowing.

Washington state now boasts 11 "unicorns" — privately held companies boasting valuations of $1 billion or more. Many of them — such as Highspot, Zenoti and Outreach — have raised venture capital rounds of $150 million or more in the past six months. And each day here at GeekWire we're updating our funding list — not blinking an eye when a company announces $30 million, $40 million or $50 million in new funding.

Even more, we've tracked 32 IPOs, SPACs and acquisitions involving Pacific Northwest companies so far this year, including blockbusters like Okta's $6.5 billion purchase of authentication ID startup Auth0 and Twilio's $850 million acquisition of business texting startup Zipwhip. (See full list of deals here).

To help put the wild market in perspective, we're joined this week on the GeekWire podcast by Ben Gilbert, a co-founder at Seattle venture capital firm Pioneer Square Labs and the co-host of the Acquired podcast, an in-depth show that discusses the ins and outs of acquisitions and recently ranked as the number one tech show on Apple Podcasts.

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Day 2: Amazon's 'turnover machine'

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 15:41:12 +0000

This week we're presenting a special episode of our Day 2 podcast about everything Amazon, going behind-the-scenes of the New York Times investigation into the company's warehouse HR practices. Subscribe to Day 2 in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Amazon’s direct workforce rose by 500,000 people in 2020 — that’s half a million people — to nearly 1.3 million employees. The extraordinary hiring, supporting the rapid expansion of Amazon’s warehouse and delivery operations, raised the natural question: what would be the consequences of all that growth?

An eight-month New York Times investigation, published this week, provides much of the answer, telling the stories of warehouse workers caught up in an unforgiving, error-prone system that struggled to keep pace with Amazon’s growth, the unique challenges of the pandemic, and unprecedented customer demand.

The piece reveals the limitations of Amazon’s automated HR technology, but it also demonstrates the impact of policy decisions by Amazon executives, including founder Jeff Bezos and operations-leader-turned-consumer chief Dave Clark.

Among them, according to the story: a conscious decision to encourage turnover and limit upward mobility among hourly warehouse workers.

Karen Weise, the Seattle-based New York Times tech reporter who reported the story with her colleagues, Jodi Kantor and Grace Ashford, shares the backstory and talks about their key findings in this podcast discussion.s

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Tableau's new CEO Mark Nelson on Salesforce, Seattle, and Slack

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 14:37:00 +0000

Our guest on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast is Mark Nelson, who was named Tableau Software president and CEO in March.

He filled a vacancy created when his predecessor, Adam Selipsky, was named CEO of Amazon Web Services, taking over for Andy Jassy, who is succeeding Jeff Bezos as Amazon CEO. We get to know Nelson on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, talking about his background and leadership approach, life inside Salesforce, his goals as the new leader of Tableau, and the company's future in the Seattle region.

Salesforce bought Tableau for more than $15 billion in 2019, its largest acquisition at the time. Now, with Salesforce close to completing its acquisition of workplace collaboration company Slack for $27.7 billion, investors are looking to Tableau's performance inside Salesforce for clues about Slack's fate.

We talk about Tableau's results, ask Nelson what advice he'd give Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield about working with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.

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The future of events

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 23:53:00 +0000

The pandemic had a seismic impact on in-person meetings and events, requiring organizers and attendees to adjust to a whole new reality.

The aftermath could prove even trickier, creating a hybrid audience, with some people attending virtually and others in the flesh.

That's one takeaway from our conversation with Allie Magyar, the CEO of Hubb, a Vancouver, Wash.-based company that makes technology for virtual and in-person events. A veteran of the events industry, Magyar has run some of the world's biggest tech conferences, including Microsoft's Ignite, for which she was the lead planner.

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Amazon's Hollywood plot twist

Sat, 29 May 2021 15:08:30 +0000

Amazon's agreement to acquire MGM for $8.45 billion has all the makings of a great script, combining a Hollywood icon with an Internet powerhouse.

But will this unlikely pairing be a giant blockbuster or a massive flop?

Joining us to assess the situation on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast is Sam Blake, a reporter who covers entertainment and media for dot.LA, the technology news site for Southern California.

Here's how he put the news in perspective in his coverage this week: "Ninety-six years after Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Pictures merged to form MGM Studios, the Hollywood mainstay best known for its roaring lion mascot is set to join a trillion-dollar business empire best known for selling household items over the internet."

MGM would provide Amazon with more than 4,000 films and 17,000 TV shows that have collectively won more than 180 Academy Awards and 100 Emmys. The film library includes the James Bond and Rocky franchises, as well as television shows such as “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Fargo,” and reality shows such as “Shark Tank” and “Survivor.”

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Madrona's Steve Singh on 6 tech trends to watch post-COVID

Sat, 22 May 2021 15:53:00 +0000

The 2021 virtual GeekWire Awards were held this week, recognizing the top companies, innovators, entrepreneurs and technologies in the Pacific Northwest, as nominated and chosen by the GeekWire community — along with celebrity cameos.

On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we’re featuring highlights from a behind-the-scenes conversation with former Docker and Concur CEO Steve Singh, managing director of Madrona Venture Group, which was hosted for finalists in advance of the awards by GeekWire co-founder John Cook.

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The future of education: Lessons from the pandemic

Fri, 14 May 2021 12:00:00 +0000

The pandemic upended education in extraordinary ways, and shed new light on the social, economic and racial disparities in schools and communities across the country. But how can teachers, students, parents, schools and the system as a whole apply lessons learned from the past 18 months to ultimately end up in a better place?

On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we look ahead with a group of remarkable educators who focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) from different perspectives. They are our STEM Educators of the Year for 2021, presented by DreamBox Learning, as part of our upcoming 2021 GeekWire Awards celebration:

Lauren Bricker, a former Lakeside School teacher now on the faculty of the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington.
Cathi Rodgveller, CEO and founder of IGNITE Worldwide, which works with school districts to promote STEM education and career advancement for girls and non-binary youth.
Kim Williams, science department head, science club faculty advisor at Cougar Mountain Middle School.

Joining GeekWire's John Cook to guide the discussion is Jessie Woolley-Wilson, CEO of DreamBox Learning and a former GeekWire Awards CEO of the Year honoree.

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Urbanist Richard Florida on the overblown tech exodus and how cities will regroup post pandemic

Fri, 07 May 2021 20:51:00 +0000

Reports of the death of coastal cities are greatly overblown.

At least that’s the view of renowned urbanist and author Richard Florida who spoke earlier this week with GeekWire contributing editor Monica Nickelsburg about the future of cities as part of the annual Crosscut Festival.

“I am just amazed at the amount of gloom and doom pessimism,” said Florida, adding that any out-of-city migration appears to be temporary and is really only happening with small subsets of people. “Net-net, it doesn’t look like we’ve had a great urban exodus.”

That’s just one of the fascinating observations from Florida, author of the Rise of the Creative Class and a professor at University of Toronto’s School of Cities and Rotman School of Management. In the interview, Florida talks about the impact of falling birth rates on cities; why Miami appears ready to emerge as a significant tech hub; and how central business districts will need to change to embrace a post-pandemic world.

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Day 2: Amazon's Giant Quarter

Sat, 01 May 2021 13:37:00 +0000

This week's show is a special presentation of GeekWire's newest podcast, Day 2, about everything Amazon, analyzing the company's record quarterly results and looking ahead to what's next. To hear more episodes, subscribe to Day 2 in any podcast app.

Year-over-year quarterly growth of 44% would be significant for any company, but when the numbers were already this big, it starts to qualify as astonishing.

Amazon's sales of $108.5 billion in the first quarter compared with $75.5 billion a year earlier, setting a new record for the Seattle-based e-commerce giant and providing a glimpse of its strong position as the world emerges from the pandemic. Amazon is easing its spending on COVID-19 initiatives, but consumers' online purchasing habits appear to have permanently changed.

The result: its profits more than tripled, to $8.1 billion, from $2.5 billion a year earlier.

The impact of that structural shift on Amazon's bottom line is the big takeaway from its first-quarter results, released Thursday afternoon.

We break down the quarter on this episode of Day 2, GeekWire's podcast about everything Amazon, with GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook, and former third-party seller Jason Boyce, co-author of "The Amazon Jungle" and founder and CEO of e-commerce agency Avenue7Media.

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Municipal broadband; capital gains tax; Amazon's take on soccer super league

Sat, 24 Apr 2021 13:31:00 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week:

Washington state is poised to make a significant change in how its citizens gain access to the internet. Gov. Jay Inslee has indicated he’ll sign two pieces of legislation that, for the first time, will allow municipalities to set up their own direct-to-consumer broadband services. We discuss why this is a big deal and how it might work in one county.
Washington state legislators appear to be on track to pass a new capital gains tax for the state that would be collected on large sales of stocks, among other holdings. But tech industry leaders warn it might harm the startup scene. What's behind the move and who might it help ... and who might it hurt?
Amazon weighed in on a proposed European super league of soccer and said it didn’t like the idea. Did Amazon’s opposition help scuttle the plan?

With GeekWire’s John Cook and Mike Lewis. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Rep. Suzan DelBene on privacy and the future of the country

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 15:11:13 +0000

It's one of the hottest topics in tech, but despite broad agreement about the importance of online privacy, the United States has yet to pass comprehensive, modern, federal legislation that addresses the issue. U.S. Rep Suzan DelBene, a Democrat from Washington state, wants to change that.

"Technology has created incredible new opportunities, but our laws have not kept up," she says. "So it is incumbent on Congress to make sure that our laws keep up, that we protect people's rights in our changing world, and privacy is a important place to start."

DelBene is seeking to address the issue with a new attempt to pass federal privacy legislation, the Information Transparency and Personal Data Control Act. It comes as more states propose and pass their own privacy laws. DelBene warns that this emerging "patchwork" of state laws threatens to deepen the country’s privacy predicament, creating confusing for consumers and businesses, and diminishing the influence of the country on the issue by presenting a divided front on the international stage.

A former Microsoft executive and startup leader, DelBene joins us to discuss the issue on on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

Read one-page summary of the bill here.

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Day 2: Amazon defeated the union, but did it really win?

Sat, 10 Apr 2021 16:27:00 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we're presenting a special episode of Day 2, our new podcast about Amazon. Subscribe to Day 2 in any podcast app and see geekwire.com/day2 for show notes and more episodes.

In a public defeat for organized labor, a sizable majority of Amazon warehouse employees voted against unionization in Bessemer, Ala. in an election overseen by federal authorities Friday. But the process put a harsh spotlight on labor practices in the tech giant's fulfillment centers, and the company's anti-union tactics. In the larger scheme of things, was this really a win for Amazon?

On this episode GeekWire reporter Mike Lewis and e-commerce consultant Jason Boyce talk with Margaret O’Mara, a historian, author and University of Washington professor who specializes in the history of tech and politics.

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Why this Seattle tech CEO pulled his company out of downtown Seattle, and isn't coming back anytime soon

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 20:54:00 +0000

Veteran tech executive Scott Moore, CEO of Seattle startup AdLightning, joins GeekWire's John Cook and Mike Lewis to discuss the challenges facing downtown Seattle after the pandemic. AdLightning left its headquarters in the Gibraltar building last March and exited the lease in August. The company is currently working remote, and Moore says he’s committed to getting another office at some point. But when he does, Moore says, the office won’t be in downtown Seattle.

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The First of Our Civic Conversations: Rebuilding After the Pandemic

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 19:31:48 +0000

The Seattle area was already experiencing a massive homelessness, mental health and economic disparity crisis prior to COVID-19 hitting.

The pandemic simply exacerbated the issues. But even though the region has been knocked to its knees, several Washington state leaders hold out hope that lessons learned from the pandemic and racial justice reckoning of the past 12 months can lead to a more connected, vibrant and inclusive community.

It's going to take every ounce of strength and will to drive the change, but it can happen, they say. Listen to why they are hopeful in this special episode of the GeekWire podcast, drawn from GeekWire's new Civic Conversations event which took place Thursday afternoon.

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Day 2: How this seller turned Amazon's knockoff into a win

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 18:42:37 +0000

Check out the premiere episode of Day 2, GeekWire's new podcast about Amazon. To hear future episodes, be sure sure to subscribe to Day 2 from GeekWire wherever you listen.

What happens when Amazon makes its own, cheaper version of a product another company painstakingly developed? On the debut episode of Day 2, "Amazon Jungle" author Jason Boyce and GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop speak Peter Dering of Peak Design, whose company issued a savagely funny video mocking Amazon for knocking off its popular camera bag. As you'll hear, Dering's take on the issue is much more evolved and pragmatic than a sound bite on a news segment might suggest. Read more.

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Talking SPACapalooza with angel investor Spencer Rascoff

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 02:13:00 +0000

When we reached out to entrepreneur and angel investor Spencer Rascoff on Tuesday with notes about appearing on the GeekWire podcast — an appearance that was scheduled several weeks ago — we mentioned possible discussion topics around SPACs, real estate trends and any other big tech news events of the week. And then we made the age-old journalistic error, pointing out that it had been a "pretty slow news week so far, but I am sure something will pop in the next day or two that might make life interesting."

Indeed it did. But we had no idea that this week's big news would actually involve the former Zillow CEO.

On Thursday, Rascoff — operating through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) known as Supernova — announced the acquisition of Offerpad, a 6-year-old real estate company that, like Zillow, is moving fast to transform the way people buy and sell homes. The deal, which values Offerpad at $3 billion, is fascinating on so many levels with interesting subplots.

Obviously, we had a lot to talk about with Rascoff when he joined the show Thursday afternoon, discussing the inner workings of the Offerpad deal, dissecting SPAC mania and learning why the longtime entrepreneur took issue with parts of our original story.

We also heard about a number of Rascoff's side hustle entrepreneurial projects, including a stealthy new social network he's building with his 15-year-old daughter and a fast-growing startup called Pacaso that's bringing a fractional ownership model to vacation homes.

Known for an intense working pace, Rascoff also provides hacks on how to better manage your day-to-day work life — hint, he swears by 15-minute meetings and heavy use of Slack. And he offers a few tips for home buyers in this red-hot real estate market. The Los Angeles resident even shares why he calls his venture capital groups 75 & Sunny — yes it harkens back to the many dark and rainy days he spent in Seattle.

Ex-Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff leads SPAC deal to acquire Offerpad, a rival to his former employer

Ex-Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff jumps back into real estate, launches startup with former colleagues to help people buy second homes

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The Future of Femtech

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 15:08:58 +0000

This week we're presenting a new episode of the GeekWire podcast 2025: Tomorrow, Today featuring a discussion with Julie Sandler of Pioneer Square Labs. It's one in a series of conversations with technology investors on the 2025 podcast. Find more episodes at geekwire.com/2025podcast. We'll be back next week with our regular weekly show.

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Health Tech: Walter Isaacson on 'The Code Breaker'

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 20:10:00 +0000

We're sharing this special episode of the GeekWire Health Tech podcast featuring our interview with Walter Isaacson about his new book, "The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing and the Future of the Human Race." Hear more episodes of GeekWire's Health Tech Podcast at geekwire.com/healthtech. Read more: ‘The Code Breaker’ author Walter Isaacson on the genetic revolution, regional hubs and ethical lines

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GeekWire at 10 years: Reflections on an extraordinary decade in Seattle tech

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 18:36:00 +0000

This Sunday, March 7, will mark 10 years since GeekWire’s launch. Looking back, we couldn’t have picked a better decade as GeekWire’s first, given our focus on Seattle and Pacific Northwest innovation.

This was the moment that Seattle tech came into its own. We’ve covered the rise of the cloud, Amazon’s boom, Microsoft’s rebirth, the arrival of Silicon Valley engineering centers, disputes, mergers, IPOs, and the emergence of thousands of startups. And in the past year, we’ve covered Seattle as a center of the scientific and philanthropic response to a world-changing pandemic. What happens here matters everywhere. This has become our mantra.

We’ve worked hard, with a great team, and we’ve survived our share of challenges and struggles. But the reason GeekWire is still standing as a profitable media venture is this community, and all of you as readers, sources, listeners, members, sponsors, and supporters. Thank you. GeekWire has been fortunate to get to tell the world about this place for the past 10 years, and we're still at it. We can’t wait to see (and report!) what happens next.

Amazon's 'Great Labor Awakening,' with journalist Erika Hayasaki

Sat, 27 Feb 2021 17:32:00 +0000

What happens when Amazon becomes an integral part of a community? And what does the outcome say about the tech giant's larger impact on the world?

This week we explore the double-edged sword of the company's rapidly expanding fulfillment and distribution network, through the lens of its large footprint in Southern California's Inland Empire. We also consider the future of its workforce in the buildup to a pivotal union vote in Alabama, and growing wave of robotics and automation.

Our guest is journalist Erika Hayasaki, whose piece, “Amazon’s Great Labor Awakening", in the Feb. 21 issue of the New York Times Magazine, explores the impact of the pandemic and Amazon’s unprecedented growth on its workforce through the lens of the place where she lives, Hayasaki is a freelance writer based in Southern California who teaches in the Literary Journalism Program at the University of California, Irvine

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Amazon vs. Shopify, and the future of retail

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 18:16:24 +0000

This week on the show: Amazon vs. Shopify, and what the Seattle tech giant's acquisition of e-commerce startup Selz says about its larger ambitions in retail. Our guest commentator is Jason Boyce, founder & CEO, Avenue7Media, and the co-author of The Amazon Jungle: The Seller’s Survival Guide for Thriving on the World’s Most Perilous E-Commerce Marketplace. Hosted by Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton; theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Bill Gates on the future of the planet

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 20:50:46 +0000

More than 25 years after Bill Gates’ first book, The Road Ahead, foretold the impact of personal computers and digital technology on our lives, the Microsoft co-founder is back with his third book, this time with a warning and a call to action for the world.

In “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster," due out Tuesday, Gates presents an ambitious but achievable plan for saving the planet, including scientific and technological breakthroughs, and unprecedented efforts on a global scale.

On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Gates speaks with GeekWire reporter Lisa Stiffler about the book, his reasons for focusing on the climate, and even the potential for collaborating with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on the issue.

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Upgrading democracy, with former Microsoft exec Jon DeVaan

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 16:57:00 +0000

The Jan. 6 breach and riot at the U.S. Capitol, and the larger effort to overturn the results of the election, have brought new attention to the larger need for political reform -- fixing the bugs in the system of democracy, to use a metaphor offered by Jon DeVaan, the former Microsoft engineering leader.

DeVaan has become deeply involved in the political reform movement since retiring from Microsoft in 2013 after 36 years at the company. He's on the board of Represent Us, a bipartisan organization seeking to end corruption in politics.

In recent weeks, he has served as an informal ombudsman, of sorts, to Microsoft as the company navigated a controversy over its political donations before announcing last week that it would not donate during the 2022 election cycle to members of Congress and other political leaders who who supported efforts to overturn the election.

DeVaan joins GeekWire's John Cook and Todd Bishop as the guest on this week's GeekWire Podcast, discussing the events of the past month, the path forward for political reform, and the role that tech companies and other businesses can play in the movement. Below, he shares recommended books, articles and other resources that have informed his understanding of the issues.

Jon DeVaan: It was my pleasure to speak with Todd and John about democracy reform in the podcast. I mentioned many references that are interesting to anyone who wants to learn more and get involved in the movement. I list those along with others I think are great primers on democracy reform.

Important Articles

The first is a study done at Princeton about how citizens have nearly zero impact on public policy.
The second is a Harvard Business School analysis of the “Political Industry” and its bad effect on economic competitiveness:
The Economist’s ranking of democracy (the USA’s democracy rating has been falling for over a decade): Democracy Index 2020 - Economist Intelligence Unit (eiu.com)

Important Books

Dark Money by Jane Mayer – This book outlines the political dynamics that birthed the modern conservative movement and the money strategy that bankrolled it.
How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt: Why everyone should be afraid of where the USA is right now.
Conservative Parties and the Birth of Democracy by Daniel Ziblatt: Why reform of the GOP is urgently needed (or a new center right party)
- Also article: Why Conservative Parties Are Central to Democracy - The Atlantic
- Also podcast: Opinion | An Appalled Republican Considers the Future of the G.O.P. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
On Democracy by Robert A Dahl – This is an academic book but is the best explanation of what democracy is (really self-government in various forms) and why it is the best form of government known so far. This is my philosophical bible on what makes good democracy reform.

Movies – Not all of us have time to read books!

Dark Money (not related to the book): A deep dive into money’s corrupting influence
Slay the Dragon: Why gerrymandering is bad and how to fight it.
Eastpointe: How ranked choice voting helps create better representation.

National groups:

RepresentUs: Champions local and state laws that make the political system work for regular people
Unite America: Champions local and state laws emphasizing independent and reform minded political leaders
FairVote: Champions ranked choice voting nationwide
IssueOne: Champions democracy reforms in Congress
ProtectDemocracy: Champions accountability and prevention of presidential power
Leadership Now Project: Building a coalition of businesses to champion reform

Groups in WA:

Fair Vote WA: Championing ranked choice voting in WA
Fix Democracy First: Champions a host of reforms
The Sightline Institute: An excellent research group working on democracy reforms and other social issues

Twitter – Follow these people and groups to gain perspective

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Amazon's Business Secrets

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 18:34:26 +0000

How will Amazon maintain its culture as it approaches 1.3 million employees and prepares for its founder Jeff Bezos to step down as CEO? One answer is the set of processes and principles that the company has put into place, the "Invention Machine," created by Bezos and his leadership team inside the company.

That's the assessment of Bill Carr, a former Amazon executive and the co-author of the new book, Working Backwards, with fellow Amazon veteran Colin Bryar.

Beyond providing a blueprint for others, he predicts that Amazon's processes and principles will "enable the company to continue to thrive and innovate for decades after Jeff’s departure" as CEO. Bezos will remain involved with the company as executive chairman. On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Carr discusses the new book, describes Amazon's unique approaches, and shares inside stories including the offhand remark by the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs that contributed to the creation of some of Amazon’s most important products and services.

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Amazon, Andy Jassy and the cloud, with Corey Quinn

Sat, 06 Feb 2021 15:56:21 +0000

What does Andy Jassy's track record at Amazon Web Services say about how he'll lead Amazon as the company's next CEO? What will be Jeff Bezos' ongoing influence as the company's executive chairman? Who will succeed Jassy as the head of AWS? And what should be the tech giant's 15th leadership principle?

Those are a few of the questions we ask — and in some cases even answer! — on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast with guest commentator Corey Quinn, the chief cloud economist at The Duckbill Group, the host of the AWS Morning Brief and Screaming in the Cloud Podcasts, and the curator of Last Week in AWS, a weekly newsletter.

Continue reading for links to related coverage.

Edited by Curt Milton; Theme Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Amazon arrives in rural America

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 16:51:00 +0000

Mike Lewis of KIRO Radio in Seattle speaks with GeekWire's Todd Bishop about a story Todd wrote this week about Amazon in his hometown of Orland, Calif. Read the story: Amazon arrives in rural America: Tech giant delivers hope and concern to California town

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The state of Microsoft, with Mary Jo Foley

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 16:55:18 +0000

Microsoft's profits rose 33% in the December quarter as CEO Satya Nadella touted a “second wave of digital transformation."

But what does the future really hold for the tech giant? What will be the next big opportunity for Microsoft? And what are the biggest threats it faces?

We discuss all of that and more this week with veteran technology journalist and Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley, who writes the All About Microsoft blog for ZDNet. She is the author of “Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft Plans to Stay Relevant in the Post-Gates Era,” and is also the cohost of the “Windows Weekly” podcast with Paul Thurrott on the TWiT network.

Nadella's tenure at Microsoft has brought a new approach, doubling down on the company's traditional strength in enterprise software, pulling of successful acquisitions, and moving the Office productivity platform into a new era with products such as the Microsoft Teams collaboration software.

Discussing Microsoft opportunities and potential areas for future acquisitions, Mary Jo points to security and artificial intelligence as two key sectors for the company. She sees Microsoft Teams as another big area of opportunity. The company’s goal is to make Teams into even more of a platform -- an operating system for work, essentially.

One open question: How can Microsoft leverage its momentum with the Xbox game platform to create a stronger benefit for the rest of the company? Microsoft's Project xCloud could be one way, giving the company more of a presence on other platforms. GeekWire's John Cook, citing his son as an example, sees Microsoft's presence in gaming as a long-term benefit to the brand, as the next generation of consumers and IT decision-makers become adults.

On the subject of the biggest threats to Microsoft, Mary Jo points out that Google remains a formidable (and perhaps underestimated) rival to Microsoft in cloud productivity software.

And then there’s Windows. What’s up with Microsoft’s flagship operating system? Is it truly “back,” as Microsoft would have you believe? Mary Jo has some thoughts … and some doubts.

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What Biden means for tech

Sat, 23 Jan 2021 16:23:00 +0000

As Joe Biden settles into the Oval Office, tech companies in the Seattle region and elsewhere are watching with a sense of optimism to see what the new administration will mean for them and the industry. From the pandemic response to jobs to the climate, there's no shortage of critical issues for the new administration to address. And that has some experts believing that antitrust, content moderation and other regulatory crackdowns pursued by the prior administration might not be a priority in the initial phase of the new one. GeekWire contributing editor Monica Nickelsburg joins co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop to assess the issues ahead.

Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Bonus: 'Venture Capital Loves Destruction'

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 02:18:08 +0000

It was one of the most tumultuous years the country and the world have ever seen. And yet, as we reported on GeekWire last week, venture capital investments in the United States broke another record in 2020, topping $150 billion for the first time, according to Pitchbook and the National Venture Capital Association. In Seattle and across the Pacific Northwest, funding totals came in at $4.4 billion, up 15% year-over-year, according to GeekWire’s tally, derived from our running list of startup investments.

What in the heck is going on? My colleague, GeekWire co-founder John Cook, put that question to Mike Davidson, a Seattle-based tech and media veteran who was Twitter’s vice president of design from 2012 to 2016, during the recording of our most recent GeekWire podcast episode. This portion of the conversation didn't make the final cut, but we found the analysis illuminating, so we're presenting it here as a bonus episode.

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Social media after Trump, with former Twitter VP Mike Davidson

Sat, 16 Jan 2021 15:55:00 +0000

Twitter didn't set out to ban Donald Trump. The president gave it no choice.

That's the assessment from Mike Davidson, a Seattle-based tech and media veteran who was Twitter's vice president of design from 2012 to 2016, sharing his perspective as the guest commentator on this week's show.

"This was something that many employees have wanted the company to do for a long time; I wanted the company to do this for a long time," Davidson said. "But the company itself is not out to get Donald Trump. If anything, they let him stick around on their platform for too long."

The breaking point was Trump's incitement of the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters.

"If you run one of these private companies, you have to ask yourself, 'Am I OK being complicit in an insurrection of the United States government? Am I OK with that?' ... The answer to that question has to be no," Davidson said. "There is no concept of of owning a platform and being able to stay neutral about something like that."

So what went wrong with social media? And where do we go from here? Those are some of the topics on this podcast discussion between Davidson and GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop.

Podcast produced and edited by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Trump, social media, and an unprecedented moment in American history

Sat, 09 Jan 2021 15:45:34 +0000

Twitter's decision Friday to join Facebook in permanently suspending President Trump's account underscored the fundamental role of social media in one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. If it feels strange and unusual, that's because there's no historical precedent, neither in media nor the presidency.

"This has not happened before," says Margaret O’Mara, a historian, author and University of Washington professor, our guest commentator on this week's show.

"Particularly in the modern period, what the president says and does has always been covered, because it's always been newsworthy," said O'Mara, who specializes in the history of tech and politics. "Particularly as the presidency grew into becoming the most important job on the planet, and the U.S. was becoming a military and economic superpower, what the president said mattered -- it had credibility."

We also discuss the future of Seattle, Silicon Valley and other established tech hubs in the aftermath of the pandemic, a topic of O'Mara's recent New York Times opinion column, "California May Lose Some of Its Stars. But Silicon Valley Is Forever."

And we wrap the show with highlights from O'Mara's bookshelf: "Uncanny Valley," by Anna Wiener; "Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership," by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor; and "The Cigarette: A Political History," by Sarah Milov.

Produced and edited by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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2021: What to expect in tech, with Peter Lee of Microsoft

Sat, 02 Jan 2021 16:42:00 +0000

When (and how) will we all return to the office? How can startups position themselves to succeed in 2021? Which innovations will define the coming year? And which technologies will be overhyped? Last week, we recapped the top stories of 2020. This week, we look ahead to anticipate the coming year in technology and innovation. Our guest commentator is computer scientist Peter Lee, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for research and incubations, one of several tech and business leaders based in the Seattle region who responded to a GeekWire survey about what to expect in the year ahead.

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GeekWire's 2020 News Quiz

Wed, 30 Dec 2020 18:01:00 +0000

It has been quite a year. But were you paying attention? Before we wave goodbye to 2020, we thought it would be fun to test your GeekWire news knowledge. Play along on this special episode as GeekWire co-founder John Cook quizzes editor Todd Bishop and managing editor Taylor Soper. It's a fun one, but before we start, a spoiler alert: we reveal the answers on this episode as we go, so if you want to challenge yourself first, go to geekwire.com/2020quiz before listening.

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How this Seattle tech CEO landed in the pro bowling Hall of Fame

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 23:24:06 +0000

Rob Glaser is best known as the founder and CEO of RealNetworks, the Seattle-based company that specializes in digital media, games and computer vision technology. But for about two decades, he was also part of the ownership group for the Professional Bowlers Association, along with his former Microsoft colleagues Chris Peters and Mike Slade.

That's how Glaser landed in the PBA Hall of Fame earlier this year, despite never having been a pro bowler himself.

It also makes Glaser the answer to what turned out to be a real stumper of a trivia question on the latest episode of the GeekWire Podcast. As part of our regular tech trivia contest for listeners, we asked, "Which current CEO of a Seattle tech company has been inducted into the hall of fame of a professional sport?" We received lots of guesses, but only one right answer.

So we decided to call Glaser up and get his bowling backstory for this special bonus episode of the podcast. We also talked about RealNetworks' new MaskCheck app, which uses computer vision to detect whether people are wearing masks properly in compliance with public health guidelines.

Congrats to our contest winner Isaac Alexander, who will receive a GeekWire mask and mug as his prize. We'll be back this weekend, Saturday, Dec. 26, with a special year-in-review episode of the GeekWire Podcast with guest commentator Ed Lazowska, University of Washington computer science professor.

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Poetry vs. programming: The intersection of literature and code in a changing city

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 16:16:13 +0000

On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we present an essay written and read by Frances McCue a Seattle-based poet, writer, co-founder of nonprofit community writing center Hugo House, and a teaching professor at the University of Washington. She is also the writer and producer of Where the House Was, a feature documentary about gentrification and poetry in the city. Find her online at francesmccue.com, and read this essay at geekwire.com.

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Stalking Seattle's unicorns

Sat, 19 Dec 2020 17:35:08 +0000

Seattle's tech community just reached a new milestone: 10 unicorns, privately held companies valued at more than $1 billion. Their characteristics say a lot about the direction and state of the tech industry in the region, both positive and negative.

Joining us as a guest commentator this week: Heather Redman, co-founder and managing partner of Flying Fish Partners, a Seattle-based venture capital firm that focuses its investments on machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Also up for discussion: the challenges of running a big tech hub like Seattle. Mayor Jenny Durkan recently announced that she wouldn't be running for a second term. She faced numerous challenges during her tenure as mayor, but one of the biggest was bridging the divide between the tech industry, particularly Amazon, and the rest of the Seattle community.

And in our final segment, it's the return of the GeekWire Trivia challenge, with a chance to win your choice of a GeekWire mask or socks. Our question: Which current CEO of a Seattle tech company has been inducted into the hall of fame of a professional sport? Listen to the third segment for clues, and send your answer (or guess!) to contest@geekwire.com. From the pool of correct answers, we'll pick one person at random to win their choice of swag.

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Facebook fallout; Seattle's status as 'Cloud City'; testing SpaceX Starlink

Sat, 12 Dec 2020 15:41:28 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: How the antitrust case against Facebook could impact the rest of the tech industry; the state of Seattle as "Cloud City"; and first impressions of SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband service from a user of the company's "Better Than Nothing Beta."

Our guest commentator this week is Seattle-area angel investor Charles Fitzgerald, co-organizer of the Cloud City Meetup and a tech industry veteran who worked in product management and platform strategy with companies including Microsoft, Mozy and VMware. He blogs at platformonomics.com.

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Health Tech Podcast: Wait, was that COVID?!

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 20:35:00 +0000

Did you get sick with flu-like symptoms in the first few months of this year, or know someone who did? Do you suspect it might have been COVID-19? On the Season 5 premiere of the GeekWire Health Tech Podcast, we revisit the early days of the pandemic in a quest to figure out a mysterious illness, and share what we learned along the way from experts at University of Washington Department of Medicine, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research and ZOOM+Care.

We're sharing the episode here as a bonus but to get future Health Tech episodes, be sure to subscribe in your favorite podcast app, or go to geekwire.com/healthtech.

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How to take on Amazon without getting crushed

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 13:59:44 +0000

Amazon is often described as innovative, creative, experimental and ruthless. It's also very, very big — and getting bigger.

With a market value of $1.6 trillion — nearly the equivalent of Russia's gross domestic product — Amazon now dwarfs many of its retail rivals who've struggled to compete with a fast-moving organization whose expansive appetite seems endless.

But some retailers are finding ways to exist, even thrive, in a world increasingly dominated by Amazon.

In today's special episode of the GeekWire podcast, we take a close look at Amazon and hear from former Amazon executives, leading third-party sellers and competitors who are trying to survive in the shadows of the world's most powerful retailer. We also hear from critics who feel Amazon's power has grown so immense that the only way to curb the company's power is through government intervention.

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'Slackforce,' AWS re:Invent, and Seattle's new $9B tech company

Sat, 05 Dec 2020 15:41:54 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Salesforce strikes a deal to acquire Slack for $27.7 billion; Amazon Web Services makes some surprising news at its annual re:Invent cloud conference; and a new tech giant arrives in our backyard.

Joining us on this episode is Matt McIlwain, managing director at Seattle-based venture capital firm Madrona Venture Group, offering his commentary on the implications of these developments in the world of cloud and enterprise technology.

Special bonus: Listen to the end of the show for a new installment of our GeekWire Podcast trivia contest, with a chance to win a GeekWire mask or socks.

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Scott Galloway on Amazon in a 'Post Corona' world

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 17:33:46 +0000

Amazon's big move into the pharmacy business last week wasn't a surprise at all, and it's just part of a larger plan to reinvent a trillion-dollar industry. Coming soon from Amazon: health insurance, predicts serial entrepreneur and NYU marketing professor Scott Galloway in his new book, "Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity."

"Amazon knows a great deal about its best customers: what do they eat, do they buy exercise equipment or video games, do they have children, and are they in a relationship," Galloway writes in the book. "Between Amazon and Whole Foods purchases, the Amazon card, and all the 'pay with Amazon' merchants, the company has vastly more individualized data than any insurance actuary."

That might sound like the makings of an Orwellian future, but it's just one of the ways that the crisis of the past year has rapidly accelerated the inevitable in the economy and society, as Galloway sees it. After going through years of change in a matter a months, he writes, the result will be a very different landscape on the other side. The book looks ahead to the day when we put this pandemic behind us and find that some of the most powerful companies in the world have only become more powerful, for better or worse for the rest of us.

So where does that leave us? Scott Galloway joins us for a conversation about the "Post Corona" world on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast

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Skyscrapers, scooters, and the future of cities

Sat, 21 Nov 2020 16:49:43 +0000

A group of architects released their concept for a Seattle skyscraper suited to life in the post-pandemic world, where you might live and work all in the same place. Seattle 2030 would stand 1,030 feet tall and have a cloud walk observatory and drone ports at the top. But will it ever be built?

Wheels, the latest electric scooter share service to launch in Seattle, has a unique feature: a seat. We took one for a ride over bumpy streets and railroad tracks on a wet and miserable day earlier this week. In other words, a typical Seattle commute. Listen to see if we liked it.

And we have a winner of last week's Trivia Contest! The question focused on satellite broadband venture from the 1990s, and the two Seattle tech billionaires who funded it. Listen to the third segment for the answer and the winner.

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Can the shopping mall survive? '2025: Tomorrow, Today' podcast preview

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 15:25:00 +0000

We’re excited to introduce you to our new podcast, 2025: Tomorrow, Today, produced by GeekWire Studios, and co-hosted by someone who will be a familiar voice to GeekWire Podcast listeners, GeekWire’s John Cook, along with Jordon Voss of Northern Trust, our partner on this new show.

They will be exploring the future of retail, work and more on this new podcast with help from leading experts in each field. Coming up, you’ll hear the first episode of 2025 Tomorrow Today, digging into the question of whether the shopping mall will survive. Be sure to subscribe to 2025: Tomorrow, Today in any podcast app. Go to geekwire.com/2025podcast for links to subscribe.

Here’s a special first look at the premiere episode of 2025: Tomorrow Today.

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AI that writes your emails; a Seattle tech visionary; and our trivia challenge returns

Sat, 14 Nov 2020 15:53:02 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week:

OthersideAI thinks it can help you be more productive by using artificial intelligence to write your emails for you. But is that really a good idea? The months-old firm announced a $2.6 million seed round this week. It's one of several startups creating email products based on OpenAI's GPT3 language processing technology. We talk about the long-term implications for the industry and for humanity.

Tom Alberg was an internet financial pioneer when he became one of the first investors in Amazon in 1995. He didn't stop there. He was also one of the founders of Madrona Venture Group, a venture capital firm that has backed some of the Northwest's biggest tech companies. But what's especially notable about Alberg, at age 80, is his continued focus on what's next. We share highlights and takeaways from this new GeekWire profile of Alberg by journalist Lisa Stiffler.

And the GeekWire Trivia Challenge is back! Listen to the third segment of the show for the question, and details on how to enter the contest. From the pool of correct answers, we'll pick one person at random to win a rare and special GeekWire face mask.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Biden's Seattle tech bundlers; Amazon's smart shelf; Where's Gabe Newell?

Sat, 07 Nov 2020 16:17:07 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week:

Just before the election, Joe Biden's campaign released a list of its top "bundlers," people who raise big donations to the campaign. Several well-known Seattle tech names were on the list. We look at who they are and why they were raising money for Biden.

Amazon released a Smart Shelf that can keep track of things like your toilet paper and then automatically reorder them when you start to run out. Another Seattle firm, Bottomless, has a similar gadget to keep you in fresh coffee beans. Cool concepts but ... do we really need these gizmos?

Valve's Gabe Newell announced this week that he has arranged to launch a garden gnome into space. The interesting part of the story is why he's doing it and, even more interesting, is where Newell has been since last March.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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The state of tech in 2020 and beyond

Sat, 31 Oct 2020 15:58:15 +0000

The past year has brought a pandemic, a national reckoning over race, plus antitrust investigations and charges against major tech companies, with massive swaths of the tech workforce working from their bedrooms. But also record profits, a booming IPO market, and trillion-dollar valuations at the same time. Does this suggest a disconnect, or point to a “correction” in the future?

That's the first question we posed this week on our GeekWire Summit panel, "View from the Press Box: Tech in 2020 and Beyond," with Ina Fried, chief technology correspondent for Axios and editor of its daily tech newsletter, Login; and Karen Weise, Seattle tech correspondent for The New York Times.

This week's episode of the GeekWire Podcast features highlights from the discussion, including thoughts on the direction of the tech economy, the future of Amazon and Microsoft, the antitrust cases against US tech giants and the potential implications of the upcoming election.

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Expedia CEO on the future of travel

Sat, 24 Oct 2020 16:15:00 +0000

“I don't know when it's going to be announced. But the day there's a vaccine announced that people really believe in will be our highest booking day in history.”

That was Peter Kern, the CEO of Expedia Group, the Seattle-based online travel giant, speaking this week at the GeekWire Summit.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we’re featuring highlights from our conversation with Kern about the future of travel. Expedia Group includes major travel brands such as vrbo, Orbitz, Hotwire, Trivago, Hotels.com, and Egencia in addition to the flagship Expedia.com.

But we started with the big news of the day, the U.S. government’s antitrust complaint against Google. The case spotlights the difficult position Expedia and many other companies find themselves, competing with Google while simultaneously relying on and paying the search giant to direct customers to their services.

Our full conversation and other GeekWire Summit sessions are available on-demand exclusively to attendees of the virtual event, which runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Oct. 29. Register here.

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What gives Bill Gates hope

Sat, 17 Oct 2020 16:55:26 +0000

This week's GeekWire Podcast features highlights from the first week of the virtual GeekWire Summit, including what's next in the quest for a COVID-19 vaccine, a conversation with Panos Panay, Microsoft's chief product officer, and Bill Gates' comments on what's keeping him optimistic in these tumultuous times.

Full GeekWire Summit sessions are available on-demand exclusively to attendees of the virtual event, which runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Oct. 29. Learn more and register here.

Race to a COVID-19 Vaccine: We spoke with Dr. Deborah Fuller, professor of microbiology at the University of Washington; Dr. Lynda Stuart, deputy director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Dr. Melanie Ivarsson, chief development officer at Moderna, one of the major biopharmaceutical companies with a COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Phase 3 tests.

Panos Panay rose to prominence in the tech industry as the leader of Microsoft’s Surface hardware business. Now, in his expanded role as the company’s chief product officer, he’s leading the unified Windows software and hardware teams just as the pandemic renews the relevance of desktop and laptop computers in our lives. One of our topics this week at the GeekWire Summit was Microsoft’s dual-screen Surface Duo device. Where do dual-screen devices fit in the evolution of computing?

And finally, we were fortunate to talk with Bill Gates about the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and his thoughts on the tech industry's current antitrust challenges. Toward the end of our conversation, we asked him for some big-picture takeaways, including what keeps him optimistic in these tumultuous times. Listen to the final segment for his answer.

Produced by Curt Milton. Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Amazon antitrust findings; Satya Nadella's WFH tips; Mysterious $60B woman

Sat, 10 Oct 2020 14:45:34 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week:

A long-awaited report from a U.S. House antitrust subcommittee landed this week, and it slammed Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple for their alleged monopolistic practices in the online marketplaces they operate. Amazon responded with a scathing blog post that said the report featured “flawed thinking.”

Lots of tech people are working from home due to the pandemic, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has some tips on how to do it and maintain your health and well-being. Schedule some short meetings, he says, and don't forget your transition times.

A new story from the Medium business publication Marker paints an extraordinary portrait of the life of one of the richest women in the world, MacKenzie Scott, which is all the more remarkable because she hasn’t given any interviews about her split from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos or her philanthropic pursuits since their divorce.

And the GeekWire Summit is going virtual this year, with sessions from Oct. 13-29, and special guests, including Bill Gates. Most sessions will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Check out the event site to register and get a sneak peek at who will be appearing.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and Taylor Soper. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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GeekWire Summit - Sneak Preview

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 16:23:52 +0000

Our signature technology conference, the GeekWire Summit, kicks off next week. Now in its ninth year, this annual event is known for offering a glimpse of the future through the eyes of leaders in technology, science and business, and in these challenging and uncertain times, this annual tradition has never been more important.

You may have seen the news that Bill Gates has joined the lineup for an hour-long interview on Oct. 15. But the Microsoft co-founder and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-chair is just one part of a larger lineup. In this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, GeekWire's John Cook and Todd Bishop offer a sneak preview of what’s in store.

The GeekWire Summit will be held virtually over three weeks, from Oct. 13 to 29, with sessions taking place twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from late morning to early afternoon. The full content can be accessed live and on-demand, exclusive to event attendees. Our event platform will offer attendees a chance to connect, network, and engage in the conversation.

See the full lineup and register here.

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Startup CEOs optimistic despite pandemic; Amazon moves into virtual travel

Sat, 03 Oct 2020 15:53:53 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week:

The results are in from the first-ever GeekWire 200 CEO Insights survey and they may surprise you. Startup CEOs in Seattle are generally optimistic about the state of the economy for the next 18 months. And they have some thoughts on who should be president.

Amazon's latest offering is virtual tourism through its new Amazon Explore service. GeekWire's Todd Bishop went for a walk around Quebec City with a local guide and took a cooking lesson in Buenos Aires, all without leaving the office.

Ex-Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff jumps back into real estate, but this time with a new service called Pacaso that helps people buy shares in a second home. We look at how it pencils out.

And the GeekWire Summit is going virtual this year, with events — and special guests — from Oct. 13-29. Most events will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Check out our link to register and get a sneak peek at who will be appearing.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, John Cook and Taylor Soper. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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From Microsoft VP to law student

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 20:50:00 +0000

Mike Angiulo worked at Microsoft for 25 years as an engineering manager and vice president for products including Windows PCs, Microsoft Outlook, Xbox, Surface, and cloud and artificial intelligence technologies. But it was actually not the work Angiulo originally envisioned doing. He had planned to be a lawyer, delaying those plans after he started at Microsoft in his early 20s.

Now, at age 47, nearly three decades later, he’s circling back to his original plan -- going back to school and preparing for a second career, as a lawyer focused on some of the most interesting and difficult questions facing the same types of technologies that he helped to create for so many years.

"I am a big believer that just the prevalence of big data, the speed of the cloud platforms, the modernity of the algorithms, combine to the point where every single business is going to be relying on deep data insights, probably to some automated extent," he says. "And increasingly, people won't be able to explain how they work."

And that raises all sorts of interesting questions about the future of technology and the law, as we learn on this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

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Amazon's flying security camera; Microsoft's $7.5B gaming deal

Sat, 26 Sep 2020 15:52:39 +0000

Ring, the Amazon-owned smart doorbell and security company, unveiled a flying indoor camera on Thursday morning. Sure, it's cool technology that may make your home safer, but what about the privacy implications?

There was big news in the gaming industry from Amazon and Microsoft this week. Amazon will try again to make its mark in games, this time with a new cloud-based gaming service called Luna. And Microsoft is spending $7.5 billion to buy the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, maker of popular games such as The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Wolfenstein, and DOOM.

And Microsoft's Teams collaboration software will add a much-desired capability next month: the ability to create ad hoc breakout rooms. Plus, they're adding something we didn't know we were missing, a "virtual commute" feature, in partnership with meditation app Headspace.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and Taylor Soper. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Snowflake, Madrona and a giant IPO; Bill Gates Sr.; Apple, UW and COVID

Sat, 19 Sep 2020 15:50:13 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week:

Snowflake, the data warehousing company, came out with a bang this week in its public debut, raising $3.4 billion in the largest software IPO ever. It reignited a debate over the the IPO process and inequality in the allocation of shares when a company goes public.

Snowflake's IPO was also a successful outcome for Seattle's Madrona Venture Group, resulting from a departure from its normal investing strategy. We'll explain what happened, and what it could mean for the future.

When Bill Gates Sr. died this week at age 94, he was mourned in Seattle and around the globe, not just because he was the dad of the Microsoft co-founder, but because of his profound impact on his community. Microsoft, the Gates Foundation and many other institutions wouldn't be what they are without him. He always said the three most important things in his life were family, friends and public service ... in that order.

The new Apple Watch Series 6 will be able to check your blood oxygen level while you wear it. Apple and University of Washington researchers plan to launch a study later this year to determine if the device can detect early signs of acute respiratory infection such as the flu or COVID-19.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Surface Duo hands-on; NFL on Microsoft Teams; Coping with wildfire smoke

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 23:14:54 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week:

The new Microsoft dual-screen Surface Duo device has arrived and we have our first impressions. We're intrigued, but it's pricey (starting at $1,399) and it needs more work. And do we really need yet another device?

Microsoft is becoming the de-facto virtual fan experience enabler for sports leagues. First they deployed Teams to the NBA and now they're sending it to help the NFL. But the experience between the two sports isn't the same, and we tell you which one is best.

The West Coast is being choked in a blanket of wildfire smoke and Seattle is getting hit hard. Why are wildfires becoming so bad, and how can you stay safe from the smoke?

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and Taylor Soper. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Breaking the IPO glass ceiling; Who succeeds Bezos?; TikTok's ticking clock

Sat, 05 Sep 2020 15:32:00 +0000

When Athira Pharma filed with the Nasdaq for a possible initial public offering, led by CEO Leen Kawas, it got us thinking: How many other women have headed Northwest companies that went for an IPO? Sadly, the answer wasn't surprising and it highlights a glaring shortcoming in the Seattle tech scene.

Jeff Wilke, the flannel-wearing CEO of Amazon's consumer business who recently announced that he plans to retire, was widely assumed to be heir-apparent to Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of the company. Now that Wilke is effectively out of the running, who is likely to succeed Bezos?

President Trump reiterated this week that the U.S. Treasury needs to get a cut out of any potential deal to buy TikTok, the hit social video app. Microsoft, Walmart and Oracle are all angling for the company. What will happen before the Sept. 15 deadline?

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Amazon's ambitious health band; 4-day work week; Convoy hires ex-Expedia CEO

Sat, 29 Aug 2020 16:20:54 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week.

Amazon surprised everyone by unveiling a new health band, the Halo, this week. The device will not only track your steps but also measure your body fat and even analyze your voice to assess your degree of “energy and positivity." But will it protect your private health info from prying eyes?

Seattle startup Volt has taken the pandemic-inspired work-from-home plan to a new level by going to a four-day work week. Are Volt employees as productive as they were when they worked five days a week? And what do they think about the change?

Mark Okerstrom, the former Expedia Group CEO, is joining Convoy, a ride-sharing-for-freight Seattle startup, as the fast-growing company’s new president and chief operating officer. He brings a lot of talent to Convoy ... including some pretty wild dance moves.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and Taylor Soper. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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I was a virtual NBA fan

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 15:18:00 +0000

GeekWire's Taylor Soper was in the virtual stands -- and on the live national broadcast -- for Thursday's Blazers vs. Lakers playoff game, watching the action with Microsoft's Teams application alongside other fans doing the same. What was it like, and what does it mean for the future of live sports? We jumped online for this GeekWire Podcast discussion right as the game was ending to discuss the experience, and the implications for Microsoft, the NBA and sports fans.

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Microsoft's pricey dual-screen Duo; Amazon's clumsy podcast news; REI to sell new HQ

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 15:11:51 +0000

We finally got the price and date for Surface Duo, Microsoft's new dual-screen Android device (don't call it a phone!). It launches on Sept. 10 and at a price — $1,399 — that may put it out of the reach of many. Todd has ordered one but ... who else will be buying? And what is Microsoft up to with this device?

Amazon announced they'll begin hosting third party podcasts on their Amazon Music and Audible services, but the way they did it, and a non-disparagement clause they later retracted, raised some eyebrows.

And Seattle-based outdoor retailer REI was getting ready to move its corporate headquarters to fancy new digs in Bellevue, but they called it off this week in the face of changing working conditions brought on by the pandemic. They became the latest company to decide to work mostly out-of-the-office for the time being.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and Taylor Soper. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Microsoft (maybe) rescues TikTok; downtown Seattle struggles; micro-schools

Sat, 08 Aug 2020 15:08:00 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week.

Who would have thought that Microsoft could be the likely white knight to save social video app TikTok from threats by President Trump to ban it in the U.S.? Trump set a hard deadline this week for Microsoft or another entity to buy the company before he'll block all transactions with its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. We discuss what might be behind Microsoft's interest in entering the social media sphere.

We take a walk through eerily quiet downtown Seattle to see how the shift to remote work by tech giants is impacting local businesses — and it's not looking good.

What are micro-schools and how might they help frazzled parents trying to deal with remote learning during the pandemic?

A Seattle sock-making startup pivoted to making masks for the pandemic, but then a misstep in a promotion caused massive grief. We'll talk about what happened and how they dealt with it.

Listen above, and subscribe in any podcast app.

With GeekWire’s John Cook and Kurt Schlosser. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Congress grills Jeff Bezos; Amazon's big earnings; Microsoft and the NBA

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 23:23:00 +0000

Big Tech spent back-to-back days in the national spotlight this week between a long-anticipated Congressional hearing and second-quarter earnings reports.

The juxtaposed events paint a revealing picture of the risks and opportunities companies like Amazon face as they field accusations that they’ve grown too powerful while raking in record profits from customers who rely on their services more than ever.

We discuss this inflection point for Big Tech, Amazon's blockbuster profits, plus the NBA's partnership with Microsoft Teams, on this week's GeekWire podcast:

The House antitrust subcommittee interviewed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, along with Apple's Tim Cook, Google's Sundar Pichai, and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg during a wide-ranging virtual hearing on the power of Big Tech.

Lawmakers grilled Bezos on Amazon’s treatment of third-party sellers, how it prioritized “essential items” during the coronavirus crisis, policing counterfeit goods, and more. They didn’t manage to get Bezos to admit anything particularly incriminating, but his inability to confidently deny their claims about Amazon using its might to compete with third parties spoke volumes. And while members of Congress don’t have the ability to enforce existing antitrust law, they can rewrite those laws if they find them inadequate for the digital age.

Meanwhile, customers are relying on Amazon more than ever — and it is showing up on the company’s bottom line. The Seattle tech giant blew past Wall Street expectations for its second quarter, reporting $88.9 billion in revenue and $5.2 billion in profits, despite spending $4 billion on COVID-19 initiatives. Amazon also confirmed it has grown to more than 1 million employees and seasonal workers around the world for the first time during Thursday's earnings call.

During the hearing, Bezos claimed that Amazon has become a lifeline to customers during the pandemic because of its scale, which also allows the company to hire thousands while others are laying off workers across the country.

But critics want Amazon to invest more of its profits into wages and benefits for employees on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis. Amazon declined to say if it will reinstate its previous hazard pay for its logistics workers or issue additional bonuses.

Appearing this week are GeekWire's Todd Bishop, Monica Nickelsburg and John Cook. Podcast produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Slack vs. Microsoft; GeekWire Awards recap; Seattle gets Kraken

Sat, 25 Jul 2020 15:17:09 +0000

Slack delivered a surprise this week with the filing of an antitrust complaint against Microsoft, alleging that the tech giant unfairly leverages Microsoft Office to give an edge to its Teams collaboration software. Microsoft responded with a pointed jab of its own, highlighting Slack's subpar video conferencing experience and its own investments in that area.

What are Slack's chances, and what will be the key issues considered by regulators? And does this mean Microsoft is back in the antitrust hot seat? That's our first topic on this week's GeekWire Podcast.

In our second segment, we share highlights and takeaways from the GeekWire Awards, and finally we debate the choice of "Kraken" as the name of Seattle's new NHL team.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Real estate in the pandemic

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 01:02:00 +0000

It should've been a banner year for FlyHomes.

As 2019 drew to a close, the real estate startup had $141 million in fresh funding to fuel the expansion of its novel home-buying service beyond Seattle to Portland, Boston, and Los Angeles. Then, three weeks after announcing the expansion, the first-known U.S. coronavirus case was discovered in Flyhomes' backyard.

The U.S. real estate market froze as the full scope of the coronavirus crisis came into focus, a nerve-wracking jolt for Flyhomes, which was sitting on several homes the startup purchased on behalf of clients.

Flyhomes buys houses directly with cash and then holds onto them until its buyer clients secure financing. The goal is to present its customers as the equivalent of cash buyers, helping them gain an edge in competitive markets.

Despite the uncertainty that marred the initial weeks of the pandemic, FlyHomes managed to close deals on all of the homes it purchased. Since then, the Seattle real estate market has stabilized for the most part, according to Flyhomes CEO Tushar Garg.

"What we're seeing right now is a high demand in the buying market, less inventory, and we're not anticipating that to change anytime soon," Garg said.

We caught up with Garg to hear his perspective on leadership, the real estate market, and more as part of a special GeekWire Podcast series highlighting finalists for the upcoming GeekWire Awards, a live virtual event at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 23. Garg is one of five finalists for Startup CEO of the Year.

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GeekWire Awards Preview: Airbnb cleaning startup Neu

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 16:22:44 +0000

Like many businesses entering 2020, Neu was riding a wave of optimism and growth. With its marketplace that connects Airbnb hosts with hotel-grade cleaners, the Seattle-based startup had found its niche.

Just as Neu was joining the 11th cohort of Techstars Seattle to further fuel its success, the coronavirus pandemic arrived and changed everything. The economic fallout was swift, and travel was among the hardest hit industries.

"It was a one-two punch that definitely knocked us down a little bit," Neu co-founder Kwame Boler told GeekWire. "We had a lot of momentum going into February. We were developing a lot of wealth within the Airbnb community. And then all of a sudden, everything almost completely flipped upside down."

Neu experienced an unprecedented number of cancellations within its platform in just two months, with business shrinking to less than 10% of where it was the previous year. It had to stop its work to address various pain points and re-evaluate what it would mean to run a cleaning business in a post-COVID climate, especially one in which travel would likely be impacted for some time.

But with the desire for on-demand cleaning and sanitizing suddenly skyrocketing, the startup rapidly accelerated its plans to look into cleaning beyond vacation rentals and taking on businesses, residential and commercial real estate properties.

"Those who enjoy or thrive in this kind of environment, in doing a startup or owning a business around this time, are those who are really in it for the long run," said Neu co-founder Claudius Mbemba. "It just taught me that this is what I really want to be doing."

GeekWire caught up with Boler and Mbemba to learn more about how the startup is faring in this installment of a special GeekWire Podcast series highlighting some of the finalists for the upcoming GeekWire Awards. Boler and Mbemba are among the finalists for Young Entrepreneur of the Year — celebrating startup founders in the Pacific Northwest who are 30 or younger.

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GeekWire Awards Preview: Rebellyous Foods

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 14:59:53 +0000

Before the first-known U.S. coronavirus cases emerged in Rebellyous Foods’ hometown, Seattle, the startup was catering to the food services industry, targeting its its line of plant-based chicken products to cafeterias, schools, and other institutions.

Rebellyous pivoted, accelerating development of a consumer product it could sell at grocery stores. Today that product is available at 14 mom-and-pop markets throughout the Seattle area.

"We really started to re-strategize about who was going to be our customers and who was going to be Rebellyous in a world where we don't go to ballparks and stadiums and even to school for a very long time," said Rebellyous CEO Christie Lagally, a former Boeing engineer. "It was dawning on us pretty quickly there that we had to do something different, and probably for the best. Sometimes these are really, really hard situations but they put us in a better position to be able to offer our products in the future."

In September, Rebellyous plans to retire the plant-based chicken product that it has been temporarily selling in Seattle-area stores to make room for a new suite of items. The startup plans to sell a new Rebellyous chicken nugget, chicken tender, and a chicken patty all made entirely from plant products.

The pivot is fueled by a $6 million investment Rebellyous secured in April. The startup distinguishes itself from other plant-based meat companies, like Beyond Meat and Impossible, by engineering its manufacturing equipment in-house.

We spoke with Lagally to learn more about Rebellyous Foods in the first installment of a special GeekWire Podcast series catching up with some of the finalists for the upcoming GeekWire Awards, a live virtual event at 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 23. Rebellyous is one of five finalists for Innovation of the Year. You can register here to watch the awards for free.

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3 stories show how the pandemic is changing our lives

Sat, 11 Jul 2020 15:56:05 +0000

The world of the COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything any of us has ever experienced. We covered three stories this week that give us a glimpse into how the virus is changing our lives:

We’ll talk about the new realities of work, through the lens of a Seattle area startup that just ditched its physical office space.

Then on to education, with the latest on what classes will look like at the University of Washington and other schools this fall.

And finally, sports. For Seattle Mariners fans, “take me out to the ballgame” is going to be a virtual experience this season, but the team is trying an unusual approach to let players hear the fans’ cheering. And Todd is miffed about MLB's new "no fighting" rule.

On July 16, we’ll be hosting GeekWire Roundtable: The Future of Sports. We’ll discuss how sports can safely return in a post-pandemic world, the role of tech and the economics of sports in this challenging environment.

And the GeekWire Awards are back on July 23 and they’re going virtual. We’ll be revealing the winners of the Pacific Northwest’s annual technology and startup awards … and there will be some special guests.

To get more information and to register, go to the events page at GeekWire.com.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Startup Surprise: Funding skyrockets despite pandemic

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 18:11:03 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week.

Despite the pandemic, funding for Seattle tech startups remains robust in the first half of 2020. In fact, funding is ahead of last year. What gives? We consider whether COVID-19 is accelerating some companies into the new economy of remote working, online shopping and more. Check out our list of startup funding to see how companies are doing.

Health benefits platform Accolade became Seattle's first IPO of the year, with an initial valuation of $1.2 billion. Headed by Raj Singh, a veteran Seattle startup entrepreneur, Accolade uses a variety of technologies to help employees at its client companies navigate their health benefits, with a goal of improving health and reducing costs.

GeekWire's events are back!

Up next week is a new event, Geeks Gaming for Good, where eight company-sponsored teams will compete in a Rocket League tournament. A portion of the entry fees will go to a prize pool benefiting Seattle-area non-profits.
On July 16, we'll be hosting GeekWire Roundtable: The Future of Sports. We'll discuss how sports can safely return in a post-pandemic world, the role of tech and the economics of sports in this challenging environment.
And the GeekWire Awards are back on July 23 and they're going virtual. We'll be revealing the winners of the Pacific Northwest's annual technology and startup awards ... and there will be some special guests.

To register, go to the Events page at GeekWire.com.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Microsoft's retail bombshell; Amazon's robotaxi deal; Trump vs. tech, again

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 15:12:00 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week.

Microsoft shocked the tech world Friday morning by announcing it would be closing all of its retail stores. What does this tell us about Microsoft's business strategy and what might it portend for the future of physical retail stores?
Amazon made a bold move in a new direction by acquiring robotaxi startup Zoox. Why would Jeff Bezos want to get into autonomous vehicles? And which fellow tech billionaire called him a copycat?
President Trump shuts the door on employment-based visas for foreign workers, and tech leaders are ticked off. We’ll explain what he did, and why they’re not happy.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella laid out an ambitious plan to address racial injustice at the company and across society. Can Microsoft save the world? We’ll assess its chances.
Amazon bought the naming rights to Seattle's basketball and hockey arena ... and you won't believe what they're going to call it. So, of course, we have to crash Amazon's party by coming up with nicknames for the venue.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, John Cook, Monica Nickelsburg, Taylor Soper and Kurt Schlosser. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Apple's App Store is under fire

Sat, 20 Jun 2020 17:05:20 +0000

Here's what we're talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week.

Not everyone loves Apple's App Store, it seems. This week, it become a target of criticism for its arcane rules and business practices. Even Microsoft President Brad Smith got into it when he said in an interview that he wants more scrutiny on app store policies imposed by its competitors, such as Apple and Google. What is everyone so ticked off about?

A pandemic seems like a crazy time for companies to be pricing their stock and going public, but that's precisely what several tech firms are doing. We talk about why they're doing it right now (and why they might be in a hurry) and what this IPO rush might mean for several Seattle-area firms.

The Tech I.P.O. Comes Roaring Back in the Pandemic

It's no secret that Todd struggles to keep up with the email pouring into his inbox. He is looking forward to trying HEY, a new email management program offered by Basecamp, but John isn't sure it's going to make much of a difference. Discuss!

Listen above, and subscribe in any podcast app.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Race and Tech, Part 2

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 18:33:52 +0000

"Racism is a pandemic. Whether it's tech, or whether it's any other form of business, we have the need for a vaccine that's going to stop it. And I think that can take many forms."

Those are the words of Adriane Brown, an Axon and eBay board member, former Intellectual Ventures president, and venture partner at Flying Fish Partners. She was speaking during a conversation about race and the tech industry, organized by GeekWire as protests across the country demand racial equity and justice following the death of George Floyd and other Black Americans at the hands of white police officers.

The conversation was hosted by Former Tacoma Mayor and past Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce CEO Marilyn Strickland, a candidate for U.S. Congress. Also participating were Leafly Chief Product Officer and longtime Seattle entrepreneur Dave Cotter, and Remitly CEO and co-founder Matt Oppenheimer.

In recognition of Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, we’re presenting Part 2 of the conversation in this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast. Listen above and continue reading for highlights. You can also catch up with Part 1.

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How Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and others make winning bets

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 21:08:02 +0000

Twenty-five years ago, more than a decade before the debut of the iPhone, a different piece of technology had people lining up outside stores around the world: Microsoft's Windows 95.

"Everything was mayhem," recalls Brad Chase, the former Microsoft executive who was in charge of marketing the operating system. "This was the product that ended up ushering computers and Microsoft and arguably Bill Gates into the mainstream. Everybody wanted to know everything about it."

"One time I even went on press tour and tried to calm everybody down because I wanted them to know Windows 95 would not solve world hunger," he jokes.

But beyond the sheer hype, Windows 95 was the culmination of Microsoft’s strategy -- the company’s bet that there would be a market for a computer on every desk and in every home (and running Microsoft software, executives would add privately.)

Chase explores the ingredients of successful business strategies in his new book, "Strategy First: How Businesses Win Big, published today, with examples from across the world of business and technology.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Chase analyzes the strategies of today’s tech giants, explains the components of effective strategies, and talks about the role of strategy in addressing challenges facing the world (a topic he also explores in this column on how companies can advance racial justice.) As a bonus, he tells the inside story of how he struck the deal with the Rolling Stones to supply the iconic track for the Windows 95 advertising campaign.

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Tech and the police; Amazon sues former VP; remembering Manny Vellon

Sat, 13 Jun 2020 14:06:00 +0000

Here's what we're talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast:

As protests over police violence continue across the country, Amazon, IBM and Microsoft all announce they won’t sell their controversial facial recognition software to law enforcement. But Amazon says it will only stop for a year. That earned the company some good will, but racial justice and civil rights groups called it a trivial concession.

Non-compete agreements are back in the news as Amazon sues one of its former executives for taking a job at Google Cloud. We take a look at what's behind this always-controversial contract provision and whether its days may be numbered.

Amazon is worried that Brian Hall, a former Amazon Web Services marketing vice president, might spill secrets to his new employer, Google Cloud.
The company is in court trying to prevent Hall from working on speeches and slides for the upcoming Google Cloud Next event.

And the return of the Random Channel!

GeekWire Producer Curt Milton gets his first haircut in months as COVID-19 restrictions begin to life in Seattle, but finds things are far from back to normal.
Monica Nickelsburg weighs in on a new startup that lets you rent a piece of an indoor, vertical farm. It's a cool idea but a pricey way to get your salad.
And GeekWire Editor Todd Bishop talks about the life affirming nature of researching and writing obituaries, including a recent one on a towering figure in Seattle tech, Manny Vellon.

Listen above, and subscribe in any podcast app.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and Monica Nickelsburg. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Race and Tech: Where can we go from here?

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 23:37:00 +0000

A special GeekWire Podcast discussion hosted by Marilyn Strickland, former CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce; with Dave Cotter, Leafly chief product officer; Remitly CEO Matt Oppenheimer; and Adriane Brown, Flying Fish Partners venture partner, Axon and eBay board member and former Intellectual Ventures president. Read more: ‘It’s on us to dismantle racism.’ 10 steps tech and business leaders can take toward equity

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The revolution will be streamed

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 17:27:29 +0000

As thousands of Americans protest police aggression night after night, technology is giving millions at home their first window into scenes that are all too familiar to people of color. On this week's episode of GeekWire, civic editor Monica Nickelsburg explains how the cameras in our pockets are shaping the revolution in the streets.

Although the demonstrations this week are rooted in history, technology sets this moment apart from civil rights movements of the past.
Recording has become a powerful tool in the debate over racial justice and law enforcement, but its impact depends on who wields the camera.
The ability to record and share what’s happening on the ground with a largely captive audience due to the pandemic allows the experience of black Americans to be witnessed more broadly than ever before.

Hosted by Todd Bishop, produced by Curt Milton, with music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Race and tech, the realities

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 23:51:31 +0000

Dr. Cheryl Ingram has seen the statements from tech companies this week, expressing outrage over the death of George Floyd and speaking out against the racial inequities in our society.

Now is the time for leaders to go beyond talk and take action, she says. Actually, the time was long ago. But now would work.

"Tech has a huge responsibility," Ingram says, not only due to the prevalence of bias in the industry against women, people of color and people with disabilities, but because of the potential for tech companies to have a positive impact. "If the tech industry comes together and really starts to fight for change, we're going to see change happen much faster in our country."

Ingram is the CEO and founder of consulting firm Diverse City and tech startup Inclusology, which is developing a tech platform for diversity, equity and inclusion assessments inside companies. Ingram shifted Diverse City's operations to LA in 2018 but remains engaged with the Seattle community.

We're featuring her story on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, including a conversation from last fall and a follow-up discussion this week in which she addressed the tech industry's role in the racial inequities in society. As part of our discussion, Ingram presented several concrete steps for tech leaders to take to start to solve the problem.

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Dueling visions of Amazon; HBO Max launch; Saving the Cinerama

Sat, 30 May 2020 16:52:00 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast.

Amazon and critics wage a PR war in the company’s first virtual annual meeting. One employee said working at an Amazon warehouse is like getting the "golden ticket," but a former employee and critic talked of "toxicity" in the company's culture. We watched, and cringed, and we’ll tell you all about it.

Former employee and activist Maren Costa said: “Toxicity is embedded in our operations as pollution causes stunted lung development, asthma, and higher death rates from COVID-19 concentrated in black and brown communities. This is environmental racism.”
The meeting started with vignettes from front-line workers highlighting the company’s investment in fighting COVID-19, expected to cost $4 billion this quarter alone.

HBO Max, the new streaming service engineered in Seattle, launches without support from its tech neighbor, Amazon -- and there’s an interesting backstory.

The service costs $14.99 a month and includes access to 10,000 hours of content, including original HBO shows, popular movies and classic television.
But you won't find it on Amazon's Fire TV. The company contends HBO Max should be part of the current HBO subscription service it offers through Prime.

And some iconic entertainment and tech destinations in Seattle -- the Cinerama and Living Computers Museum -- suddenly face an uncertain future and possible demise. We’ll explain why. And we'll discuss why it might make good business sense for Amazon to buy the Cinerama.

Vulcan plans to close Vulcan Arts + Entertainment and Vulcan Productions by the end of the year, calling into question whether some of its organizations will ever return.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, Monica Nickelsburg and John Cook. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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SpaceX and NASA reset for historic launch

Fri, 29 May 2020 17:53:00 +0000

NASA and SpaceX are keeping a close eye on the weather in Florida and beyond as they get set for a second attempt to launch two NASA astronauts in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule this weekend. Read more on GeekWire.

What’s the significance of this launch? What does it mean for the commercial space race and the future of space exploration? On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we’ll do a deep this historic mission with GeekWire photographer Kevin Lisota on the scene in Florida, and aerospace and science editor, Alan Boyle.

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Distance Learning Debate, Then and Now

Sat, 23 May 2020 17:48:00 +0000

"Virtual-Classes Trend Alarms Professors." That was the headline on a 1998 New York Times story about an open letter to then-Gov. Gary Locke from University of Washington professors “worried about the enthusiasm he and one of his advisers are showing for instruction via CD-ROM's and the Internet.” More than 20 years later, with the pandemic making distance education an unavoidable reality, we revisit the topic with Locke and one of those professors on this special episode.

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Uber, Grubhub and Seattle; Amazon's virus-killing robot; Surface Earbuds first take

Sat, 16 May 2020 16:16:33 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast.

Word leaked out this week that Uber is considering buying food-delivery service Grubhub, and it turns out there are many Seattle connections behind the possible deal, including links to Expedia and several other companies.

Food delivery is a tough market to make a buck in, for companies and their drivers, so what's in the deal for Uber?

Uber Eats is #2 and Grubhub is #3 in food delivery services, behind leader DoorDash. DoorDash grew its market share 42% in March while Grubhub stayed flat. Uber Eats grew 20% (it has a Starbucks contract).
Seattle connections: Brian McAndrews, Grubhub board chair, is the former CEO of aQuantive and also served as a managing director at Seattle venture capital firm Madrona Venture Group. Zillow Group co-founder Lloyd Frink is also on Grubhub’s board. Frink had executive roles at Expedia where Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi cut his teeth.
Australian hedge fund Caledonia Investments owns 16% of Grubhub and has large ownership in Zillow.

Thousands of Jump ride-share bicycles vanished from Seattle streets recently in the latest shakeup in the troubled mobility service field. The pandemic isn't making it easy for bike- and scooter-share companies. Will their rides return to Seattle once the pandemic is over?

Thousands of brightly colored ride-share bikes have disappeared from Seattle streets as companies post losses and lay off staff.
Not sure when they’ll be back but industry will look very different on other side of COVID-19 crisis: Industry will become more consolidated. Not clear if demand will return to pre-pandemic levels. Micro-mobility companies will focus on profitability.
There were more than 2.2 million bike-share rides in Seattle last year, averaging more than 6,000 per day, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation.
Last week, Uber invested $170 million in Lime and said it would hand its bike-share program off to Lime.
Before the pandemic, Uber, Lyft, Lime, Spin, Bird, Ojo, and a handful of other companies were interested in launching electric scooter services in Seattle and elsewhere but now those plans are in limbo.

Amazon unveiled a virus-zapping robot on "60 Minutes" last Sunday, but it's possible they were just trying to distract from the rest of the report, which focused on working conditions in the company's warehouses during the pandemic.

We get our first look at Microsoft's new $199 Surface Earbuds and their appearance provokes some interesting reactions. Did someone say "Frankenstein's bolts?" Plus, we raise a toast to Seattle allowing restaurants to sell takeout cocktails during the pandemic.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, Monica Nickelsburg, Taylor Soper and John Cook. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Tech hiring in the age of COVID-19; Surface Earbuds; Gates Foundation CEO

Sat, 09 May 2020 17:28:00 +0000

COVID-19 has upended the tech startup hiring market: There used to be more jobs than talent, but the situation has flipped in the face of business challenges from COVID-19. Tech giants and startups who are hiring now find they can pick from the cream of the crop. We've been looking into who's hiring, and what it's like to hire and onboard new employees remotely. Plus, how Silicon Valley's cutbacks could impact the Seattle tech market.

They’re almost here! The much-anticipated Microsoft Surface Earbuds have a release date. Were they worth the wait? Someone on our podcast is hoping the $199 earbuds will be a game changer. Microsoft has a very good reason for making flashy new hardware like the earbuds.

Mark Suzman, the new Gates Foundation CEO, discusses the foundation’s efforts to fight COVID-19, whether we’ll see a vaccine and when. In a highlight from his exclusive conversation with GeekWire members this week, he talks about how the quest for a COVID-19 vaccine compares to HIV/AIDS and the challenges the Gates Foundation faces in dealing with the virus. Read more.

GeekWire’s next members-only virtual event, focusing on the future of the workplace, is scheduled for May 14. For more information about the exclusive event and other benefits and perks, sign up for a pass via GeekWire’s membership webpage.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and John Cook. Our podcast producer is Curt Milton. Our theme music is by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

Follow @geekwire for updates. Send us a news tip. Share our newsletter.

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Bezos is Back

Sat, 02 May 2020 15:55:00 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast:

Amazon's sales rose 26% in the first quarter as the COVID-19 crisis made the online retailer an even bigger part of many lives, but profits were down 30% due to expenses from dealing with the virus. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos gave a clear message to shareholders, saying they "may want to take a seat," because there are big challenges ahead and they won't be easy or cheap to overcome. The company says it will spend $4 billion this quarter on initiatives related to the pandemic.

With Amazon bigger and more powerful than ever, federal lawmakers want Bezos himself to testify before Congress.

Pressure is mounting from Amazon warehouse workers who fear for their safety and are unhappy with how the retailer is responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Protecting workers from COVID-19 will be one of the biggest challenges for Bezos and Amazon in the months and year ahead.

People will eventually return to their offices to work, but how will they do that safely? Madrona Venture Group compiled a "toolkit" with input from 15 major employers in the Seattle region, including Amazon, Microsoft and Starbucks. One big finding: Communication is key to making employees feel safe at work.

Meanwhile, funding for startups in the Pacific Northwest is taking a hit from the COVID-19 crisis, which may be bad news for young companies that don't have money in the bank.

With GeekWire's Todd Bishop, Monica Nickelsburg and John Cook. Our podcast producer is Curt Milton. Our theme music is by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Expedia's lifeline; Bill Gates on life after lockdown; Redfin and Tokki CEOs on pivoting in a pandemic

Sat, 25 Apr 2020 15:39:00 +0000

Here's what we're talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast.

“Picture restaurants that only seat people at every other table, and airplanes where every middle seat is empty.” That is what the “semi-normal” next phase of the pandemic will look like, Bill Gates says, offering a starkly pragmatic take that contrasts with predictions from President Trump that the economy will come “roaring back.” But Gates also points to the potential for a new wave of innovation the likes of which hasn’t been seen since World War II.

“If there’s life, there’s travel,” says Expedia chairman Barry Diller, expressing optimism about the future even as the Seattle-based online travel giant makes a series of dramatic moves to shake up and shore up its business amid the economic crisis.

Speaking of shaking things up, GeekWire co-founder John Cook returns to the show and offers his own Richter Scale to help understand how the pandemic is stirring some companies to greatness, and shaking others to their core.

Pivoting During a Pandemic: In our final segment, we share highlights from our members-only webinar on "Pivoting in a Pandemic," with two experienced Seattle CEOs who are in the thick of it right now: Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman, who is leading the tech-powered real estate brokerage through a period of unprecedented economic turmoil; and Tokki CEO Jane Park, the former Julep CEO, who quickly pivoted her eco-friendly gift wrap startup Tokki to adjust to the realities of the pandemic shortly after launching earlier this year.

We’ll be hosting these types of discussions regularly with newsmakers and leaders in business, science, technology and startups, and our members get to tune in and participate live. Go to geekwire.com/memberships to learn more.

Our podcast producer is Curt Milton. Our theme music is by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

Follow @geekwire for updates. Send us a news tip. Share our newsletter.

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Leading a startup through the crisis

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 19:55:00 +0000

For startup leaders accustomed to building their businesses in boom times, the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic goes beyond mere setback, into the realm of complete shock. But even in these unprecedented times, there are lessons to be learned from past downturns, and from the steps other startups are taking to navigate the current crisis.

"We have a whole generation of people who never went through anything that looked like a dislocation or a downturn," says Dan Rosen, chair of the Alliance of Angels, an investor, biophysicist and veteran tech executive who has been through multiple economic cycles. "This is a change in mindset from, 'I need to grow my business as quickly as possible' to 'I need to survive'."

Rosen, who authored a widely read column on the topic, joined entrepreneur Xiao Wang, President and CEO of Boundless Immigration, on a recent webinar from the University of Washington’s CoMotion innovation hub in Seattle, part of its “Fundamentals for Startups” series.

The webinar, recorded on April 10, was moderated by Seattle-area tech and business leader Ken Myer, interim executive and UW lecturer and commercialization advisor, who urged startup leaders to see the crisis as an opportunity to grow. "This is a phenomenal development experience for you as a leader," Myer said. "Crucible moments in our lives are what shape leadership moments. If you can see it as a learning opportunity, you're going to come out of this thing a much more effective leader today and down the road."

The discussion, on "Negotiating Startup Life through a Crisis," was full of specific guidance and long-term perspective for startups and their leaders. We at GeekWire learned a lot from the conversation, and we asked if we could share edited highlights on a special episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

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Science, politics and the debate over post-pandemic life

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 17:18:00 +0000

Here's what we're talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast:

As numbers on COVID-19 improve, the debate begins over when and how Seattle, Washington state and the country will return to normal life. Gov. Jay Inslee and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos have some thoughts. Washington’s attorney general sues Facebook for violating the state’s law on political ads. Microsoft says Amazon has only itself to blame for losing the Defense Departments JEDI cloud contract. And the return of our Random Channel! We’ll talk about the finale of Lego Masters (spoiler alert) and see what else is ringing our bell this week.

As Washington state COVID cases keep falling, here’s the data driving the ongoing ‘stay home’ order

Washington state had its lowest daily total of new cases in a month on Wednesday, 89, but has since seen cases rise again.
If we relax social distancing now, projections show new cases could jump to 300 daily by mid-May, Inslee says. Deaths could also jump. The projections are from the two Seattle-area groups: the Institute for Disease Modeling and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, or IHME, which has come under criticism for its approach.
We need more testing before we can begin to gradually reopen, Inslee says. He says it’s “unknowable” if he’ll be able to lift the stay-at-home order on May 4.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos calls for regular COVID-19 testing ‘on a global scale across all industries’

In his annual investor letter, Bezos says that regular testing of everyone globally (not just at Amazon) is the key to returning to normal.
He pointed to Amazon’s efforts to build its own testing capability and other efforts to protect workers’ safety.
First known COVID-19 death among Amazon’s workforce took place two weeks ago, company announced Tuesday.
Amazon's stock hit an all-time high this week, reflecting increased demand for its products and services.
Can Amazon keep its huge and growing workforce safe?

Gates Foundation’s CEO worries about pandemic politics — and says ‘we have nothing to hide’

Gates Foundation is allotting $150 million more to fight the pandemic, $250 million total.
Critics claim the foundation is stoking fears and pushing vaccines as part of a “Big Pharma” agenda.
Bill Gates decried Trump’s stated intention this week to stop U.S. funding of the WHO, saying blocking funds right now would be “as dangerous as it sounds.”

In other news ...

And in our Random Channel discussion ...

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Bill Gates on the future of work; Vicis reborn; Nintendo meets Lego

Sat, 11 Apr 2020 15:53:00 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast.

Bill Gates talks about how work will change after the coronavirus ... and how school shouldn't. A Seattle startup that is trying to make a safer football helmet gets a new lease on life. And Lego and Nintendo bring Super Mario into the physical world in a surprising way.

We have a lot of tech news to discuss on this week's episode:

News about the COVID-19 pandemic:

Microsoft says its Teams collaboration software hit another record in usage, but the number isn't quite what it seems:

Microsoft reports new spike in Teams usage as work habits change around the world

Bill Gates talks about how some forms of work will never go back to "normal" after the virus, and why he thinks school shouldn't change too much:

Bill Gates says coronavirus will forever alter work, but face-to-face school is ‘totally irreplaceable’

A Seattle startup is selling games for Slack but ... isn't that what ruined Facebook?

Games on Slack: Seattle startup Polly looks to unite remote teams with shared interactive activities

Super Mario moves out of your game system and into the real world of Lego and it's kind of cool:

Pre-orders start for LEGO and Nintendo ‘Super Mario’ set that interacts with the physical world

And how a rant about reheating a fancy Seattle takeout meal turned into a viral force for good:

Seattle restaurant delivery complaint in ‘reply all’ email turns into $10K donation to food charity

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, Monica Nickelsburg, Kurt Schlosser and Taylor Soper. Our podcast producer is Curt Milton. Our theme music is by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon challenged by COVID-19, and its own workers

Sat, 04 Apr 2020 15:22:19 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast.

Amazon is under pressure as workers in dozens of its warehouses test positive for the coronavirus, and an Amazon exec makes a major blunder in employee relations. Amid the gloomy COVID-19 news, there are some stories that fill us with hope. And it was never a dull moment with John Legere as CEO of T-Mobile. As the company merges with Sprint and he departs, we remember a leader who is as colorful as his wardrobe.

Among this week's events: There are encouraging signs that social distancing is helping to flatten the virus curve in Washington. Governor Jay Inslee says the state will get tough with businesses that don't honor his stay-at-home order. And Bill Gates outlines three steps he thinks the U.S. must take to control this outbreak.

Amazon's power and resilience could leave it in a dominant position once the coronavirus outbreak is over. But can it keep its workers safe?

Amazon faces unprecedented challenges as dozens of its warehouses grapple with COVID-19 outbreaks

Follow our live blog for up-to-date news: Coronavirus Live Updates: The latest COVID-19 developments in Seattle and the world of tech

More from the podcast: Even in these grim times, there are stories that give us hope. Here are a few.

John Legere has departed as CEO of T-Mobile. We look back at his colorful career with an epic highlight from his 2014 appearance at the GeekWire Summit.

T-Mobile completes $26.5B Sprint merger, capping two-year struggle to create new wireless giant

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, Taylor Soper, Monica Nickelsburg and Kurt Schlosser. Our podcast producer is Curt Milton. Our theme music is by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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'Reprogramming the American Dream' with Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 18:51:01 +0000

Kevin Scott is Microsoft’s chief technology officer, its executive vice president of AI and Research, and the author, with Greg Shaw, of the new book, “Reprogramming the American Dream: From Rural America to Silicon Valley, Making AI Serve Us All."

Scott, who joined Microsoft with its acquisition of LinkedIn, goes back to his roots in rural Virginia in the book, making the case that there is a middle ground between the extreme viewpoints about the future of artificial intelligence -- one in which short-term disruption is followed by long-term benefits of technology augmenting and improving human endeavors.

But first, he says, we must ensure equal access to technology, starting with rural broadband, the importance of which is underscored by the rise of remote work in the COVID-19 crisis.

Scott spoke with us via phone this week about his vision for the future of artificial intelligence and technology, in advance of the book's release on Tuesday, April 7. Scott will also be participating in a live stream with "Hillbilly Elegy" author J.D. Vance, who wrote the forward to the book, at 10 a.m. Pacific on Monday, April 6.

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Coronavirus hits tech economy; life under lockdown; a poem for our new era

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 16:50:48 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast.

Seattle’s latest week under the cloud of the coronavirus began with Gov. Jay Inslee’s long-expected shelter-at-home announcement. It requires all but essential workers to stay at home and limits what everyone else can do outside of home.

We also take a look at how Seattle’s big tech firms are responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Many are laying off staff and cutting expenses, while some, like Amazon, find their business is booming.

And we offer our own reading of the Walt Whitman poem that Gov. Inslee quoted when he announced the stay-at-home order.

Continue reading for highlights.

Gov. Jay Inslee announces a long-expected stay-at-home order.
Bill Gates says the U.S. acted too slowly on confronting the coronavirus and missed its chance to avoid mandatory stay-at-home orders.
Workers test positive at 14 Amazon warehouses around the country.
Congress passes a $2 trillion aid bill that includes benefits that might help Boeing.
U.S. workers file a record 3.28 million new claims for jobless benefits last week.
Data from mobile apps, search engines and smart thermometers show testing and social distancing are the best short-term strategies to contain the virus.
Several Seattle tech firms, such as Leafly, Compass, Textio and more, laid off workers.

Follow our live blog for up-to-date news: Coronavirus Live Updates: The latest COVID-19 developments in Seattle and the world of tech

More from the podcast: We take a deep dive into how Seattle tech firms are responding to the crisis, and how it might impact them in the future.

Governor Inslee read some lines from a poem by Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself, 33,” when he announced his stay-at-home order on Monday. We read a longer excerpt from the poem and discuss.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, Taylor Soper and Monica Nickelsburg. Our podcast producer is Curt Milton. Our theme music is by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Bill Gates on COVID-19, gig workers in peril, and more on the coronavirus crisis

Sat, 21 Mar 2020 15:34:00 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast.

It was another tumultuous week in Seattle, the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis, with restaurants and bars ordered closed, gatherings of more than 50 people banned, and the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths continuing to climb.

Among the week’s events: A worker at a tech company in Seattle became the first person injected with a possible COVID-19 vaccine; Amazon says it wants to hire 100,000 workers to deal with demand, the city and state brace for a possible shelter-in-place order, and much more.

Listen above, subscribe in any podcast app, and continue reading for highlights.

Gov. Jay Inslee closed all restaurants and bars, recreation places, entertainment venues, beauty salons and barbershops, and many more. Many restaurants and coffee shops have gone to takeout only.
Gatherings of more than 50 people were banned and Monday President Trump asked people to limit gatherings to 10 or less. However, Gov. Inslee has so far avoided a full "shelter in place" mandate.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Washington state as of Friday was 1,524 with 148 deaths.
An Amazon warehouse worker in Queens, NY, tested positive for COVID-19, the company’s first known positive case in a warehouse employee.
COVID-19 vaccine trials start in Seattle.
Numerous retailers have closed: Microsoft and Apple stores, REI, Nordstrom, and many more. T-Mobile was closing 80% of their stores. Seattle businesses have taken a huge economic toll, with a report from the Seattle Metro Chamber showing that nearly 40% of all jobs in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties will be severely impacted by the virus.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a $200M emergency funding bill. President Trump signed a federal relief bill, with discussion of direct payments to Americans to stimulate the economy.
Use of Microsoft Teams went up 37% in the last week, from 32 to 44 million users, spurred by demand as more people work from home.
The NYTimes obtained a 100-page report prepared by the federal government that warns the pandemic “will last 18 months or longer” and could include multiple waves of infection, stressing the healthcare system, critical infrastructure and state and local governments.
Testing is ramping up. Inslee said the state had received federal approval for private labs to test. The University of Washington opened a drive-through testing station.
Amazon says it wants to hire 100,000 additional warehouse workers to help with demand. Amazon told third-party sellers it will bar shipments of non-essential items to its warehouses so it can prioritize medical supplies and household goods.
Traffic in the Seattle area has vanished as people are either working from home or they have lost their job due to the economic downturn.
The US and Canada closed their border except for cargo and “essential” traffic.
And schools remain closed, with parents attempting to fill in as teachers and keep kids occupied. Rumors abound that schools might stay closed through the end of this school year or even the end of 2020. University of Washington classes will be remote for spring quarter.

Follow our live blog for up-to-date news: Coronavirus Live Updates: The latest COVID-19 developments in Seattle and the world of tech

More from the podcast: It’s a tough time to be a worker in the gig economy. We interviewed gig workers who expressed fear, desperation and uncertainty.

Pandemic exposes cracks in US labor market, leaving gig workers feeling desperate and exposed

And don’t believe that story about Bill Gates trying to woo Tom Brady to play in Tampa. But do believe what Gates has been saying for years about preparing for a pandemic.

Bill Gates calls out federal government for disorganized COVID-19 testing in Reddit AMA

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, Taylor Soper and Monica Nickelsburg. Our podcast producer is Curt Milton. Our theme music is by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Seattle adjusts to life under the coronavirus threat

Sat, 14 Mar 2020 15:00:00 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast.

The gravity of the COVID-19 virus outbreak hit home hard in Seattle this week: Large events were banned, schools were closed, and thousands of people struggled to adjust to working from home. Restaurants began to feel the pinch – some even closed temporarily – as people stayed home. The Seattle Archdiocese said it would suspend celebration of the Eucharist at services. Amazon will hold its annual shareholder meeting online … a first.

Over three dozen people have died from the virus and over 500 cases of the disease were reported. The number of infections and the death toll continued to rise. And testing for the disease continues to be a problem.

We discuss several angles to this fast-moving story:

Children in Seattle-area schools will be home at least until April 24. Nicole Tanner talks with us about what the experience of learning in a virtual classroom is like for her second-grade daughter … and herself:

‘Classroom to Cloud’: What happened when coronavirus forced my kid’s school to go online

Alan Boyle has been reporting on what testing for COVID-19 can tell us about the disease:

Researcher says more coronavirus testing will help manage outbreak, but travel bans? Not so much

Kurt Schlosser visited the eerily quiet South Lake Union neighborhood, where Amazon is headquartered:

Photos: Seattle’s tech hub goes quiet as businesses struggle to cope with effects of COVID-19

And Monica Nickelsburg wrote about Amazon taking its annual shareholder meeting into the cloud:

Amazon moves shareholder meeting online, cancels in-person event where investors and protestors gather in Seattle annually

The GeekWire Podcast team recorded this episode remotely … and we talk about that as well.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, Monica Nickelsburg and Kurt Schlosser, and special guest, contributing writer Nicole Tanner. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton. Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

Follow Nicole Tanner on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicoletanner

Her former podcast co-hosts can be found here:

Regina McMenomy at The Geek Embassy
Stephen Duetzmann at Engaged Family Gaming

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Seattle confronts the coronavirus

Sat, 07 Mar 2020 15:25:23 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast.

Seattle became ground zero in the U.S. coronavirus outbreak this week and tech firms were trying to adjust. Meetings and conferences were cancelled or moved online and many firms told employees to work from home for the rest of the month. GeekWire was no exception: Our annual awards event has been postponed.

How will the virus impact Seattle’s tech scene in the short term and in the long run? Will it change the way many of us work? We discuss …

We inaugurate a new feature: Tweet of the Week! We have two this week and both are focused on … you guessed it … the coronavirus.

And Microsoft renewed a big deal that has their surface tablets playing a key role at NFL games.

Surface stays on the sidelines: Microsoft and NFL expand tech partnership, add Teams tool to deal

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, John Cook and Monica Nickelsburg. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton. Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Health Tech: Coronavirus and the future of vaccines

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 21:49:40 +0000

GeekWire Podcast listeners, we’re sharing this special episode of our GeekWire Health Tech Podcast with you given the widespread interest in the novel coronavirus outbreak. For more GeekWire Health Tech episodes, see geekwire.com/healthtech.

A new generation of cutting-edge vaccines could dramatically accelerate the global response to future outbreaks such as the current coronavirus epidemic. On a special episode of GeekWire's Health Tech Podcast, we go behind the scenes with two University of Washington scientists pursuing these vaccine breakthroughs. Dr. Deborah Fuller is a professor of microbiology and a vaccinologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and Dr. Jesse Erasmus, a molecular virologist working on new RNA vaccine and therapeutic technologies.

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"Facebook: The Inside Story" with Steven Levy

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 20:48:28 +0000

On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, a conversation with veteran tech journalist Steven Levy, Wired editor-at-large, about his new book Facebook, The Inside Story. GeekWire editor Todd Bishop spoke with Levy this week during a University Bookstore event in Seattle. And as a special bonus for GeekWire Podcast listeners, stick around to the end for a chance to win your own signed copy of the book.

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Expedia layoffs; Amazon grocery store; tech workers’ salaries

Sat, 29 Feb 2020 16:30:00 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast.

In a surprise move, Seattle-based travel site Expedia laid off about 12 percent of its workforce this week, including 500 people in Seattle. Chairman Barry Diller had called the company a “bloated organization” on a recent earnings call. It sounds like he is cracking down and wants more focus, more profit and less wasted effort.

Expedia cuts 3,000 jobs, including 500 at new Seattle HQ — read the internal email to employees

Amazon opened a new grocery store in Seattle this week but … there was something missing. We take a look at Amazon Go Grocery, which builds on the company’s chain of Amazon Go convenience stores. This store has more food, and even grocery carts, but you still won’t find a checkout line.

Inside ‘Amazon Go Grocery’: Tech giant opens first full-sized store without cashiers or checkout lines

A new salary survey from the federal Labor Department finds that Seattle-area tech workers are making an average annualized salary of almost $280,000 a year. That figure blows past other professions in the Seattle region and is even outpacing the benchmark for hefty salaries, financial workers in New York City.

Seattle-area tech workers earn $279K/year on average in total compensation, according to new BLS data

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, Monica Nickelsburg and Kurt Schlosser. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton. Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Big Tech and the Housing Crisis

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 00:40:31 +0000

America's housing crisis is a nationwide problem, but it's especially acute in San Francisco and Seattle, home to the country's largest technology industries.

The "terrible twins," as New York Times reporter Conor Dougherty describes them, represent a perfect storm of rapid job growth, an influx of wealth, and rampant single-family zoning that makes it difficult to densify housing. In an interview with GeekWire this week, Dougherty explained how the two tech hubs have become centers of opportunity for some while squeezing out others.

"The economy changed in some big ways that make inequality much more structural," he said. "And we've not built nearly enough housing where prosperity is happening."

Dougherty has been covering economics and real estate for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal on-and-off for a decade. He joined us for this episode of the GeekWire podcast to discuss his new book "Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America."

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PBS takes on Amazon's Jeff Bezos

Sat, 22 Feb 2020 16:11:00 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast.

PBS’s Frontline profiled the Amazon empire and painted a complicated picture of unrelenting ambition. Frontline spent a year examining Amazon’s impact on commerce, technology and society, and landed interviews with several current executives and former employees. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos didn’t sit for an interview, however. Though the documentary didn’t cover much new ground, it did provide a striking narrative, highlighting new voices and perspectives.

Speaking of Bezos, he made a big splash this week when he announced plans to donate $10 billion to nonprofits fighting climate change. We discuss the Bezos Earth Fund, and how experts in philanthropy and climate change are reacting to it. Plus, Sen. Bernie Sanders takes a swing at tech fortunes during a campaign stop in the Seattle area.

Finally, we caught up with our resident space and science geek, Alan Boyle, to discuss the mega-earthquake predicted to hit the Seattle region. Boyle also caught us up on how technologists are thinking about what happens to our remains — physical and digital — after we die.

With GeekWire’s Monica Nickelsburg, Taylor Soper and Alan Boyle. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton. Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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We (almost) hacked the election

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 19:00:00 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about on this week’s episode of the GeekWire Podcast:

Voting online is fast, convenient and also … vulnerable.

In the wake of the Iowa caucuses app fiasco, we tried voting with a smartphone in a Seattle regional election. While there are valid concerns about security in mobile voting, organizations behind this test are confident it will be safe and are moving ahead with the technology.

Amazon’s latest front in its battle for a lucrative U.S. military contract has it taking on President Trump. The company lost the JEDI contract to Microsoft, but now it wants a court to allow it to depose Trump to see if his animus toward Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was a factor in the decision.

Speaking of President Trump, he found something interesting in the names of four giant tech companies this week.

And, back to the ballpark! Seattle’s CenturyLink Field, home to the Seahawks and FC Sounders, is going cashless. Why are they doing it and what if you didn’t bring a credit card with you to the game? We talk about the future of a cashless world, and the controversy around the trend.

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, Monica Nickelsburg and Kurt Schlosser. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton. Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Amazon's real HQ2, Iowa tech fallout, AR at the ballpark

Sat, 08 Feb 2020 15:21:00 +0000

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast:

Amazon’s second headquarters may be closer to Seattle than you think. Amazon says it plans to grow its presence in Bellevue, in the Seattle suburbs, to 15,000 employees in the next few years. That could be comparable to the number of employees working in the official HQ2 site of Arlington, Va. Will the company find a friendlier climate in the ’burbs?

We also discuss how a case of billionaire envy may have driven Amazon’s secretive drive for HQ2 and possibly damaged its reputation for openness.

Bloomberg News: Behind Amazon’s HQ2 Fiasco: Jeff Bezos Was Jealous of Elon Musk

What caused the Iowa caucuses app fiasco and how might it influence an upcoming Seattle-area election that will be the first in the country to be done via a mobile app?

The failure of the app that was supposed to speed up reporting of results leaves questions about the security of high-tech voting in its wake. The issue shook the confidence of a public wary of the tech industry and concerned about election security.

What caused the Iowa app debacle, and why election tech leaders say it won’t happen in Seattle

And finally, Seattle baseball fans will be able to use augmented reality software to digitally resurrect a concrete stadium that wasn’t very popular when it was standing. We discuss what tech we’d really like to see at T-Mobile Park.

Old ballgame, new tech touches: Update at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park will offer AR view of Kingdome

With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, Monica Nickelsburg and Kurt Schlosser. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton. Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Amazon employees defy company; taxing tech; umbrellas as lightning rods

Sat, 01 Feb 2020 15:55:00 +0000

Here's what we're talking about on this new episode of the GeekWire Podcast:

Amazon employees are responding to threats of termination for their climate advocacy by intentionally violating the company’s corporate communications policy.

More than 350 workers criticized Amazon’s contribution to climate change, violating corporate PR rules that prevent employees from discussing company business without approval. It’s the latest example of tech workers leveraging their position as valued assets in a tight labor market to pressure their employers on political issues.

Washington state lawmakers are considering a new regional tax that would raise an estimated $121 million a year from some of the Seattle area’s biggest employers, including tech giants Microsoft and Amazon, to fund programs to alleviate homelessness.

The legislation, unveiled Wednesday, is the latest attempt to direct some of the wealth generated by Seattle’s tech boom toward addressing the homelessness crisis.

Umbrellas become a lightning rod on Amazon's Seattle campus. In any other city, umbrellas would barely be noticed. But Amazon’s big orange-and-white rain deflectors are sparking discussion and debate in Seattle, where there’s a sizable and prideful segment of the population that believes umbrellas are not for locals, they’re for tourists and transplants. “Complaining about umbrellas is easily the worst old Seattle vs. new Seattle take,” an Amazon public policy employee wrote on Twitter.

One GeekWire reader summed up the criticism in a comment: "It's not the issue of using an umbrella - it's how friggin' gigantic they are. To me these umbrellas are everything that's wrong with Amazon. No consideration for anyone but themselves."

And finally, we discuss what a Seattle startup leader’s car purchase says about state of transportation in the city, and the uncertainty that can come with relying on experimental startups for vital services like getting from place to place.

With GeekWire's Todd Bishop, Monica Nickelsburg and Kurt Schlosser. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton. Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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'Female Firebrands' and a new era of diversity

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 00:16:04 +0000

How can we create modern workplaces where everyone can thrive?

That's one of the questions at the heart of the new book, Female Firebrands, by human resources professional Mikaela Kiner, founder and CEO of Seattle-based Reverb Consulting. "Female Firebrands" profiles 13 women from a variety of backgrounds, exploring the realities of the modern workplace through their eyes and experiences.

The book details the many obstacles they face, but also the steps they're taking to overcome them, along with efforts by colleagues, mentors, advocates and leaders to help remove barriers. The tech industry plays a central role, with anecdotes and examples from Microsoft, Google and other tech companies.

"We talk about workplace culture and sometimes we don't notice what's going on around us," Kiner said. "We're like the frog in the water and the water's warming up. At least for me, personally, the water hit that temperature where I really had to look around and take stock of these issues."

The result is a guidebook, in effect, with insights and practical tips not only for women and underrepresented minorities but for men and others seeking to create more diverse, inclusive and effective workplaces. The book includes chapters on key issues such as privilege in the workplace, the #metoo movement, and issues for working moms, with takeaways for people in a variety of different roles in the workplace.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we're joined by Kiner and two of the "firebrands" from the book, Ruchika Tulshyan, author of The Diversity Advantage and the founder of Candour, an inclusion strategy firm; and Emily Parkhurst, president and publisher of the Puget Sound Business Journal in Seattle.

While many of these issues have been discussed for many years, the book focuses on new solutions and insights. Parkhurst said she is seeing some signs of change. She told the story of going to lunch with a female intern last summer. "Usually in those kinds of conversations the interns will ask me, 'You're a woman in a position of power. Tell me about how you got there?' At no point was that a question. It was an assumption that that was a place that she could eventually end up."

One key, Tulshyan said, is for people in positions of privilege and power to start "stepping up and stepping in," and not just stand by as passive allies.

"The advice here isn't necessarily to women to do better. It is for others in the room, our allies, our advocates, people with privilege who have a platform, who have influence, to take a moment and really understand some of the vulnerabilities that we've shared in the book," said Tulshyan. "I really hope this conversation continues to happen, and we continue to find solutions together. It's not just women leading it."

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Bezos phone hack; Surface innovations; Gottmans love Mystery

Sat, 25 Jan 2020 17:24:00 +0000

Did the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia really hack into Jeff Bezos' phone?

It sure looks that way, based on a forensic analysis of what happened after a video was sent to the Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner via WhatsApp by Mohammed bin Salman, a.k.a. MBS. A United Nations report this week called the incident part of a broader campaign against the Washington Post seeking to stifle its coverage of Saudi Arabia, allegedly including the subsequent killing of Saudi dissident and Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Within hours of receiving the nefarious video, "a massive and unauthorized exfiltration of data from Bezos' phone began, continuing and escalating for months thereafter," according to the forensic report.

It's an extraordinary demonstration of the perils of digital communication. But what else was leaked from the phone, and why didn't Bezos and his team have better security protocols in place at the time? That's our first topic on the show this week.

Plus, an NFL quarterback invents a new way of interacting with a Microsoft Surface tablet on the sidelines, a new glimpse of the Microsoft Duo dual-screen device, and Seattle startup Mystery teams up with the famed Gottman Institute to rekindle romance. We explain what this partnership says about Mystery's larger business model.

And finally, listen to the end for the answer to last week's trivia question: What do Jonas Salk, who discovered and developed the polio vaccine, and John Ehrlichman, the Nixon aide and Watergate figure, have in common as it relates to Seattle startups?

Next event: Join us at the GeekWire Awards, March 26 at MoPOP in Seattle.

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Apple acquires Xnor.ai; Microsoft's bold climate plan; Seattle startup trivia

Sat, 18 Jan 2020 17:52:00 +0000

Apple doubled down on artificial intelligence and boosted its presence in Seattle with the acquisition of Xnor.ai, an Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence spinout with roots at the University of Washington, as first reported by GeekWire this week.

It was a win for those institutions, and investors including Seattle's Madrona Venture Group, but it's also an example of an ambitious startup selling to a tech giant before it has the chance to become one itself. So how should we look at deals like this?

Plus, Microsoft's ambitious plan to go "carbon negative" puts the tech company at the forefront of corporate efforts to address the global environmental crisis. We explore what it means for the company, for its rivalry with Amazon, and for the planet.

And in our final segment, it's the GeekWire Trivia Challenge, with a chance to win a pair of tickets to the upcoming GeekWire Awards. What do Jonas Salk, who discovered and developed the polio vaccine, and John Ehrlichman, the Nixon aide and Watergate figure, have in common as it relates to Seattle startups? Listen to the third segment and send your answer to podcast@geekwire.com for a chance to win.

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A glimpse of the future at CES

Sat, 11 Jan 2020 17:46:00 +0000

CES is becoming less of a place where companies unveil game-changing products, and more where they show attention-grabbing ideas.

That's one of the takeaways from GeekWire's CES 2020 coverage team, managing editor Taylor Soper and photographer/videographer Kevin Lisota, who just returned from several days at the big technology show in Las Vegas. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, they recap some of the strangest things they saw at CES, but also some of the most interesting and impactful products and trends. Plus, celebrity sightings, cutting-edge food and robot companions.

Amazon and Ring

Demos and experiences

Tech trends

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The Future of Podcasting

Sat, 04 Jan 2020 17:14:33 +0000

More than half of the U.S. population over age 12 has now listened to a podcast, according to Edison Research. The medium has fundamentally altered the landscape for audio content, liberating and empowering both listeners and creators. And big acquisitions such as Spotify’s purchase of Gimlet Media signal that the business of podcasting is coming of age, too.

But there remains an economic gulf that some entrepreneurs and investors see as an opportunity. Ad spending on podcasting is around $500 million, by some estimates, but that compares to $17 billion or more for radio.

So where is podcasting heading next? How will speech recognition, smart speakers and other innovations change the landscape for podcasts? Should you start your own show? Could you make any money if you did?

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we’re going meta. It’s a podcast about podcasting: a discussion with podcast producers, media vets and startup entrepreneurs, recorded on stage at the GeekWire Summit this fall.

Phyllis Fletcher, the senior editor for podcasts at American Public Media, who has worked on shows including APM’s hit business podcast, Spectacular Failures. You may recognize her voice from her previous work as a reporter and editor at KUOW Radio in Seattle. (You can check out all of her tweets from the GeekWire Summit here.)
Steve Henn, who leads content strategy for audio news at Google. He’s a journalist turned tech entrepreneur who left a career in radio to co-found a digital media startup that was acquired by Google in 2017. You may recognize his voice from his work in public radio as a correspondent on such shows as Marketplace, Planet Money and NPR.
David Payne, the president of Rainstream Media and the co-creator, author and executive producer of its flagship show, “Somebody Somewhere,” a true crime podcast. A lawyer and former federal prosecutor, his career in media has included roles as Chief Digital Officer for Gannett/USA Today, and senior vice president and GM of CNN Digital.
Amira Valliani is the CEO and co-founder of Glow, a Seattle startup and Pioneer Square Labs spinout that is building a subscription, monetization and distribution platform for podcasts. She served as a communications adviser in the Obama White House and as a speechwriter for then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She got started in podcasting with her own local politics show in Cambridge, Mass.

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An extraordinary year in Seattle tech

Sat, 28 Dec 2019 17:37:33 +0000

From Amazon to Zillow, big successes to surprising failures, it was an extraordinary year for technology and innovation emerging from and impacting Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. That's the consensus from GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop, who independently compiled their own lists of the biggest stories of the year, then compared notes in this year-end GeekWire Podcast discussion.

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Car2go exits, Vicis crumbles

Sat, 21 Dec 2019 16:48:00 +0000

John and Todd make it through the rain and into the studio to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week: Car2go's exit from North America, which will leave Seattle without a free-floating car-sharing service for the first time in many years; and the sudden downfall of Vicis, the high-tech football helmet maker backed by some of the NFL's biggest names. Plus the answer to last week's Name that Tech Tune challenge.

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Ring camera hacks; AI and privacy; Scooter rules

Sat, 14 Dec 2019 18:23:51 +0000

The hacking of multiple Ring cameras this week brought the sometimes abstract world of tech security and privacy into stark relief, as hackers watched and harassed families and children in their homes, demonstrating the frightening real-world consequences of weak password security.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we explain what happened in the incidents, discuss practical tips for making devices more secure, and explore the big picture implications of these technologies for the industry and society.

While biometric identification, facial recognition and artificial intelligence represent a potential replacement for passwords, they also come with potential trade-offs of their own, as demonstrated by new guidelines issued by the Port of Seattle for the use of such technologies.

In other news, we explore Seattle's attempt to put rules and safety guidelines around the coming wave of scooter sharing programs in the city.

And in our final segment, it’s a new installment of our Name that Tech Tune challenge, with a chance to win a GeekWire shirt.

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Cloud Wars: Amazon vs. Microsoft

Sat, 07 Dec 2019 18:22:00 +0000

The leaders of Amazon's cloud division made a few things clear this week at the Amazon Web Services re:Invent conference in Las Vegas:

AWS has broad ambitions in the $3.7 trillion enterprise tech market, looking for growth well beyond the current cloud sector. The company is urging more companies to move their computing to the cloud, at the same time it's developing hybrid technologies to run cloud technologies on premises.
Amazon believes Microsoft is working against the interests of its customers by implementing new licensing restrictions on Microsoft operating systems and databases, limiting the ways its software can be used on AWS and other cloud platforms.
AWS doesn't believe it's possible that it could have lost the Pentagon's $10 billion cloud computing contract to Microsoft purely on the merits of their respective technologies. This is why Amazon is formally challenging the bidding process.

It all adds up to escalating competition between the Seattle-area tech giants, not just between AWS and Microsoft Azure in the cloud but also between AWS and Microsoft in the larger enterprise technology market, which is the bread and butter of Microsoft's business.

Also on the show, we discuss what 60 Minutes missed in its report on tech and Seattle's homelessness crisis; explain why the first official Craigslist app is a mixed blessing, and reveal the answer to our Name that Tech Tune challenge.

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Why this Amazon adversary is emboldened

Sat, 23 Nov 2019 15:10:43 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we go behind-the-scenes of some of the biggest and most interesting stories we covered this week:

Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant, who overcame Amazon's opposition to win another term, tells us what she plans to do now.
An innovation in solar energy, backed by Bill Gates, promises to dramatically reduce global carbon emissions.
Amazon’s new smart shelf will reorder office supplies automatically when they're running low. We ask, is this a good thing?
We check in on some of the newest tech office spaces in the Seattle region, including Zipwhip, Google, Facebook, Expedia, F5 and others, and learn what they say about how we're all working now.
And in the final segment, it’s the return of our Name that Tech Tune contest, with your chance to win a GeekWire t-shirt.

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Amazon protests JEDI deal; Cosmic Crisp first taste

Sat, 16 Nov 2019 17:11:56 +0000

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Amazon is formally protesting a decision by the U.S. Department of Defense to award its $10 billion JEDI cloud computing contract to Microsoft, suggesting that the Pentagon succumbed to political pressure from President Donald Trump.

Plus, Microsoft takes its Dreamers immigration lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court, what it's like to have Cortana read your email out loud, and we get our first taste of the apple of the future, the Cosmic Crisp, before this new Washington state innovation hits store shelves next month.

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The future of data with Tableau CEO Adam Selipsky

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 21:39:48 +0000

LAS VEGAS -- Nearly 20,000 people are here this week to learn about the latest from Seattle-based Tableau Software, whose technologies turn large amounts of data into visualizations, or vizzes, interactive graphics and charts for interpreting and telling the underlying stories.

They also heard from Tableau's new parent company, Salesforce, whose co-CEO Marc Benioff joined Tableau CEO Adam Selipsky on stage for the keynote address as a last-minute addition a little more than a week after European regulators cleared the companies to integrate the $15.7 billion acquisition.

On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, recorded on location at the Tableau Conference, we’ll share highlights from our discussion with Selipsky about what’s next for the Seattle company following its $15.7 billion acquisition by Salesforce, the future of data and artificial intelligence, the rise of employee activism at Tableau and other companies, and what Marc Benioff emails him about.

Editor’s Note: Tableau hosted GeekWire for a recording of the GeekWire Podcast on the show floor of the Tableau Conference as part of a sponsorship agreement. GeekWire retained editorial control of the podcast and covered its own expenses related to the podcast and coverage from the event.

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Gates and Warren; Amazon's Political Problems; Sounders Rap

Sat, 09 Nov 2019 18:56:10 +0000

Not only was Amazon's effort to back pro-business candidates for the Seattle City Council not effective, but its $1.45 million in contributions seems to have backfired on the company, energizing its opponents and leading to a new City Council that's collectively more to the left of the political spectrum than before.

It's the latest in a series of political and policy missteps and missed opportunities for the company, from HQ2 to JEDI.

Also this week: Bill Gates and Elizabeth Warren are ready to talk about taxes; a Microsoft study shows the potential benefits of a shorter work week for productivity; a winning Seattle Sounders rap from a GeekWire reader; and Cortana is ready to "play" your email for you, but are you ready for her to do that?

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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:49:00 +0000

A lot has changed in the world, the tech industry, and Microsoft since Satya Nadella published his book, "Hit Refresh," two years ago. One of the changes: Microsoft reclaimed the title of world's most valuable company in 2018, two decades since it last held that status. But the company didn't celebrate the milestone.

"Success is important, but you have to remember that your success has to have come from some sense of purpose," the Microsoft CEO said in an interview with GeekWire this week. "In 2019, in particular as a tech company, I think that the excessive celebration of technology and tech companies is not what it's all about."

Instead, Nadella explained, "We as a world need to make sure that digital technology is helping us create more equitable growth in all communities, in all countries. And that means our success has to be based on success around us."

That is one of the core themes in Nadella's new afterword for the paperback edition of "Hit Refresh," to be released Nov. 5.

Speaking with GeekWire this week, Nadella went further on several key topics -- discussing Microsoft's approach to a growing wave of nationalism around the world, addressing employee concerns about their treatment inside the company, and explaining why Microsoft is betting on a new category of dual-screen devices.

He also offered his take on two recent victories: Microsoft winning the coveted JEDI contract from the U.S. Department of Defense, beating out Amazon for the $10 billion, $10-year Pentagon cloud deal; and Seattle Sounders FC making it to the MLS Cup. Nadella and his wife Anu are part of the new ownership group for the soccer team.

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Grappling with AI

Sat, 26 Oct 2019 13:28:11 +0000

Artificial intelligence might sound like a futuristic concept, and it may be true that we're years or decades away from a generalized form of AI that can match or exceed the capabilities of the human brain across a wide range of topics.

But the implications of machine learning, facial recognition and other early forms of the technology are already playing out for companies, governmental agencies and people around the world,. This is raising questions about everything from privacy to jobs to law enforcement to the future of humanity.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we hear several different takes from people grappling right now with AI and its implications for business, technology and society, recorded across different sessions at the recent GeekWire Summit in Seattle.

We hear from Microsoft President Brad Smith, co-author of the book Tools and Weapons; U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, Seattle Police Department Chief Carmen Best; Luke Larson, president of Axon, the maker of Taser and body camera technology; and Dave Limp, the senior vice president in charge of Amazon's devices and services business.

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Amazon's $1.45M bid to shake up Seattle politics

Sat, 19 Oct 2019 14:16:00 +0000

Amazon took a million-dollar gamble this week, betting a last-minute cash infusion will help elect a new Seattle City Council despite the inevitable backlash to the contribution. It's a risky move that has already emboldened Amazon's biggest critics in Seattle government. Whether the bet will pay off at the polls remains to be seen.

Also on this episode:

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FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra at the GeekWire Summit

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 19:57:30 +0000

The Federal Trade Commission is ramping up its investigations into Big Tech, and one of the agency’s toughest enforcers visited Amazon’s backyard to discuss the state of competition in the industry with GeekWire's Monica Nickelsburg this week.

FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra spoke at the GeekWire Summit in Seattle on Tuesday in a wide-ranging interview that covered antitrust law, the investment landscape in tech, and lessons learned from his background regulating the financial sector. The interview — available as a video and edited Q&A below — provides a glimpse into how one of the enforcers charged with reining in the tech industry is thinking about competition and related economic dynamics.

Read a transcript of the discussion and see more coverage of the GeekWire Summit.

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Amazon's Jay Carney at the GeekWire Summit

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 18:41:19 +0000

Our GeekWire Summit just wrapped up, and one of our sessions in particular made national news: our conversation on stage with Jay Carney, the former White House press secretary who is now Amazon’s senior vice president of public affairs. We talked about a wide range of issues, including antitrust and competitive concerns, and what it’s like to work for Jeff Bezos.

We also asked for Carney’s take on current events in Washington, D.C., and his comments on the Trump administration were later covered by publications including Bloomberg News and CNBC, sparking a response from Donald Trump, Jr. Carney issued a tweet Thursday morning clarifying that he was speaking in his personal capacity and not as an Amazon representative.

We’re making the entire conversation available in this podcast, and you can read a transcript on GeekWire.

Coming soon on the GeekWire Podcast, the other side of the antitrust issue -- an interview with FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra by GeekWire civic editor Monica Nickelsburg. Audio production for this episode by Jennie Cecil Moore.

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Microsoft's new era unfolds

Fri, 04 Oct 2019 13:25:24 +0000

Microsoft is back in the smartphone business with the unveiling of its new Surface Duo dual-screen folding device this week. It's a fascinating story all on its own, as the company finally goes public with a concept it has been experimenting with behind-the-scenes for much of the past decade. Surprise twist: It runs Android.

But combined with the larger Surface Neo dual-screen tablet/notebook, the story is much bigger. Microsoft is trying to take the lead in a new category of computing, while expanding its focus beyond Windows to focus on apps and experiences across a range of devices. We share our reactions to the news on this episode, and ask the all-important question, is Microsoft cool again?

Plus, a Seattle startup debuts a new pizza-making robot, and we nerd out on the new version of Flight Simulator, which is getting a boost from AI and the cloud, and modern satellite imagery.

We're keeping it short this week as we get ready for our big annual technology conference. Hope to see you next week at the GeekWire Summit!

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Alexa leaves the house

Sat, 28 Sep 2019 17:27:48 +0000

Amazon announced a series of new Echo and Alexa products and initiatives this week -- from smart glasses to wireless earbuds to a new neighborhood wireless initiative -- extending the reach of its devices and services well beyond the home, while attempting to address consumer concerns about privacy at the same time.

Here's our coverage from the week.

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The new 'experience economy'

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 20:57:08 +0000

A new skyscraper in Seattle will bear the name Qualtrics Tower, after the technology company that will occupy more than a dozen floors in the building, with plans to quadruple its employee count in the region to more than 2000 people in the next several years. So what is Qualtrics, anyway? It’s an experience management company, with co-headquarters in Seattle and Provo Utah, that was acquired by enterprise technology giant SAP for $8 billion. We sat down for a conversation recently with Julie Larson Green, a former Microsoft Windows and Office leader who is now the chief experience officer at Qualtrics, to talk about fundamental economic shift that the company is betting on.

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Tech workers unite on climate

Sat, 21 Sep 2019 17:10:48 +0000

The climate crisis surged to the top of the tech industry's agenda this week, encouraged by a groundswell of activity from workers at Amazon, Microsoft, Google and other big tech companies, as part of global efforts to bring attention to the issue. It's the latest example of rising activism inside the tech industry, as a new generation of workers pushes employers to speak out and take action on political, social and environmental issues.

We discuss the protests and the larger trend on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, with highlights from the climate walkout at Amazon's Seattle campus, and Jeff Bezos announcing the company's new Climate Pledge earlier in the week.

In the second segment of the show, we discuss what the shutdown of LimePod says about the future of urban mobility in Seattle and around the world.

And on the Random Channel this week, the scourge of "microplastics", Amazon's Allbirds knock-offs, and the "Showdown at the Window Seat."

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Amazon, Uber and a reckoning for the gig economy

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 18:03:29 +0000

From package delivery to ride-hailing, companies including Amazon and Uber are facing new scrutiny over their use of contract workers to power the services they provide to consumers.

California is poised to enact a law that would force Uber and Lyft to treat drivers like employees as part of a broader push around the country to ensure app-based workers have broader labor protections. Meanwhile, three U.S. Senators are demanding answers from Amazon about its network of contractors and independent delivery companies that get packages to customers’ doors.

We discuss the implications of these developments on this new episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

Plus, a Seattle startup is aiming to upend the smartphone market with a high-quality, low-priced alternative designed to be used for twice as many years as many people use their existing phones. The inside story of Taylor Swift's beef with Microsoft's chatbot. And we do our best to help Alexa come up with some answers to difficult questions.

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Microsoft President Brad Smith: 'Tools & Weapons'

Sun, 08 Sep 2019 03:59:40 +0000

In “Tools & Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age,” Microsoft President Brad Smith and his co-author Carol Ann Browne tell the inside story of some of the biggest developments in tech and the world over the past decade -- including Microsoft’s reaction to the Snowden revelations, its battle with Russian hackers in the leadup to the 2016 elections and its role in the ongoing debate privacy and facial recognition technology.

The book goes behind-the-scenes at the Obama and Trump White Houses, explores the implications of the coming wave of artificial intelligence, and calls on tech giants and governments to step up and prepare for the ethical, legal and societal challenges of powerful new forms of technology yet to come.

We touched on many of those topics in this conversation with Smith about the new book, due out Sept. 10. Smith will also speak at the upcoming GeekWire Summit.

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Why millennials love Amazon

Sat, 07 Sep 2019 16:12:36 +0000

Amazon ousted Apple this year as the most loved brand among millennials, people age 19 through 39, according to a new study. What does this say about the future of the world? OK, that might be taking it too far, but some of our resident millennials offer their take on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast. And in news for slightly older generations, the startup HopSkipRide made its debut in Seattle this week, promising to safely shuttle your kids around town. We explain how it works and try to decide if we and our kids will use it. Plus, in the Random Channel, Microsoft the Musical, insights from Burning Man, and the latest from the chicken beat.

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Waiting for Elizabeth Warren

Sat, 31 Aug 2019 17:36:36 +0000

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren appeared in Seattle on Sunday, a few blocks from Amazon's headquarters, and given the Democratic presidential candidate's call to break up the online retail giant as part of a larger crackdown on big tech companies, we were anticipating fireworks. It didn't happen. In fact, as we reported earlier this week, Warren didn't specifically mention Amazon in her public remarks when commenting on the need for stronger antitrust enforcement.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we tell the behind-the-scenes story of how we were able to ask Warren about the issue by matching her sheer endurance. We also discuss why the call to break up big tech hasn't taken hold as a major campaign issue.

In other topics, we discuss privacy concerns over Ring's collaboration with law enforcement; the new trailer for Netflix's Bill Gates documentary, what the algorithms say about an iconic Nirvana song; and, of course, the latest on the elusive Popeyes chicken sandwich.

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Headphones, AI and the future of humanity

Sat, 24 Aug 2019 18:16:33 +0000

New wireless Bluetooth headphones from Seattle startup Human are getting mixed reviews based on their appearance, and their initial starting price of $399 (which the company quickly dropped to a promotional price of $259). But their unique design, which completely envelops both ears, reflects a vision of the future in which technology will be melded to our bodies, and potentially to our minds.

Plus: Jeff Bezos' first Amazon job ad, 25 years later; A new Netflix documentary will go inside the mind of Bill Gates, and Alexa makes a "Jeopardy!" cameo.

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Goodbye, iPhone; Hello, Note10+

Sat, 17 Aug 2019 14:50:22 +0000

Microsoft's partnership with Samsung promises smooth integration between Windows and the Galaxy Note10, and that was enough to convince GeekWire's Todd Bishop to dump his iPhone X in favor of the consumer electronics giant's new flagship device. But which of the two Note10 variations should he get? And what can he expect as he switches from on major smartphone platform to another? Tech reviewer Andru Edwards of Gear Live and the Geared Up podcast joins us on this special episode to offer his advice.

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The Power and Pitfalls of Platforms

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 14:15:06 +0000

Amazon, Uber, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and many other big companies have something in common. They're all platforms, providing underlying technologies that others use to build or facilitate their own businesses. But there are different types of platforms, with different motivations, and understanding the differences is key for anyone looking to build, compete against, regulate or do business with a platform.

We explore the power and pitfalls of platforms on this episode with Michael Cusumano, the Sloan Management Review Distinguished Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and the co-author of the book, "The Business of Platforms: Strategy in the Age of Digital Competition, Innovation & Power," with Annabelle Gawer and David Yoffie. The book examines the hidden forces behind some of today’s most powerful and influential companies. It's an especially timely subject given the current scrutiny of many of those companies.

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Microsoft's Samsung surprise

Sat, 10 Aug 2019 14:29:57 +0000

We're back! It's the return of our weekly news roundup, with Todd Bishop, John Cook and Monica Nickelsburg. First, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's surprise appearance at Samsung's latest Galaxy smartphone unveiling signals good things ahead for Windows users. We go inside the shutdown of ReachNow, BMW's car-sharing service that operated in Portland and Seattle, and discuss the unusual ways that some people in our society are using car-sharing services. And finally, on the Random Channel, we offer our latest documentary recommendations, catch up with Amazon's Treasure Truck, and savor some bread made from 4,500-year-old yeast.

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Can Facebook be fixed?

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 15:30:39 +0000

Despite the restrictions it imposes on Facebook's business, the Federal Trade Commission's settlement with the social media giant is viewed as insufficient by some critics. So what can we do as Facebook users? What impact is Facebook having on us in the meantime? And what can the tech industry learn from the whole thing? That's our topic on this episode of the GeekWire podcast, featuring highlights from a discussion with Sheryl Cababa, a user experience designer with Artefact in Seattle and the author of the report, "Can Social Media Be Saved?"; and tech industry veteran Andre Vrignaud, who found a way to manage the impact of Facebook on his life, as detailed in this GeekWire story earlier this year.

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The Case Against Amazon

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 14:30:14 +0000

It was tough week for Amazon on the regulatory front. It started Tuesday with an antitrust hearing before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. Although Apple, Facebook, and Google also sent representatives, Amazon fielded the most pointed questions. A few hours later, the European Union launched a formal investigation into the company, focusing on how it treats third-party sellers in the Amazon marketplace.

We explore why Amazon is in the hot seat, how the company is responded, what comes next on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

Plus, the end of the road for ReachNow, and our podcast recommendation for reliving the Apollo 11 moon landing.

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Apollo 11 and the Future of the Final Frontier

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 15:19:31 +0000

To understand the future of space, it helps to start with the past.

On this special edition of the GeekWire Podcast, marking the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, we’ll hear from Alan Boyle, GeekWire's aerospace and science editor, and listen in on his conversations with three unsung heroes of the Apollo era: NASA flight directors Gerry Griffin and Milton Windler, and flight controller Poppy Northcutt. They each reflect on the historic mission and share the sentiment that America should go back to the moon and beyond.

This episode of GeekWire is part of the Destination Moon podcrawl, organized by Seattle’s Museum of Flight. Look for other episodes about the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary in the coming days from other participating podcasts: Flight Deck from the Museum of Flight; Sound Effect from KNKX Radio; The Truth from Radiotopia; and Stuff You Missed in History Class.

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Secret Startup Ingredient: Microsoft

Sat, 13 Jul 2019 18:01:05 +0000

Would you have guessed that nearly 25 percent of the Seattle region's top tech startups are led by CEOs with backgrounds at Microsoft? That was the surprising result of our analysis of the GeekWire 200, our index of the top privately held tech companies in the Pacific Northwest. And fundings for the region's startups bucked the national trend, as reflected in data from our new startup deal tracker.

Nintendo unveiled a new iteration of its Switch game console; former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer pulled off what might be his greatest deal ever; and an Amazon employee showed the potential of artificial intelligence with a high-tech cat door.

GeekWire editor Todd Bishop and managing editor Taylor Soper recap and analyze the news on this episode of the show. Plus, listen for the debut of the new GeekWire Podcast theme song, by composer Daniel L.K. Caldwell.

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Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 16:42:40 +0000

"You've got all of this opportunity for places where you can interface with the physical world. I think it's just where business opportunity is going to live."

That was one of the takeaways from Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott's talk at the recent GeekWire Cloud Summit. On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we're presenting highlights from his conversation with GeekWire's Todd Bishop.

The Microsoft CTO was previously vice president of engineering and operations at LinkedIn, led engineering and operations at mobile advertising company AdMob, and worked two stints at Google, starting as a senior engineering manager in 2005. He's also the host of the podcast Behind the Tech and is involved in diversity initiatives both inside and outside the company.

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Apple Goes Big in Seattle

Sat, 29 Jun 2019 22:33:30 +0000

Apple's new campus in Seattle, unveiled this week, will accommodate as many as 2,000 workers, doubling the company's previous commitment to expand its engineering operations in the city. But beyond the sheer numbers, the prime location positions the company to compete more aggressively for talent against rivals including Amazon, Google and Microsoft.

It also promises to make Seattle a bigger epicenter for cloud engineering, artificial intelligence and voice technologies.

We explore the implications of Apple's move on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, with GeekWire's Monica Nickelsburg, Kurt Schlosser, and Todd Bishop.

Plus: Bill Gates and Jeff Bee-zos, Windows 95 makes a cameo at the Supreme Court, Teen Vogue's transition, Russell Wilson makes memes come true, and Slack meets Slack.

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Slack vs. Microsoft

Sat, 22 Jun 2019 16:26:39 +0000

If you tuned into the news this week, you heard one company’s name over and over again. Slack, the workplace communication and collaboration technology company went public and instantly saw its share price spike by 50 percent. But with competition from Microsoft, Facebook, Google and others, where does Slack go from here? Today on GeekWire, the future of Slack, and the competition among tech giants to change how we communicate, collaborate and get work done. With Paul Condra, lead analyst for emerging technologies at PitchBook, and Nat Levy, GeekWire reporter.

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Slack CTO Cal Henderson

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 21:59:19 +0000

Workplace chat and collaboration technology company Slack is going public on Thursday, with implications for a wide variety of companies in the Seattle region and beyond. Microsoft is Slack’s primary competitor with its Teams service, and Slack is a big Amazon Web Services customer. And many companies that sell technologies to businesses will be watching Slack’s stock market debut closely to assess their own potential in the public markets.

So how does Slack work behind the scenes? On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we’re featuring a conversation with a co-founder of Slack, Cal Henderson, the company’s chief technology officer, recorded during the recent GeekWire Cloud Summit.

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'Salesforce HQ2' and Tableau's giant deal

Sat, 15 Jun 2019 14:33:06 +0000

Salesforce surprised the tech world this week with its agreement to acquire Tableau Software for $15.7 billion -- but maybe it shouldn't have been a surprise after the Seattle-based data visualization company was listed among the cloud giant's acquisition targets in a leaked internal slide deck a while back. With Salesforce co-CEO Marc Benioff declaring Seattle the new HQ2 for the San Francisco company, GeekWire's John Cook and Todd Bishop tell the story behind this record-setting deal and consider the implications for the West Coast tech 'megalopolis.'

Plus, a Seattle startup entrepreneur unveils a smart new tool for finding candidates with views similar to your own, a Pioneer Square Labs spinout wants to help podcasters raise money from their most passionate listeners, and we debate the merits of dogs in the workplace after several Seattle tech companies rank high a list of pooch-friendly places to work.

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UW computer science leader Hank Levy

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 20:45:07 +0000

The past decade has been a period of incredible growth for the technology industry in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. One of the primary engines of that growth is the University of Washington's Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering in Seattle. Computer scientist Hank Levy has been a quiet force behind the program as its leader for the past 13 years.

During his tenure, the program positioned itself as one of the top 5 computer science programs in the country, after MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon in the minds of many in the industry. It grew its faculty by 30 positions, or 70 percent; doubled its space with the addition of the Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering; tripled its undergraduate enrollment and doubled its graduate enrollment; and developing strengths in areas such as robotics, data science, security, sensors and machine learning.

Levy will step down as Allen School director effective July 1 but will remain involved with the program. Speaking with GeekWire this week, in advance of the Allen School commencement Friday evening, Levy reflected on the huge changes during his tenure, the transformation of technology during his career, and the challenges still facing the UW and the tech industry.

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Maria Klawe on the promise of computer science

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 19:52:42 +0000

In the 13 years since Maria Klawe took over as president of Harvey Mudd College, she has surprised skeptics and achieved a milestone that has confounded most institutions of higher education. Today, 50 percent of Harvey Mudd graduates with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are women, and students of color are on the rise at the elite technical college.

The shift is no accident; Klawe made diversity her top priority when she took the helm at Harvey Mudd, in Claremont, Calif. And while she's made strides, she's also faced big challenges during what she describes as the most difficult years of her professional career.

Klawe is a noted computer scientist and academic and a former Microsoft board member. Before becoming the first woman to lead Harvey Mudd, she served as dean of engineering at Princeton University and dean of science at the University of British Columbia. Klawe will share insights from her journey as a leader in computer science and champion for diversity when delivering the 2019 commencement address for the University of Washington's Paul G. Allen School for Computer Science & Engineering this Friday, June 14.

We caught up with Klawe for a preview of her remarks and a broader discussion of the opportunities and challenges facing the technology industry. Listen to the podcast below, subscribe to the GeekWire Podcast in your favorite podcast app, and continue reading for highlights from the conversation.

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Amazon drones ready to deliver

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 16:14:33 +0000

Amazon gave a detailed look at its new warehouse robots and delivery drones, discussed its plans for a satellite constellation, and talked about the future of artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation during a multi-day conference in Las Vegas this week. GeekWire's aerospace and science editor Alan Boyle was in Las Vegas to cover it all, and he joins us with a recap and analysis.

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Inside the IPO: Adaptive Biotech

Sun, 02 Jun 2019 16:23:32 +0000

Chad Robins is a Cornell grad and Wharton School MBA who was working in real estate finance a decade ago when he was approached with a business idea by his brother, Harlan Robins, head of the Computational Biology Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

As Chad Robins recalled, "When he called me up in 2009 and said, 'Hey I want to start a business, I've figured out how to sequence T-cells at a high throughput,' I was like, 'Yes, I'm in!' and then I went to Wikipedia and I'm like, 'What the hell is he talking about?' I don't know the difference between a T-cell receptor and a T-bone steak."

A decade later, the company they created, Adaptive Biotechnologies, is using the genetic code of the immune system to change the diagnosis and treatment of disease. It’s valued at more than $1 billion. It has partnerships with industry giants Microsoft and Genentech, and this week it filed raise $230 million in an initial public offering. On this episode of the GeekWire podcast, we’ll get the inside story of Adaptive Biotechnologies and share what we learned in its IPO filing.

Correction 6/3: Chad Robins and Harlan Robins hold about the same amount of equity in the company, which wasn’t apparent from the IPO filing because some of the stock is held in trusts. We've update the audio to remove this portion of our discussion.

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Sci-fi master Neal Stephenson

Fri, 31 May 2019 12:55:10 +0000

Are we living in a simulation? Is there an afterlife? And if not, what would it take to create one? Drawing inspiration from Seattle's tech industry and the emerging field of virtual reality, best-selling science-fiction author Neal Stephenson knits together ideas as old as the Bible and as up-to-date as Elon Musk's musings in an epic 880-page novel titled "Fall; or, Dodge in Hell," due out June 4. GeekWire's Alan Boyle read the book and interviewed Stephenson, and joins us to share highlights.

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How tech is transforming home-buying, again

Sat, 25 May 2019 16:57:46 +0000

The peak home-buying season is upon us, but buyers and sellers taking a fresh look at the market will see a much different landscape for real estate technology than they did just a year or two ago -- and it's only the beginning of the changes to come. It's an exciting time in the real estate tech business, and anything can happen. On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we assess the changes so far and debate what could happen next: Could Zillow end up buying Redfin or another brokerage to bolster its new model? Will the notion of one-click homebuying ever truly take hold? How will traditional brokerages play a role in the future? And will any of these changes actually address the fundamental problem of housing affordability?

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Inside Amazon's annual meeting

Fri, 24 May 2019 17:30:52 +0000

Amazon's annual meeting has become a spectacle over the years, despite the company's best efforts to stick to business. Todd Bishop and Monica Nickelsburg explain what happened at this year's event, earlier this week in Seattle. Plus, the latest on T-Mobile and Sprint, why a former Facebook exec is floating Microsoft's Brad Smith as a replacement for Mark Zuckerberg, and how Rover capitalized on the Game of Thrones finale.

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How to think like Amazon

Wed, 22 May 2019 13:39:50 +0000

John Rossman helped to launch and build the Amazon Marketplace business before leading the company's Enterprise Services business during his tenure at the company. In his new book, "Think Like Amazon: 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader," he helps other business leaders and managers understand, learn from and adopt elements of Amazon's approach. He sat down with us this week to talk about some of the ideas that define the company, and what they say about its future.

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Minecraft meets the real world

Sat, 18 May 2019 14:24:44 +0000

Four years after acquiring Minecraft, Microsoft this week unveiled its most ambitious effort yet to take the popular franchise to the next level, and specifically into the real world. GeekWire went hands on with the game in a sneak preview, but with the release not expected until later this summer, why the heck is Microsoft touting this game before the rest of us can actually play it?

Plus, Amazon is offering its employees an incentive to quit their jobs, if they start their own package delivery companies. This is the latest wrinkle in the company's Delivery Service Partners program, which we explored in depth last year.

Finally, on the Random Channel, the latest twist in our quest to stream live audio at the ballpark, a commentary on the sequestering of tech execs, and the latest in the scooter saga, featuring Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

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Melinda Gates, the GeekWire Interview

Tue, 14 May 2019 14:06:01 +0000

Listen in on our conversation with Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, about her book, "The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World." The book has garnered national attention and further elevated Melinda's status as an influential public figure in her own right. GeekWire's Monica Nickelsburg and Todd Bishop spoke with Melinda at her office in Seattle, at the conclusion of her national book tour. Go to GeekWire.com for full coverage.

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How Jeff Bezos plans to take civilization to space

Sun, 12 May 2019 14:55:14 +0000

How does Jeff Bezos plan to get to the moon, and what will he do after that? On this special bonus edition of the GeekWire Podcast, aerospace and science editor Alan Boyle calls in from Washington, D.C., where he covered the Amazon founder's unveiling of the new Blue Moon lunar lander from his Blue Origin space venture, aiming to put humans back on the moon by 2024 as part of a broader plan to colonize space. Plus, audio highlights from Bezos's talk.

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Which tech giant do you trust?

Sat, 11 May 2019 15:54:45 +0000

There's a common theme running through the spring season of developer conferences and tech events: trust and privacy.

With the tech industry faceing a backlash from consumers and regulators, tech giants including Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft are looking to assure everyone that they're listening. But each company is approaching the issue in a very different way, and with a very different track record on the topic.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we listen to the CEOs of these companies talk about privacy, and analyze the different approaches.

Other stories covered on this episode:

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GeekWire Awards Winners Revealed

Sat, 04 May 2019 16:08:12 +0000

The strength and success of the people and companies across the Pacific Northwest tech ecosystem was on full display Thursday night at the GeekWire Awards. GeekWire's Jonathan Sposato, John Cook and Todd Bishop share highlights and clips from the night on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast. More highlights here.

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Amazon's new Prime number

Thu, 02 May 2019 14:38:05 +0000

Amazon's shift to one-day shipping as the core benefit of its Prime membership program promises to significantly alter Amazon’s financial picture and accelerate the pace of global online commerce. On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, reporter Nat Levy joins us to look at the implications of this move for Amazon, its customers, competitors, investors and the shipping + logistics industry.

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IPOs without profits

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 01:30:21 +0000

What do Pinterest, Lyft, Uber and Slack have in common? Yes, they're all newly public or about to make their initial public offerings. But they also share a common characteristic on the bottom line -- proceeding with their IPOs with lots of revenue and growth but, so far at least, without the consistent profits to show for it.

And they're part of a trend. Eighty-three percent of IPOs in the first three quarters of 2018 were made by companies that hadn't posted profits in the prior 12 months.

So what's the future of these companies? On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we're joined by someone who has spent a lot of time looking at the financials of many of these companies: Ben Gilbert, co-founder of Seattle's Pioneer Square Labs, and co-host of the podcast Acquired, which tells the stories of major companies, acquisitions and IPOs. He and his co-host David Rosenthal have been focusing on these companies on their recent episodes, starting with Lyft and Pinterest.

Since we recorded this episode, Slack has also released its S-1 registration statement, revealing a $138.9 million net loss in its most recent fiscal year.

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Why Arivale failed

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 17:44:42 +0000

Founded in 2015, Seattle startup Arivale aspired to pioneer a new sector called scientific wellness, combining genetic testing with personal coaching to improve the health of its members. Its founder, genomics legend Lee Hood, said the company "really stands a chance of being the Google or Microsoft of this whole arena." But four years later, Arivale abruptly closed its doors this week. We explain what happened with special guest, GeekWire chief business officer Daniel Rossi, an Arivale member whose experience in the program was chronicled in our 2017 series.

Plus, Microsoft breaks the trillion-dollar mark, Bill Gates serves as a surprising role model for other dads, and there's a new set of guidelines for kids' screen time.

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Unicorns, IPOs and the next tech giants

Sat, 20 Apr 2019 15:07:27 +0000

Seattle has a new unicorn, Outreach, the sales and marketing automation company that raised a $114 million funding round this week, pushing its valuation to $1.1 billion. The news sends John and Todd on a startup odyssey, exploring the hidden connections among the new wave of public companies and tech behemoths in Silicon Valley and Seattle, including Uber, Lyft, Convoy and others. Plus, Amazon and Microsoft are preparing to challenge Apple's AirPods,. And on the Random Channel, Melinda Gates has a message for the tech industry, and John is determined to be a "Never Throner."

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Very Random

Sat, 13 Apr 2019 15:42:59 +0000

Almost every week at the end of the GeekWire Podcast, we feature our "Random Channel" segment, discussing all the random items of questionable relevance that we were buzzing about behind the scenes during the course of the week. This week, with several of us out of the office, we decided to forgo our regular news conversation and go "full random," you might say. We hope you enjoy getting to know some of the offbeat interests of our team, including Kurt Schlosser, Monica Nickelsburg and Taylor Soper. And don't worry, we'll be back on topic next week with our regular show.

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Why Amazon is pulling a giant team out of Seattle

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 17:54:43 +0000

The news that Amazon is shifting its Seattle-based worldwide operations team to Bellevue, Wash., raises a ton of questions about its future in the region. GeekWire's Monica Nickelsburg, who broke the story, joins Todd Bishop and John Cook to discuss the implications. Plus, Howard Schultz gets sued for text messages sent to voters by his team, and the GeekWire Awards finalists have been revealed.

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To the Moon: Neil Armstrong's son on the Apollo 11 anniversary

Wed, 03 Apr 2019 01:00:34 +0000

With the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 Moon Landing on the horizon, Mark Armstrong, son of the late astronaut Neil Armstrong, first person to walk on the moon, talks with GeekWire's Alan Boyle at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

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Microsoft boxes Amazon into a corner

Sat, 30 Mar 2019 16:58:01 +0000

Microsoft is putting Amazon into a difficult position by advocating a tax increase on both companies in their home state. Meanwhile, Apple is placing an even bigger bet on privacy as a feature. We explain a surprising startup investment by two Seattle tech veterans. Plus, the return of the Random Channel.

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Bezos and the bots

Sat, 23 Mar 2019 15:54:28 +0000

Every year, Amazon and Jeff Bezos hold an elite, invitation-only conference called MARS, for Machine learning, Automation, Robotics and Space, which doubles as an excuse for the Amazon founder to test out the latest in autonomous vehicles, robots and personal aircraft. GeekWire aerospace and science editor Alan Boyle joins us with a rundown. Plus, 15 years after Google started a wave of engineering outposts in the Seattle area, the region's startups are figuring out how to co-exist with Silicon Valley tech giants. And how DNA is inspiring the next generation of data storage technology at Microsoft and the University of Washington.

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Are you getting a fair trade for your data?

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 00:33:36 +0000

After a year of privacy scandals, consumers are beginning to realize that the volume of data tech companies collect on them exceeds what they could have imagined. Marketplace Tech host Molly Wood has been helping listeners untangle the complex web of the data economy on her show. She visited Seattle last week to discuss those issues with Giri Sreenivas, CEO of private email server startup Helm, Ryan Calo, co-director of the University of Washington Tech Policy Lab, and Monica Nickelsburg, GeekWire’s civic editor, during an event hosted by KUOW.

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GeekWire Awards preview; brave Amazon employee quizzes Bezos

Sat, 16 Mar 2019 16:23:23 +0000

We're preparing for the GeekWire Awards, our annual event recognizing the best in Pacific Northwest tech and innovation, and on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast we provide an update on past Startup of the Year winners and preview this year's contest. Find out more, submit nominations, and buy tickets at geekwire.com/awards. Plus, a brave Amazon employee asks Jeff Bezos if his tumultuous personal life is distracting from his work, and Peter Sagal of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me offers his input on getting less input in our lives.

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GeekWire Photographer's Dispatch from Mongolia

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 13:44:07 +0000

GeekWire photographer Kevin Lisota has taken pictures of everything from rocket launches to tech luminaries, but he recently spent a couple weeks far from Seattle, on a photo expedition in far-western Mongolia. On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, he shares photography tips and tricks from expedition leader Andy Williams of Muench Workshops and the reCOMPOSE photo podcast.

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Break up Big Tech? A reality check

Sat, 09 Mar 2019 16:49:59 +0000

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren's ambitious plan to regulate Facebook, Google and Amazon as utilities and roll back some of their biggest acquisitions, is a giant stake in the ground for the 2020 presidential campaign -- but is it realistic? And would it really have the desired impact on competition and consumers? We dive into those questions on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast,

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Zillow's extreme makeover

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 23:09:04 +0000

What the heck is going on at Zillow? The online real estate giant announced the return of co-founder Rich Barton as CEO, along with a major change in its business model. John Cook and Todd Bishop sort out the news, speculate on the cause, and speculate wildly on what could be next. Plus, Amazon is backing out of a high-profile Seattle skyscraper in the latest sign of its troubled relationship with its hometown. And we say farewell to those cute little Amazon Dash buttons!

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Under Construction Podcast: John Cook

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 14:57:39 +0000

This is a guest episode of the new podcast Under Construction, from the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, featuring a conversation with my GeekWire co-founder John Cook, talking with the podcast's host, Seattle Metro Chamber CEO Marilyn Strickland. For more episodes, check out seattlechamber.com/underconstruction, or subscribe at soundcloud.com/seattlechamber.

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Surprise! Amazon nixes NYC HQ2

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 20:46:30 +0000

Come on, Amazon, really? The tech giant spent more than a year looking for its "HQ2," planning to establish a second headquarters equal to its Seattle home, before surprising everybody by instead splitting the giant project between New York City and Arlington, Va. Now, after facing initial opposition from some New York city and state leaders, the company this morning said, well, nevermind.

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Catching up with Bill Gates

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 18:12:37 +0000

Bill Gates sits down with GeekWire to talk about what's on his mind in 2019, including what he would say to President Trump about nationalism vs. globalism, why he's pushing the U.S. to double down on nuclear energy, thoughts on the future of techbooks, and memories of his late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Plus, his take on the viral photo of him standing in line at a popular Seattle burger stand.

See GeekWire.com for more coverage of the interview, and read Bill and Melinda Gates' 2019 annual letter at gatesletter.com.

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'Day 1' Distraction: Bezos and the Enquirer

Fri, 08 Feb 2019 15:36:56 +0000

Publicly challenging the National Enquirer's parent company AMI for attempted blackmail and extortion, as Jeff Bezos did in his remarkable post Thursday afternoon, is bold, risky and even admirable, especially for someone in his position. But for Amazon and its founder, there's more than some embarrassing pictures at stake.

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What Fuels You: Life and leadership with Jane Park

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 22:29:38 +0000

We're starting a new tradition on GeekWire, periodically sharing selected episodes of some of our favorite podcasts about startups, leadership, technology, science and more from the Seattle region and beyond. First up: What Fuels You, a new podcast from Shauna Swerland of Fuel Talent, featuring conversations and insights from successful business leaders.

Her guest on this episode is Jane Park, the CEO and founder of Seattle-based beauty products company Julep. Park, who founded Julep in 2006, was named CEO of the Year in the 2014 GeekWire Awards. She sold Julep in 2016 to beauty brand Glansaol, which filed for bankruptcy late last year. (Park hasn't been involved in day-to-day operations at Julep since the acquisition.)

For more episodes of What Fuels You, go to fueltalent.com/podcast or subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify.

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Week in Geek: Howard Schultz?!

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 19:53:42 +0000

Can Howard Schultz make a serious run for U.S. president? Can Zillow's Zestimate be improved? And can a new Bluetooth feature help Todd find his freakin' AirPods Those are just a few of the burning questions on this episode of GeekWire's Week in Geek podcast, as GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop John Cook discuss the news of the week.

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Week in Geek: Amazon's delivery bots

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 17:42:53 +0000

Amazon rolled out its latest effort to conquer the last mile of delivery, and it's named "Scout." Plus, an app that helped new U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez get elected is spreading to other campaigns, with a catch. And the latest twist in New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichik's on-again off-again relationship with Microsoft Surface tablets on the NFL sidelines. And a mildly profane installment of the Random Channel. With GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, civic editor Monica Nickelsburg, and Geek Life reporter Kurt Schlosser.

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Week in Geek: Microsoft's $500M housing bet

Sat, 19 Jan 2019 18:09:56 +0000

As two of the world's most valuable companies, Amazon and Microsoft have created mind-boggling wealth and economic vitality in the Seattle region. But around them, housing prices have skyrocketed and the number of people experiencing homelessness has spiked as the rising tide of the tech industry fails to lift all boats Now the two tech giants are taking on the housing crisis, but their approaches are as different as the companies themselves.

Which will be more effective? That's one of the topics we discuss as we recap the week's news on the GeekWire podcast. Also in the news: The Seattle Sounders' new jerseys, and Bill Gates at Dick's Drive-In,

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A better life without a smartphone?

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 21:01:32 +0000

With his AT&T Cingular Flip 2 in hand, Michael Valeri genuinely believes he’s living a better life for himself without a smartphone, and he’s interested in teaching people how they can do it, too. And the distinction is important — he doesn’t want to tell people why they should give up their iPhones, but rather how to survive if they do. He spoke with GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, who wrote about Valeri here: https://www.geekwire.com/2019/can-live-without-smartphone-flip-phone-fan-done-13-years-will-teach/

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Groceries, Divorce and Facebook

Sat, 12 Jan 2019 14:58:01 +0000

We're back! John Cook, Monica Nickelsburg and Todd Bishop get the GeekWire Podcast rolling for 2019 with our weekly news discussion, exploring the potential implications of Jeff Bezos' divorce for Amazon and the Seattle region, explaining why Facebook needs its Uber moment, and debating the finer points of modern grocery shopping. Go to geekwire.com/podcast for links and more info.

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Libraries in the Digital Age

Wed, 26 Dec 2018 13:00:00 +0000

New York Public Library’s Tony Ageh was recently in Seattle to talk about libraries’ digital transformation. Ageh made the point that tech now permeates pretty much all of a library’s operations. But in many ways, it's a good thing that libraries have been behind other organizations in adopting technology. Highlights from Ageh's conversation with GeekWire contributor Frank Catalano at Seattle Public Library.

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Underestimated: 'Bootstrapped VC' Arlan Hamilton

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 20:20:31 +0000

Hey GeekWire Podcast listeners, we hope you enjoy this latest episode of our new podcast, Numbers Geek with Steve Ballmer, featuring the remarkable story of Arlan Hamilton, who went from homeless to running her own venture capital firm, investing in "underestimated" founders. To listen to every episode of the new podcast, go to geekwire.com/numbersgeek. We'll be back soon with a new GeekWire Podcast episode. Thanks for listening!

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Amazon takes Seattle baggage to NYC

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 02:40:19 +0000

"You’re worth a trillion dollars. Why do you need our 3 billion dollars?" That's how Amazon was greeted by the New York City Council this week. City leaders in the Big Apple pointed to the tech giant's rocky relationship with its original hometown of Seattle to contend that winning the company's HQ2 isn't much of a prize. Meanwhile, Apple announced plans for a big Austin campus, along with new offices in Seattle and Southern California.

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Gov. Inslee on tech, privacy and the presidency

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 18:58:04 +0000

Our guest on this special edition of the podcast, Wash. State Gov. Jay Inslee. He spoke with us on stage during a special reception prior to the GeekWire Gala, about everything from his presidential ambitions to regulating big tech to lessons learned from Amazon's HQ2 search.

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Introducing Numbers Geek

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 20:56:59 +0000

A preview of the new GeekWire podcast, Numbers Geek with Steve Ballmer, where we present a data-driven take on the country's most divisive issues. Subscribe now in your favorite podcast app to hear episode one.

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Microsoft re-Surfaces

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 14:00:00 +0000

This week, Microsoft rivaled Apple to be the most valuale company based in the U.S. But just a few years ago, that success seemed almost impossible. The Microsoft Surface division has been a microcosm of the company's struggles and failures in the past years and on this episode, we speak with journalist and author Brad Sams about that story. Sams' book about the Surface is called "Beneath A Surface" and is out now.

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Geared Up Tech Holiday Gift Guide: 2018

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 14:00:00 +0000

It's the holiday season, and along with festive Amazon packaging and never-ending carols, that means its time to buy holiday gifts! This week, we're sharing our annual Geared Up Tech Holiday Gift Guide. Todd and Andru will share their recommendations for the best gadgets and gizmos to put on your list -- plus a special surprise recommendation for that one person who has EVERYTHING.

Visit GeekWire.com/GearedUp to see a full list of our recommendations and links to all the specific products we mention on this episode.

Subscribe to Geared Up in your favorite podcast app by searching "Geared Up."

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'Making weird' with Archie McPhee

Mon, 19 Nov 2018 15:54:26 +0000

Pickles that yodel. Foot-tall punching nuns. A rubber chicken museum. What do these things have in common? They're all brainchildren of Archie McPhee, the Seattle-based makers and retailers of whacky, delightful and (occasionally) practical items for more than 35 years. Join us for an audio tour of Archie McPhee's out-of-this-world retail store as we learn more about the company's history, its creative process and the stories of some of its most popular items. We're joined on this episode by David Wahl, Archie McPhee director of awesome (a.k.a. marketing and creative services).

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Can NYC love HQ2?

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 20:56:52 +0000

Amazon is moving into the big apple with half of its HQ2 project slated to bring about 25,000 — or up to 40,000 — new jobs to Long Island City in Queens. But can NYC learn to love HQ2? We check in with GeekWire Civic Innovation Editor Monica Nickelsburg on the scene in Queens to find out.

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Amazon reveals HQ2 locations

Tue, 13 Nov 2018 23:07:22 +0000

It's official: Amazon's HQ2 search has ended in not one but two new hubs for the technology giant in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, and Long Island City in New York. Join GeekWire Co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop as they dissect the news and the repercussions of the tech giant's extraordinary search.

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What's going on with HQ2?

Fri, 09 Nov 2018 01:07:32 +0000

Amazon's continent-wide search for a second headquarters took a strange turn this week as news leaked that the company is planning to split its second headquarters into two different cities. Critics have decried the move as a "bait and switch" and it puts the status of HQ2, due to be announced any day, up in the air. Also: Tuesday marked a monumental election for the U.S., including several ballot measures that directly involve the tech industry.

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Dungeons, Dragons and NFL star Doug Baldwin

Fri, 02 Nov 2018 18:59:35 +0000

We're coming to you live again this week, this time from Renton, Wash, home of Boeing's 737 plant, the ultra-geeky Wizards of the Coast (maker of Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering) and the Seattle Seahawk's practice facility. On this special episode of the Week in Geek, we talk with Wizards of the Coast President Chris Cocks about the company and its beloved games, including its experiments with augmented reality — plus we interview Seahawks Wide Reciever Doug Baldwin about his work with Renton's community center and his plans for life after the NFL. The show is part of GeekWire on the Road, our traveling spotlight of emerging tech hubs in the Pacific Northwest.

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The little vaccine that could

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 16:16:03 +0000

In 2000, rotavirus killed more than half a million children every year. Not many people had even heard of the disease. Then an unlikely alliance of international scientists, policymakers, a first-time entrepreneur and the richest man in the world teamed up to take it on. We tell the story of what happened on this episode of Health Tech, a GeekWire podcast.

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Live: The future of news

Fri, 26 Oct 2018 13:00:00 +0000

On this live episode of the Week in Geek, we interview former Breaking News leader and Factal co-founder Corey Bergman about the changing state of news and facts online. How can people escape the Twittersphere? How do you build an engaged community over the internet? We'll get into that and much more.

Plus, we are excited to announce another live taping of the Week in Geek on Nov. 1 where we will interview Chris Cocks, the President of Dungeons and Dragons creator Wizards of the Coast. Join us for this event as part of GeekWire on the Road in Renton, Washington. More details: https://www.geekwire.com/events/next-recording-november-1-southport-lake-washington/

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Paul Allen's vast legacy

Tue, 16 Oct 2018 20:18:58 +0000

Paul Allen was the co-founder and one of the technical geniuses behind Microsoft. But he was also a billionaire with wide and varied interest: The owner of two professional sports teams, the benefactor of several museums and art organizations, and the founder of multiple scientific institutes. On this special episode of the Week in Geek, we look back at Paul Allen's influence on the world and ask: What happens now to his vast legacy?

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Remembering Paul Allen: 1953 - 2018

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 23:36:33 +0000

We're sad to report the passing of Paul Allen, who died Monday at the age of 65. The Microsoft co-founder had an outsized impact on technology, science, the arts and even professional football. In remembrance of his life, we are sharing an interview with Allen taped in 2011, where he candidly shares his outlook on Microsoft, the progress of technology, his relationship with Bill Gates and much more.

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'This is crazy!' Interview: Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Glenn Kelman has led Redfin from a small, bold real estate startup to one of the global leaders in real estate technology. He's also an outspoken leader inside the company and beyond, not afraid to criticize his community and his industry when he knows they can do better. On this epsiode, we share the full interview between Kelman and GeekWire Co-founder John Cook, taped live at the 2018 GeekWire Summit.

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Interview: Uber Chief Legal Officer Tony West

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Uber has run into more than a few legal troubles in the last two years. Tony West is the man who has to deal with them. We're sharing Tony's full interview with GeekWire Civic Innovation Editor Monica Nickelsburg on this episode, including his take on Uber's data breach cover-up and how the company can regain the trust of its customers.

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Amazon's $15 minimum wage

Fri, 05 Oct 2018 17:16:57 +0000

In a surprise move, Amazon announced it is raising its internal minimum wage to $15 an hour and also vowed to lobby for a raise in the national minimum wage. The move launches the company and CEO Jeff Bezos into the broader discussion over working wages, an issue Amazon has been critizised on in the past. Plus, we'll take a look at Likewise, the new reccommendation app hatched out of Bill Gates' office and led by his right hand man.

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CAR T: The Underdog Cancer Killer

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Nine years ago, Stephanie Florence was diagnosed with incurable blood cancer. Today, she's cancer-free thanks to a new treatment called CAR T immunotherapy. This treatment is the golden child of cancer research today — but it wasn't always this way. Find out how CAR T went from an underdog to a cancer killer on this episode of Health Tech.

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Google's Nest bids on digital health

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Last year, Google secretly acquired a digital health startup spun out of the University of Washington. After requesting documents related to the acquisition, GeekWire learned there's actually a surprising twist to the story, all to do with smart home device maker Nest. Plus, we discuss Jeff Bezos' plan to give away $2 billion to tackle homelessness and early childhood education and we take a look at the upcoming GeekWire Summit, our biggest event of the year.

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Live: Startup success stories

Fri, 14 Sep 2018 21:56:34 +0000

You've just founded a new company, and it's time to start pitching to investors and partners. What do you do? We go inside the story of two entrepreneurs in that position: Cassie Wallender of Invio and Kwame Boler of NEU, both winners in the first round of GeekWire's Elevator Pitch series.

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Amazon HQ2: One Year Later

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 13:00:00 +0000

One year ago today, Amazon announced it is searching for a city to host a second headquarters. This search has turned the tech world upside down in some ways -- it's pitted cities against each other and really shown us how much power Amazon weilds. So after all the time, where do we stand? And more importantly, what has this process told us about one of the most influential companies in the U.S.?

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Film to digital: Tech behind Cinerama

Mon, 03 Sep 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Seattle's Cinerama isn't just a movie theater. For more than 50 years, the cinema has been a center of technology and pop culture, associated with geeky classics from 2001: A Space Oddyssey to the latest Marvel movie. Tour the theater and hear about all the hidden tech that makes it possible on this episode of the GeekWire Popcast.

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Silicon Valley's Seattle secret

Fri, 31 Aug 2018 18:22:54 +0000

Silicon Valley investors are pouring more and more money into Seattle startups. So what's the secret behind this new influx of interest in Seattle's tech scene? We sit down with two experts from Silicon Valley Bank to talk through the numbers and trends around the startup world on this episode of the Week in Geek.

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LIVE: Community + the future of work

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 17:09:11 +0000

Coworking! Accelerators! Virtual offices! The nature of work -- and of workplaces -- is changing in the startup world and beyond, and so are the communities built around those workplaces. Join GeekWire Co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop for a conversation with The Riveter Founder and CEO Amy Nelson and ImpactHub Seattle leader Sarah Studer about the future of work and the communities around it. We'll also run down some of the biggest news stories of the week.

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Saga of the stolen plane

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 17:46:44 +0000

How was an airline employee with no known flying experience able to successfully steal a plane? Why did he want to do so? And what can be done to stop something like this from happening again? We tackle those questions on this special episode of the Week in Geek Podcast and share snippets of the man's rambling conversation with air traffic control as he does stunts and evades F15 fighter jets scrambled to prevent a potential disaster.

We also want to invite podcast listeners to a special meetup and live recording of the Week in Geek! The event is all about building community and takes place the evening of Thursday, August 23, in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. Go to geekwire.com/neighborhub for more details, and use the code "podcast" to get tickets for just $10.

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Creating masters of science fiction

Tue, 14 Aug 2018 13:00:00 +0000

One house in Seattle's University District is home to perhaps the most influential and least showy science fiction and fantasy hub in the world. It's called the Clarion West Writers Workshop, and its graduates are reshaping the world with bestselling novels, literary magazines, geeky museums and beyond.

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Can Amazon 'fix' healthcare?

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 00:01:27 +0000

The U.S. healthcare system needs to change. But how? Can the system be 'fixed' the way that Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase want to fix it with their new healthcare company? What would 'fixing' the system even look like? We explore answers to those questions on this episode of Health Tech.

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Judge blocks 3D printed gun blueprints

Fri, 03 Aug 2018 13:00:00 +0000

A lawsuit over 3D-printed guns took a turn this week when a judge blocked the release of blueprints that show how to make them — but the legal battle isn't over yet. Plus, Starbucks is teaming up with Amazon competitor Alibaba to deliver coffee in China. Can the retail giant find success overseas? And finally, grab your litter scoopers. There might just be valuable scientific data hiding in your pet's poop.

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Facebook's moment of reckoning?

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 22:06:19 +0000

Facebook agreed to stop letting advertisers exclude ethnic and religious groups from seeing certain ads on its platform this week, the same week that it lost roughly $120 billion this week as investors sold off stock. So is this a moment of reckoning for Facebook and other social media giants? Plus, we go inside Microsoft's Imagine Cup competition, where 49 students teams pitted advanced technology projects against each other.

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Facial recognition tech enters schools

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 13:00:00 +0000

It was quite a week for controversial news. First up: Would you let a facial recognition program track your kids at school? One tech dad is making it happen. Plus, scooter sharing company Bird seems to be planning a launch in Seattle, even though the company isn't allowed to put scooters in the city. GeekWire is also diving into homelessness with the #SeaHomeless campaign: This time around, we investigated how other cities are combating homelessness and what Seattle might learn from them.

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Week in Geek with Chairman Mom's Sarah Lacy

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Sarah Lacy is the founder and CEO of Chairman Mom, a subscription-based online community for working moms. She joins us to talk about the venture and sticks around to discuss the news of the week on this special Week in Geek episode. Other stories on the show: Lime's $335 million funding round and new scooter deal with Uber and the parallels between San Francisco and Seattle are becoming even more pronounced. Plus, on the Random Channel, the topic you've all been waiting for: The Incredibles 2.

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Best tech of 2018 (so far)

Fri, 06 Jul 2018 13:00:00 +0000

We're halfway through 2018, and that means it's time for our mid-year technoloyg roundup. On this episode we dig into three of our favorite new pieces of technology from the past six months.

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Controversy over 'why women don't code'

Tue, 03 Jul 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Why are women underrepresented in tech?

One answer to that question, offered by a University of Washington lecturer, has ignited a fierce debate in the tech industry. We sit down with Stuart Reges to discuss the ideas in his essay, "why women don't code." We also speak with diversity expert Ruchika Tulshyan about the pervasive gender gap in technology and the research into its causes.

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Amazon's $1B acquisition

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 13:00:00 +0000

It was a big week for Amazon. The company announced a new last-mile delivery service to rival FedEx and UPS, but with an interesting twist. It also announced a $1 billion acquisition: A company called PillPack that delivers drugs straight to customer's doors. Plus, we dive into a huge funding round from a startup you've probably never heard of.

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Hands-on with the Fire TV Cube

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Amazon is trying to get its Alexa voice assistant into as many homes as possible. Its latest offering: The Fire TV Cube, which essentially turns Alexa into a remote control. We try it out live on this episode. Plus, Oculus announced a new virtual reality TV app -- and some people are unimpressed -- and a report points to a new line of AirPods coming before the end of the year.

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Predicting the future with sci-fi

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Can science fiction help us predict -- and prepare for -- the future? How about helping us make better business decisions? Scout thinks so. The unique online magazine and futurist community connects innovators, technologists and science fiction writers to strategize for the near future. On this episode, we speak with Scout CEO and Editor in Chief Berit Anderson about the company's work.

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Amazon's health partnership gets a CEO

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway have finally picked a CEO for their ambitious health venture, and his background gives some interesting clues to his potential ideas. Plus, a lawsuit over a moving app could mean big consequences for the gig economy and we dive into tech's involvement in the controversial family separation polciy.

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Doctors Without Data

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 17:30:00 +0000

Dr. Dan Low wanted to know how his patients were doing on a new drug. Getting the data was so painful, he decided to found his own software company to make it easier. On this episode of Health Tech: Dan's journey from career doctor to startup CEO and back, and what his experience says about the state of healthcare data.

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Why the 'Amazon Tax' was repealed

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 13:00:00 +0000

The Seattle City Council voted to repeal the Head Tax, also called the 'Amazon Tax,' less than a month after it was put in place. The vote was surrounded by chaos and demonstrations from both sides of the issue -- some citizens were actually hauled out of Town Hall during the event. We'll explain exactly what happened, why it matters for tech companies around the country and where things stand with Seattle's huge homelessness problem.

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E3's biggest games

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 17:48:47 +0000

E3, the biggest gaming convention in the U.S., is starting with a bang this week. Geared Up co-host Andru Edwards is down in Los Angeles for the show and on this episode, we run down the big game announcements of the year from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo — including Xbox's push to have more exclusive titles. Plus, an intriguing new study on something most people want nothing to do with: Airport WiFi.

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Zillow wants to buy your home

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Right now you use Redfin and Zillow to find homes, but what if they wanted to buy your home? Plus, Amazon's new Fire Cube wants to make Alexa your remote control and Microsoft makes one of its biggest acquisitions ever, and some fun on the random channel.

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iOS 12 hands-on

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 13:00:00 +0000

iOS, Apple Watch, Siri, Oh my! Apple just wrapped up its annual Worldwide Developers Conference and this show is all about the new features the company is bringing to its most popular devices. We've been trying the new tricks on iOS 12, including some very goofy MeMojis, and will give you the rundown on what's cool and what's not so impressive. Plus, the new Mac OS Mojave and updates to the Watch OS and the Apple TV OS.

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AI vs. Cancer

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Su-In Lee's father passed away from incurable cancer. Now she's using her expertise in artificial intelligence to help cancer patients find the most effective treatment — based on their genetic data. On this episode, we follow Su-In's story and explore how precision medicine is increasingly using health data, AI and other technologies to fight diseases from cancer to Alzheimer's.

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Jeff Bezos: 'We will have to leave this planet'

Tue, 29 May 2018 13:48:20 +0000

On this special edition of the GeekWire podcast, the other side of Jeff Bezos. You may know him as the Amazon CEO, but he's also the founder of the Blue Origin space venture. He talked about his space ambitions this weekend at the National Space Society in conversation with Alan Boyle, GeekWire’s aerospace and science editor. It was a fascinating talk about the future of humanity with someone who is thinking -- and spending -- deeply to usher in a new era of space travel.

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The Seattle Art Museum's first CTO

Mon, 28 May 2018 16:12:03 +0000

Like thousands of others, Manish Engineer moved to Seattle recently to take a new technology job -- but instead of a tech startup or a giant like Amazon, his job is at the Seattle Art Museum. Manish is SAM's first Chief Technology Officer and it's his job to use technology to enhance the experience of fine art. We talk to him about his new role and how technology is impacting fine arts in this episode.

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Epic week for startup funding

Thu, 24 May 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Seattle startups raked in hundreds of millions of dollars this week. What's behind the flurry of big-dollar deals? Plus, a new service that lets you rent your car out, Airbnb-style, and Seattle's iconic Space Needle gets a makeover

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Mysterious new smartphone from Red

Wed, 23 May 2018 16:35:42 +0000

High-end camera maker Red unveiled a mysterious new smartphone this week, and Geared Up co-host Andru Edwards was there for the hands-on experience. He said the new phone has some cool features, but also some strange ones. Plus, Microsoft once again tries to take on Apple in the tablet arena and we get into the Hype around the Tesla Model 3. Andru ordered his Model 3 more than two years ago and is picking it up in just a few days.

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Tech, homelessness + the future of cities

Thu, 17 May 2018 16:46:08 +0000

The Seattle City Council passed a controversial tax on big businesses, prompting outcry from the city's tech giants and unearthing white-hot passion over the city's growth and homelessness crisis. The money raised will go towards building much-needed affordable housing, but it is may also make Amazon and other companies slow or stop growth in the city, maybe even reversing part of Seattle's tech boom. So what happens now? Can the tax make headway towards solving the city's problems? And would it really be all that bad if Amazon and other companies stopped adding new jobs? We debate on this episode of the Week In Geek.

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Lenovo Mirage Solo vs. Oculus Go hands-on

Wed, 16 May 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Two portable virtual reality headsets launched onto the stage in the past weeks: The highly affordable and convenient Oculus Go and the more sophisticated but pricey Lenovo Mirage Solo. So how do they compare? We go hands-on with both devices to find out on this episode. Plus, big news from the PC world with the launch of several new HP computers and a class-action lawsuit against Apple over the MacBook keyboard.

Enter our Geared Up Giveaway for a chance to win an Oculus Go headset! https://www.geekwire.com/2018/geared-podcast-head-head-reviews-oculus-go-lenovo-mirage-solo/

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Tech Spotlight: Nokia Health and ThinkPad X1

Thu, 10 May 2018 21:00:00 +0000

On this episode, we take a deep dive into two technologies that co-hosts Andru Edwards and Todd Bishop have been using lately. Andru gives us his take on two Nokia Health's smart devices and Todd tells us how he was lured back to using Windows by his new favorite PC. Plus, what is Apple doing with virtual reality?

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Azure head Scott Guthrie live from Microsoft Build

Tue, 08 May 2018 16:31:14 +0000

On this episode, we come to you live from Microsoft's annual Build developer's conference. We sit down with Scott Guthrie — the head of Microsoft's cloud and enterprise division — to talk intelligent edge, the future of cloud and more. We also speak with Mixed Reality GM and Studio Manager Lorraine Bardeen about Microsoft's path forward in virtual and mixed reality, particularly its emphasis on enterprise applications.

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Amazon vs. its hometown

Fri, 04 May 2018 13:00:00 +0000

The Seattle City Council is considering a tax on Amazon and other high-earning companies in the city — and the conflict over it got nasty this week. We explain it all on this episode. Plus, a Seattle-based startup wants to give you doctors appointments from your smartphone with help from an AI chatbot.

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Oculus Go: The future of VR?

Wed, 02 May 2018 16:41:06 +0000

The Oculus Go sprang onto shelves in a surprise launch Tuesday. Is the lower-power, portable VR headset the future of virtual reality? We debate on this episode. Plus: What the T-Mobile / Sprint merger means for wireless customers and Apple reports record-breaking iPhone sales in the first months of 2018.

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Sen. Maria Cantwell on tech and politics

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 23:18:09 +0000

Technology and politics are butting heads more than ever before. Issues like net neutrality and data privacy have stormed the national stage and Senator Maria Cantwell is in the middle of it all, from Mark Zuckerberg's hearing in Congress to the fight to restore net neutrality protections. We sit down with her to talk about all those issues on this episode of the GeekWire podcast.

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Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 21:12:32 +0000

If you only know Marvel from the movies, you don't really know Marvel. That's the sense you get when you enter the world-premiere exhibition at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, "Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes." On this episode, we take you on a tour through the exhibit with its curator, Ben Saunders, to get the inside story of Marvel's history, its impact on society and some of the incredible pieces on display.

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Lost and Founder with Rand Fishkin

Mon, 23 Apr 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Rand Fishkin is the co-founder and former CEO of Seattle technology company Moz, and in his seventeen years in the startup world, he's learned a thing or two about being an entrepreneur. He shares some of those stories — personal and professional — in his new book, Lost and Founder, out April 24. Rand joins us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to talk about his unwavering dedication to transparency, the lessons he's learned as a founder and even his recent departure from Moz to found a new company, SparkToro.

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Amazon cozies up with Best Buy

Fri, 20 Apr 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Amazon made a surprise move this week: A new partnership with Best Buy. It seems the age of the retail store is far from over. Plus, the company finally announced the number of Prime members it has: More than 100 million. And finally, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer holds the first-ever shareholders meeting for American taxpayers.

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The HomePod bust

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 16:32:22 +0000

Apple's HomePod smart speaker has been out for a while now — and it's clear the device is struggling in a competitive smart speaker market. What led to its demise?

Plus, Amazon reveals how they assign the preferred "Amazon's Choice" label to products, Apple is rumored to be entering the news business and how Xbox's backward compatibility might be the console's saving grace.

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The Facebook Crisis

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 13:00:00 +0000

The fallout around data privacy scandals has put Facebook in a tough spot. After CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent two days testifying before Congress, many are asking, what's next? And some say that next comes a big change in the tech economy. Plus, Uber is remaking its image after a scandal-filled year, thanks in no small part to its new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi.

On the Random Channel: The big Gmail redesign (it's interesting, we promise!) and some heart-warming hopscotch.

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TLDR: Mark Zuckerberg Testifies Before Congress

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

A look at GeekWire's new daily news show, TLDR. Subscribe to TLDR in your favorite podcast app for new episodes every weekday, or get the video version by subscribing to GeekWire's YouTube Page. If you're an Alexa fan, both the podcast and video are available on Echo devices.

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Get ready for 'parallel reality'

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 19:37:50 +0000

A new technology called "parallel reality" lets many different people see completely different content on the same screen, simultaneously, without goggles. So how does it work, and how could it change the world? On this episode of the Week in Geek, we talk with two of the founders of Misapplied Sciences, the company that has developed the technology, Chairman and CTO Paul Dietz, CEO Albert Ng. Plus, Amazon Go continues to be popular, and a new VR study warns about the impact of virtual reality on young kids.

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Geared Up: 'Locked into Greatness'

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 16:50:46 +0000

How should gadget fans think about privacy? Andru, for one, says growing concerns about data privacy with Amazon, Google and Facebook will be a boon for Apple and other companies that don't base their businesses on advertising revenue. But doesn't that mean you're locked in to Apple's ecosystem? "Yes – locked into greatness," he says. Listen to our privacy discussion on this week's episode, plus a first look at the new iPad and an update on Valve Steam Machine consoles.

Geared Up is brought to you by National Car Rental. Find Andru's Technically Speaking on the NationalCar.com control center or youtube.com/nationalcarrent.

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Emily Chang on 'Brotopia'

Mon, 02 Apr 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Silicon Valley is the birthplace of some of the most innovative companies in the world, but these days it’s also become infamous for something else. Bloomberg Technology host Emily Chang calls that something “Brotopia,” a culture that has built giants like Google and Facebook but has made the tech industry toxic and even dangerous for women and other minorities. Chang joins us to talk about her new book by the same name on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

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Trump vs. Amazon

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 20:45:02 +0000

President Trump is "obsessed" with Amazon, but not in the same way as the rest of us Prime members. A report that Trump is looking for ways to regulate the tech giant torched Amazon's stock this week, but is it all bluster or a serious threat? Plus, two Seattle-area tech companies file for their IPOs in the same week, and on the Random Channel, we say farewell one of this show's longest-running characters.

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Can Apple catch up in education?

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Apple announced a new $299 iPad aimed at schools this week, along with tons of other education products -- but will they give the company the edge to catch up with Google and Microsoft in ed tech? We pose that question to GeekWire contributor and ed tech expert Frank Catalano on this episode of Geared Up.

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Would you pay to use Facebook?

Fri, 23 Mar 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Facebook is reeling from the revelation that a British firm, Cambridge Analytica, improperly used millions of its users' data. #DeleteFacebook is trending and those in the tech world are closely watching how users react to the news. Can the tech giant turn a new leaf? What are we willing to give up for the convenience of tech platforms? And would paying for services like Facebook solve the problem?

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Apple in the classroom

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Apple announced a mysterious education event, hosted at a high school in Chicago. Is the company aiming to make a comeback in the education technology market? Plus, Apple is rumored to be making its own displays, Microsoft marches on with its always on PCs strategy and a new plan to make Alexa talk less.

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Cancer's tipping point, atop Mt. Everest

Mon, 19 Mar 2018 20:55:21 +0000

Cancer research and treatment is at a tipping point. Breakthrough science is helping patients live longer, healthier lives and even curing patients in desperate situations. That's why Seattle journalist Luke Timmerman is preparing to summit Mount Everest this spring, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in cancer research funds in the process.

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Totally 80s Rewind

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 13:00:00 +0000

This week, we take a trip back to the heyday of Walkmen and the Apple IIe. GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser got to visit the new, interactive 80s exhibit at the Living Computers Museum + Labs. Plus, a controversial lawsuit over the next generation of apples (not the computers, this time) and a new study sheds light on why so few female students go into tech roles.

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Hands on with the Galaxy S9

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 13:00:00 +0000

We get a hands-on review of the brand new Samsung Galaxy S9, set to launch Friday. Plus, Apple buys digital magazine service Texture and Andru gives us his take on Amazon's acquisition of smart home security company Ring -- and why it might be bad for consumers.

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Preserving 'web culture'

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 18:28:48 +0000

Memes, reaction GIFs and urban legends like Slenderman are all examples of a new culture developing in the U.S. and across the world -- one that's unique to the web. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we speak with two archivists from the Library of Congress that built the library's web culture archive to preserve elements of this culture and the unique communities that are growing online.

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Amazon: Savior or villain?

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 14:00:00 +0000

Is Amazon good for Seattle? That's the question a community forum asked this week, and the results point to the complex relationship Amazon has with the communities around it. Plus, Uber and Lyft are the latest tech companies to dive into healthcare and Amazon's Alexa voice assistant gives us a reason to laugh... or not.

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Making tech more diverse

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 16:49:12 +0000

It's International Women's Day, and in the tech world, the discussion about diversity, harassment and inclusion is coming more and more into the spotlight. What can companies and individuals do to make tech more welcoming for minorities and women? What is unconscious bias, and how can companies fight against it? We get into those questions with two diversity and humans relations experts: UniquelyHR Founder and CEO Mikaela Kiner and Apptio EVP of People and Culture Britt Provost.

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Common sense for AI

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 14:00:00 +0000

It was a big week for AI. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen put $125 million towards a new initiative to create "common sense" for AI that will help the technology get even smarter. Microsoft announced several AI-fueled healthcare technologies. On another note, Amazon came to an agreement to acquire smart home security company Ring.

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Tech tangles with the law

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 17:22:03 +0000

Tech's entanglements with the law were on full display this week. Washington and other states are fighting net neutrality rollbacks. Advocates across the political spectrum are criticizing Amazon's ask for government incentives in its HQ2 search, some calling it 'corporate wellfare.' Plus, wireless, over-the-air charging is close to being a reality and an app that could help in the battle on the opioid crisis.

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New phones from Sony and Samsung?

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 21:23:49 +0000

Sony and Samsung both hinted at -- or had leaks about -- upcoming smartphone releases. What are they up to? Plus, Andru gives us his take after using the Apple HomePod and Dyson is taking its vacuum cleaner business in a surprising new direction. Follow our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to live, behind-the-scenes recordings of Geared Up at youtube.com/gearlive

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MIT President on next-gen AI

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 20:38:37 +0000

Can studying human intelligence help us build smarter machines? Rafael Reif thinks so. He's the president of MIT and he spoke with us on this podcast about the university's efforts to expand our understanding of AI and build new technologies for the future of the field.

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Amazon layoffs explained

Fri, 16 Feb 2018 14:00:00 +0000

In a rare move, Amazon laid off 500 people this week. They also became the third most valuable company in the world. Plus, electric bike sharing and dealing with Saeattle's explosive growth.

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An optimistic future for cheap tech

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 00:34:34 +0000

What does the future look like when it comes to widespread, cheap technology? Thirteen-year Microsoft engineer, clean tech expert and science fiction author Ramez Naam thinks it's looking pretty good. We speak with Naam about his writing, the future of truly democratic technology and clean energy on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

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A tech renaissance

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 19:22:36 +0000

This week, the Week In Geek comes to you from GeekWire HQ2 in Pittsburgh. Amazon is pushing further Prime integration with Whole Foods and we dive into the tech renaissance happening in Pittsburgh and how the city is preparing for challenges that come along with a tech boom.

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Inside SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 20:57:20 +0000

SpaceX launched the most powerful rocket in operation this week, the Falcon Heavy. GeekWire's Alan Boyle was in Cape Canavral, Florida, for the launch and tells us about his experience and what it all means for the future of space travel.

Follow all Alan's space and aerospace coverage at GeekWire.com/space

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A 'tricorder' in your home: Lee Hood on the future of health technology

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 01:02:43 +0000

Technologies have drastically changed health and healthcare in the past 20 years and Lee Hood is one of the innovators behind those changes. We speak to the genetics and biology pioneer about how he brought engineering into biology and explore his vision for the future of health, tricorders and all. This is the final episode of our first season of Health Tech -- subscribe to the Health Tech podcast in your favorite podcast player to get notifications about our second season.

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Inside the Amazon Spheres

Fri, 02 Feb 2018 14:00:00 +0000

Amazon finally opened its Spheres building this week, a greenhouse-office hybrid that gives its employees a new, plant-filled workspace. The company also announced it is teaming up with JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway to create a new healthcare company. Plus, a plan to transform cities as technology radically changes transportation.

Follow all our coverage and read more about the stories we talk about on this episode at GeekWire.com

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Is Apple canceling the iPhone X?

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 14:00:00 +0000

Rumors abounded this week that Apple is canceling the iPhone X, which isn't exactly true. Plus, a smart bicycle hub, new details on the Apple HomePod and the $500 flamethrower that one of our hosts just pre-ordered. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to see our live behind-the-scenes videos at YouTube.com/gearlive

Follow this link to enter our latest Geared Up Giveaway, the in-car Alexa Muse device: https://gleam.io/ic6qR/muse-incar-amazon-alexa-giveaway

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A $9 billion biotech deal

Fri, 26 Jan 2018 14:00:00 +0000

One of the most prominent immunotherapy companies, Juno Therapeutics, announced a deal to be acquired by Celgene. Plus, we dive into the tech renaissance in Pittsburgh and complain about Seattle's bike lanes. Read all our coverage at GeekWire.com.

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The tech behind Amazon Go

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 14:00:00 +0000

Amazon Go, which opened Monday, is the convenience store version of Amazon.com: A store with no checkout lines that automatically tracks everything you grab off the shelves. We go inside the tech that powers the store on this episode. Plus, top-line triple-A games are coming to the Xbox Game Pass and Apple finally sets a release date for the Home Pod. Read all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live, behind-the-scenes videos at youtube.com/gearlive

You can also enter our latest Geared Up Giveaway to win an in-car Alexa Muse device by following this link: geekwire.com/gearedupgiveaway

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Analysis: Amazon's HQ2 short list

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 20:25:31 +0000

Amazon announced 20 cities that have made the short list for its second headquarters. We analyze the list and each city's chances of winning the $5 billion project on this special episode of the Week In Geek. Read all our coverage of Amazon's HQ2 search at GeekWire.com

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Google's answer to the Echo Show

Wed, 17 Jan 2018 14:00:00 +0000

CES created all kinds of news, from the groundbreaking to the just plain whacky. We go over everything you need to know on this episode of Geared up, including: The Google Assistant devices squaring off against the Echo Show; A toilet with Alexa built in; and an autonomous delivery vehicle. See more of our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos at YouTube.com/GearLive

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Steve Ballmer on basketball and the American dream

Mon, 15 Jan 2018 17:59:31 +0000

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer hasn't exactly had a quiet retirement. His projects include being the owner of the LA Clippers, running his own philanthropy and founding USA Facts, a project that uses government data to inform how to improve the lives of American children. We talk to him about all those projects in this special interview. See more from the event and follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com

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Our ping-pong robot overlords

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 14:00:00 +0000

We check in with GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser live from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. His highlight so far? Beating a ping-pong robot. In other news, one of Seattle's biggest private tech companies, Avvo, was acquired this week and tech startup funding reaches levels higher than the dot com boom. Plus, we don't talk about Oprah. Follow all our coverage and read this week's stories at GeekWire.com

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Live from CES: Voice assistant mania

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 20:43:35 +0000

Andru is live at CES in Las Vegas and he tunes in for a special report on what's going on at the world's biggest tech show: Voice assistant mania, giant 8K TVs and an apocalyptic rainstorm.

We're still giving away an Echo Spot to a Geared Up subscriber! Enter here: geni.us/WinEchoSpot

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Health Tech: Health's AI revolution

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 22:34:23 +0000

The health world faces a lot of challenges, and oftentimes it also knows the answer to those challenges -- it just needs some help putting the pieces together. That's where artificial intelligence comes in. On this episode of Health Tech, we dive into how health is using AI to solve some of its biggest problems. Follow all our health and technology coverage at GeekWire.com

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Meltdown and Spectre explained

Sat, 06 Jan 2018 14:00:00 +0000

There are two fatal flaws in computer processors that hold up much of the tech world: Meltdown and Spectre. On this episode, we explain what these flaws mean for tech systems and devices and how worried people should really be. Follow all our enterprise and cloud tech coverage and read more about this story at GeekWire.com/cloud

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Microsoft's giant health investment

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 14:00:00 +0000

Washington State is suing Motel 6 after the hotel chain shared customers' personal data with federal immigration authorities. Plus, Microsoft makes a big investment in an AI-fueled health test that could screen dozens of diseases at once. That and more on this episode of the Week In Geek. Follow all our coverage and read more about this week's stories at GeekWire.com

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The iPhone Battery Scandal

Wed, 03 Jan 2018 17:58:12 +0000

Apple is under fire after iPhone users discovered the company meddled with the device's performance as their batteries slowed down. Plus, a preview of all the tech and gadgets to watch for at CES and a chance to win a brand new Echo Spot. Follow this URL for details on how to enter the giveaway: http://geni.us/WinEchoSpot

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The Year In Geek

Fri, 29 Dec 2017 14:00:00 +0000

It's been a big year for the tech world. The industry endured repeated clashes with the Trump Administration and saw the rise of Amazon as the company made two of its biggest moves yet. We analyze the Year In Geek on this episode and also make some predictions about what's to come in 2018. Follow all our coverage and read more about this week's stories at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors: Winshuttle (Winshuttle.com) Hughes Marino (hughesmarino.com) Kinects (kinectstower.com) And the University of Washington's Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (foster.uw.edu/msentre)

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The best tech of 2017

Tue, 26 Dec 2017 14:00:00 +0000

We've seen it all this year on Geared Up, from super-powerful consoles to super-goofy camera glasses. On this episode, we celebrate our first full year as a podcast with a roundup of the best tech from 2017 — and a few of the worst flops. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

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Magic Leap revealed

Fri, 22 Dec 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Secretive, super-rich startup Magic Leap finally revealed its first product: An augmented reality headset that throws it into competition with Microsoft’s HoloLens. Plus, we explain the science behind a new “universal” flu vaccine and play a round with the new Echo Buttons. Follow all our coverage and read more about this week's stories at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors: Winshuttle (Winshuttle.com) Hughes Marino (hughesmarino.com) Kinects (kinectstower.com) And the University of Washington’s Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (foster.uw.edu/msentre)

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'Uncarrier' TV

Wed, 20 Dec 2017 14:00:00 +0000

T-Mobile has big plans, and right now they plan to completely disrupt the cable TV market. We dive into the details of their plan on this episode, along with our review of the Muse, a new in-car Alexa device, and an overview of the Echo Spot release. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

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Our AI future

Mon, 18 Dec 2017 19:18:26 +0000

Artificial intelligence is threatening jobs and reshaping lives everywhere. What can we do about it? What will our AI future look like? We ask Oren Etzioni, CEO of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, whohas some creative ideas for handling challenges AI brings. Follow all our coverage and read more about AI and robotics at GeekWire.com

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Net Neutrality Showdown

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 14:00:00 +0000

The FCC voted to overturn net neutrality protections — and Washington State is taking the decision to court. What does it all mean for the average person? Plus, T-Mobile is getting into the TV streaming business and we geek out over Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Follow all our coverage and read more about this week's stories at GeekWire.com

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Gates Foundation CEO on 'awesome' 2017

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Natural disasters. Deep social divisions. Most people would say 2017 wasn't a good year. But Sue Desmond-Hellmann, CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, says 2017 was "an awesome year" for global health and U.S. education. We hear why on this episode of the GeekWire podcast. Follow all our coverage and read more about this week's stories at GeekWire.com

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Shazam! Apple's $400M acquisition

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 23:27:36 +0000

Apple acquired Shazam for about $400 million, and they might have some ambitious plans for the company's tech. Plus, Microsoft debuts the phone-like Always Connected PC and Alexa knows a new trick, plus some tunes. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

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Seattle and Silicon Valley meet the UK

Sun, 10 Dec 2017 20:15:55 +0000

Andrew Whittaker is the British Consul General representing the United Kingdom in Northern California, Oregon, Washington and other portions of the Western United States. He has a particular interest in the technology industry, serving previously as Deputy Director of CERT, the UK’s national cybersecurity team.

On a recent visit to Seattle, he sat down with GeekWire to answer questions about many of the pressing issues of the day: the impact of Brexit on U.S. companies doing business in the UK; the different regulatory approaches in the US and UK on issues including drones and net neutrality; the changes coming next year through the General Data Protection Regulation in Europe; the UK's approach to drone regulation, and much more.

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

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And the University of Washington’s Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (foster.uw.edu/msentre)

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Elon Musk's race to Mars

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 20:03:33 +0000

Is Elon Musk really going to shoot his Tesla Roadster into space? How is Space X's plan for global satellite internet going? And what does this week's Sunday Night Football game have to do with Galilean Transformations? That and much more on this episode of the Week In Geek. Follow all our coverage and read more about this week's stories at GeekWire.com

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CVS, Aetna and healthcare's 'mass freak-out'

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 00:24:19 +0000

Amazon might start selling prescription drugs online — and it's causing a "mass freak-out" among the healthcare industry. One result: drugstore chain CVS brough Aetna, a health insurance company. We analyze the trends behind the deal and ask: Are they going to be good for patients?

Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation

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Tech at the symphony

Mon, 04 Dec 2017 17:41:07 +0000

Orchestras are built on technology that goes back hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years. How do you bring that tradition into the modern age? We go behind the scenes with Seattle Symphony's tech-powered multisensory performances, featuring stars like the Harry Potter movies. Follow all our tech coverage and read more about geek culture at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

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Kinects (kinectstower.com)

And the University of Washington’s Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (foster.uw.edu/msentre)

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Our lunch with Anthony Bourdain

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 17:09:51 +0000

GeekWire editors Todd Bishop and John Cook had lunch with Anthony Bourdain. Here's what happened. Plus: Microsoft's big HQ1 remodel, Big Fish games is sold for almost $1 billion and a scheme to dupe the Washington Post backfires big time. Follow all our coverage and read more about this week's stories at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

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Health Tech: Disrupting healthcare from the inside

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 21:44:48 +0000

Tech is all about disruption. Healthcare is about slow and steady change. How do you merge those worlds? For Mike McSherry and Mary Haggard, the answer was to innovate form the inside out. Mary runs Providence St. Joseph Health's startup incubator and Mike is the founder and CEO of Xealth, its first spinout. We hear about their work to change the healthcare system from the inside on this live Health Tech episode.

Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation

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Holiday gadget disappointments

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 01:22:39 +0000

We’re excited about a lot of gadgets this gift-giving season, but this week we learned some of them won’t make it home in time for the holidays. We give you some alternatives to delayed gadgets and also assess Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Plus, Todd’s review after two weeks of using the Amazon Cloud Cam. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

Winshuttle (Winshuttle.com)

Hughes Marino (hughesmarino.com)

Kinects (kinectstower.com)

And the University of Washington’s Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (foster.uw.edu/msentre)

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Making vintage computers work again

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Mainframes and supercomputers from the 60s were once sold as scrap metal. Now, some of them are operational again, thanks to the work by Seattle’s Living Computers Museum + Labs. We tour the museum and labs with its director, Lath Carlson, to learn how the organization restores computers of the past and introduces visitors to technology of the future. Follow all our tech coverage and read more about geek culture at GeekWire.com

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Tech holiday gift guide

Mon, 20 Nov 2017 22:14:31 +0000

The holidays are just around the corner, and there are tons of gadgets that would make the perfect gift. From kid’s gaming to practical gadgets for the home, we give you our tech recommendations for this year’s gift-giving season — plus a few tips to help your wallet. Check out more tech coverage and find links to all the gadgets we reccomended on this episode at GeekWire.com/GearedUp

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Hacking smart home devices

Fri, 17 Nov 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Hackers found a way to turn off Amazon's smart Cloud Cam this week, raising concerns about the security of smart home devices. Plus, a service that gives "ugly" fruits and vegetables a chance to show how tasty they are and a company looking to bring Wifi to a bust stop near you. Follow all our coverage and read more about this week's stories at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

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Kinects (kinectstower.com)

And the University of Washington’s Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (foster.uw.edu/msentre)

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Amazon's smart camera

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 18:52:08 +0000

Amazon's Cloud Cam is the company's first smart home camera, but can it shape up to a tough field of competition? Plus, we debate the pros and cons of VR entertainment in light of HTC's new wireless headset, the focus. We also get Andru's take on the Xbox One X and iPhone X as he returns from a whirlwind few weeks away from the show. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

Winshuttle (Winshuttle.com)

Hughes Marino (hughesmarino.com)

Kinects (kinectstower.com)

And the University of Washington's Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (foster.uw.edu/msentre)

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Lessons from the Bushmen

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 19:13:19 +0000

The Bushmen of southern Africa thrived for over one hundred thousand years with only a minimal level of technology. James Suzman, an anthropologist and author who studies their society, tells us what we can learn from this tech-free world and how their way of life could hold solutions to problems caused by social media and artificial intelligence. Follow all our coverage and read more about this episode at GeekWire.com

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Bots disrupt a pivotal election

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Bots and others spread false information about a pivotal election via social media. We interviewed Steven Soderbergh about his new app/movie/TV show hybrid. Plus, Twitter goes to 280, and not everyone is happy about it. Follow all our coverage and read more about this week's stories at GeekWire.com

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Xbox One X hands-on review

Tue, 07 Nov 2017 23:50:58 +0000

Microsoft launched the most powerful gaming console ever on Tuesday. But is it really worth $500? We’ve been testing the Xbox One X for over a week and we report our findings on this episode. We'll also share some takeaways from our first few days with the much anticipated iPhone X. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

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Hughes Marino (hughesmarino.com)

Kinects (kinectstower.com)

And the University of Washington’s Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (foster.uw.edu/msentre)

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The Grind

Tue, 07 Nov 2017 01:03:32 +0000

Can job interviews be inherently biased? How do you network in the tech world? Should you always have a career plan or play things by ear? Those are just a few of the questions that Marc Casale, founder and co-host of podcast The Grind, is trying to answer. To do so, he's telling the stories of four students studying in STEM through the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship. We hear more on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

Follow all our coverage of tech, business and more at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

Winshuttle (Winshuttle.com)

Hughes Marino (hughesmarino.com)

Kinects (kinectstower.com)

And the University of Washington’s Master of Science in Entrepreneurship (foster.uw.edu/msentre)

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Twitter & Facebook vs. Congress

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Should tech companies take responsibility for how people use their products? That's the question Congress is facing as it questions Twitter, Facebook and Google over Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. Plus, Amazon's new augmented reality shopping feature ignites strong opinions, both pro and con.

Follow all our coverage and read more about this week's stories at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors: Winshuttle, the SAP data management experts — learn more atWinshuttle.com; Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company — learn more at hughesmarino.com; and Kinects, Seattle’s iconic new high-rise apartment tower — learn more at kinectstower.com.

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Health Tech: The Quadfather

Wed, 01 Nov 2017 17:30:34 +0000

Todd Stabelfeldt is a pretty chill dude — he's funny, loves his dogs and is a wizard programmer. He also happens to be quadriplegic. He uses technology like Apple's Siri voice assistant and smart home devices to give him a new level of independence and control over his life. On this episode, we step — or roll — into Todd’s world and see technology through his eyes.

Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation

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Xbox One X — first look

Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:43:22 +0000

We got our hands on the Xbox One X before the console’s release. We can’t say much yet, but there are definitely some noteworthy features. Plus, it’s just a few days from the iPhone X launch day. We tell you what to expect and where to go if you haven’t pre-ordered one yet. And finally, we take the brand new Kindle Oasis for a swim.

Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week's sponsors: Winshuttle, the SAP data management experts — learn more at Winshuttle.com; and Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now in Seattle — learn more at hughesmarino.com.

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Amazon wants a Key to your house

Fri, 27 Oct 2017 17:24:15 +0000

Amazon’s new Key service and Cloud Cam camera lets the company deliver packages straight into your front hall, but does it push privacy boundaries too far? Plus, we say a sad goodbye to the Microsoft Kinect and wander into the world of tech conspiracy theories. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

Winshuttle, the SAP data management experts — learn more at Winshuttle.com; Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle — learn more at hughesmarino.com; and Kinects, Seattle’s iconic new high-rise apartment tower — learn more at kinectstower.com.

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Play ball! A 'smart' game ball

Thu, 26 Oct 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Most tech is designed to attract your attention, sit you down in front of a screen and keep you there. Not this gadget. The Play Impossible Gameball is packed with tech like Bluetooth, accelerometers and more, and the whole point is to make users more active. We have some fun testing the balls out on this week's episode, with special guest Taylor Soper, GeekWire's Sports Tech reporter. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

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S-Town creator Brian Reed

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 17:21:20 +0000

Podcasts are having a heyday, and perhaps no series showcases the creative scope and impact of podcasts as well as S-Town. The series is designed like a novel, tells a deeply personal and complex story like public radio and was released all at once in the style of Netflix. We sit down with the host, producer and creator of S-Town, Brian Reed, to hear about how the series came about and what makes it unique. For more coverage, visit us at GeekWire.com

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AG Bob Ferguson on tech and the law

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 23:38:17 +0000

The tech industry has a complicated relationship with the law, and Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has a front-row seat to that relationship. Immigration, corporate regulation and privacy all impact tech companies, and not always in the same way. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, our Civic Innovation Editor Monica Nickelsburg talks to AG Ferguson about all those issues as well as how his office is taking on President Trump. See more coverage of tech and civics at GeekWire.com

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Streaming, podcasts and a new era of "radio"

Sun, 22 Oct 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Tech is having an impact on all walks of life -- including the arts. On this episode we dive into how tech is changing radio as we know it. Radio listenership is strong as ever, particularly when you take into account online streams and podcasts. But how is that tech shift changing radio, from classical music to news?

Follow all our coverage and see more on geek culture at GeekWire.com

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Would you rent used clothes?

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 13:00:00 +0000

The sharing economy has changed a lot of things, but could a company make renting specialized clothes a thing? Plus, we look back on Amazon’s HQ2 journey as its calls for proposals close and giggle about some rather unoriginal Silicon Valley “innovations.” Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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Alexa hits the road

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Amazon and Garmin have teamed up to bring Alexa into any car on the road with a tiny windshield device. Plus, Andru has a bone to pick with the new waterproof Kindle Oasis, Microsoft announces its new Surface Book 2 series and we check in with Andru's new iPhone 8. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson: How tech is transforming retail

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 00:20:31 +0000

Some people know Kevin Johnson from his years as a high-ranking executive at Microsoft. Some know him from his tenure as the CEO of Juniper Networks, a network technology company. So it might seem strange that Johnson is now the president and CEO of Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee chain. Johnson spoke to GeekWire Editor Todd Bishop at the 2017 GeekWire Summit about his new role and how technology is transforming the brick-and-mortar retail industry. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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GeekWire Summit backstage: Satya Nadella, HQ2 and more

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 17:47:55 +0000

The 2017 GeekWire summit was our biggest yet, with keynoters including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson and influential tech executives and thought leaders from around the country, including executives at Amazon. We lift the curtain and talk about our favorite moments on stage and behind the scenes on this episode of the Week In Geek. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on leadership, cricket and the future of tech

Thu, 12 Oct 2017 23:09:02 +0000

Satya Nadella is the CEO of Microsoft, one of the most powerful and far-reaching technology companies in the world. He’s both a great corporate leader and a powerful thought leader when it comes to technology. But he’s also a father to a child with severe disabilities, a huge cricket fan and more than anything, he’s pretty funny in front of a crowd. GeekWire Editor Todd Bishop sat down with Satya during the 2017 GeekWire Summit for a discussion ranging from leadership to cricket to the future of technology, and we're sharing their conversation on this episode. For more coverage of the Summit, go to GeekWire.com and keep an eye open for more podcasts featuring Summit speakers.

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Could China overtake the U.S. in AI?

Thu, 12 Oct 2017 18:41:48 +0000

Baidu is most well known as a Chinese search engine giant. But the company, along with other tech behemoths in China and the U.S., is making a big investment in artificial intelligence. On this episode, we speak with Baidu president Ya-Qin Zhang about the transformative power of AI, Baidu’s vision for the future of the space and how China is set up to compete with the U.S. in AI innovation. The conversation was part of the 2017 GeekWire Summit — see more coverage of the event at GeekWire.com

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Health Tech: How tech is reinventing doctor's appointments

Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Getting a doctor's appointment can be a pain. It's why people often put them off for far longer than they should, sometimes making their health much worse. Mark Long is trying to fix that. He's the VP of digital innovation at Providence St. Joseph Health, and he's developing technology like virtual doctor's visits and house calls that are as easy as calling an Uber. We speak to Mark on this episode of GeekWire's Health Tech podcast.

Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation

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Seattle's Hail Mary for Amazon HQ2

Fri, 06 Oct 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Amazon is looking for a second home -- and it’s first home is jumping into the mix. Well, kind of. The Seattle region unveiled its proposal for Amazon HQ2 Thursday, and it didn’t exactly impress (or actually involve Seattle). Plus, Microsoft brings the Edge browser to iOS and Android and a video game that puts you in control of Fake News. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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First take on the Google Pixel 2

Wed, 04 Oct 2017 22:09:45 +0000

Google announced a bunch of new hardware today, including the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, a Pixelbook laptop, two new smarthome devices and a tiny, AI-fueled camera. We break down all the news and see where the devices stack up in the pre-holiday device lineup of smartphones, smart speakers and more. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

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Why this techie is selling his Essential Phone on eBay

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 12:00:00 +0000

The Essential Phone was hyped as a breakout new Android device, without the bells and whistles of competitors. As it turns out, those bells and whistles were pretty important for Aaron Bird, a Seattle entrepreneur who bought the phone. Learn what Aaron thought and why he's giving the phone up on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com

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Preserving Pop Culture

Sun, 01 Oct 2017 13:00:00 +0000

We all love pop culture artifacts: the guitar used by a favorite artist or costumes from a blockbuster sci-fi series. Melinda Simms and Brooks Peck have the undeniably awesome job of preserving and displaying those artifacts. We go behind the scenes of Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture with Simms and Peck on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast. Follow all our coverage and see more on geek culture at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

The University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering department -- learn more at hcde.washington.edu; Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle -- learn more at hughesmarino.com; and Kinects, Seattle’s iconic new high-rise apartment tower -- learn more at kinectstower.com.

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Satya Nadella's new book

Fri, 29 Sep 2017 15:34:20 +0000

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gives the public a peek inside his life and his role at the company in his new book, Reply All. So what did it teach us about Microsoft and where the company is heading? Plus, we recount our scouting mission to Microsoft's secretive office in the small town of Silverdale, Wash., and Bill Gates' comments this week on the state of foreign aid, global health and skepticism towards science. Plus, Twitter gives us twice as much tweet. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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Is there an Echo in here?

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 00:27:25 +0000

Yes -- several, in fact! In a classic surprise move, Amazon announced half-dozen new Echo devices on Wednesday. Some of them seem useful, inexpensive and impressively designed, but some just seem silly. We break it all down on this episode of Geared Up. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

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Why your “personal” data is anything but

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 22:52:30 +0000

Personal data used to be something we could control easily -- but now digital services, websites and even the government are collecting our personal data at an unprecedented rate. How can we protect it? And what rules should be in place to keep personal data private? We discuss with Washington State Chief Privacy Officer Alex Alben on this episode of the GeekWire podcast. Follow all our tech coverage, including coverage of privacy and cybersecurity, at GeekWire.com

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Lessons from a transportation nightmare

Fri, 22 Sep 2017 22:19:46 +0000

What’s the best way to beat the nightmarish traffic in Seattle? We decided to find out. GeekWire reporters raced a car, ride shares, a bike, a high-tech skateboard and the good old bus system to find the most effective way through rush-hour traffic, and share our take-aways on this episode of the Week In Geek. Also on this episode: A new biotech HQ built to destroy cancer, the Seattle Sounders ditch Ticketmaster, and Microsoft opens a mysterious office in a town outside Seattle. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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Google's Nest takes on smart home security

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 22:36:18 +0000

Nest, a Google-owned smart device company, announced tons of new products this week and when you put them all together, you can make a smart home security system. Plus, Google’s weird $1 billion deal with HTC, a new lamp that comes with Alexa inside and upset over the new Apple Watch 3. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

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That's money! Tech funding trends with Pitchbook's John Gabbert

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 17:30:59 +0000

Want to know something about anything? Follow the money, and see where it goes. That's what we do on this episode of the GeekWire podcast with Pitchbook founder and CEO John Gabbert, who is elbow-deep in the finances that fuel the tech world. We'll dive into venture funding, unicorns, IPOs and much more. Read more and follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com

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Amazon's one-click patent

Fri, 15 Sep 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Amazon's "one-click patent" is about to expire -- it's a classic example of why the U.S. patenting process doesn't mesh with tech. We discuss on this episode of the Week In Geek. Plus: What we know so far about the huge Equifax hack, Seattle's proposed Air BnB tax and we dive into the world of Kubernetes, the hottest thing in cloud tech. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

The University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more: www.hcde.washington.edu; and Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more: hughesmarino.com

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Health Tech: Using data and crowdsourcing to fight cancer

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:19:51 +0000

Dr. Tony Blau saw a big problem with cancer treatment: we can’t make sense of all the data we can gather. So he founded a startup that connects experts, doctors and patients to sort through their data and build an ever-smarter cancer database. We speak with Blau on this episode of GeekWire’s Health Tech podcast. For more Health Tech stories visit GeekWire.com/healthtech.

Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation

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The Global Innovation Exchange

Wed, 13 Sep 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Two years ago, the University of Washington and China's premier tech school, Tsinghua University, announced a first-of-its kind project: The Global Innovation Exchange. It's an innovative new approach to teaching entrepreneurship and it's approaching its official launch. On this episode of the GeekWire podcast, we speak with GIX Co-Director and UW's VP of innovation strategy Vikram Jandhyala about the new project and how it's setting out to disrupt the innovation economy. Follow all our coverage and learn more about GIX at GeekWire.com

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Geared Up: The iPhone X

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 23:12:18 +0000

Apple *finally* revealed its new iPhone lineup, after what feels like a year of hype, leaks and rumors. It's premium device: The iPhone X (as in the roman numeral ten, not the letter "x"). We geek out on all the new tech packed into the phone and break down what sets it apart from the iPhone 8 and 8 plus, also announced today. Plus, a new Apple Watch and upgrades to Apple TV. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

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Analysis: Amazon's second headquarters

Fri, 08 Sep 2017 23:17:27 +0000

Amazon surprised everyone Thursday morning when it announced it is looking to build a second headquarters in a city in North America. The news has big implications for Seattle, Amazon’s home, as well as cities around the country that are already lining up to woo the tech giant. We break down the news, what it means for Seattle and where we think Amazon will go next on this episode. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors: The University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more: www.hcde.washington.edu; and Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more: hughesmarino.com

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Hot take: Amazon's second headquarters

Thu, 07 Sep 2017 18:14:49 +0000

Amazon made a surprise announcement Thursday morning: The tech giant is seeking a new city to build a second headquarters that will cost roughly $5 billion and employ 50,000 people. GeekWire editor John Cook joined KIRO's Seattle Morning News to discuss the announcement, what it means for Seattle and where the second headquarters could go. We'll do an in-depth analysis of the news on our Week In Geek podcast on Friday, and also read our coverage of the news at GeekWire.com

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Axios journalist Ina Fried on the future of tech

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 20:06:44 +0000

Ina Fried is a veteran tech journalist, having served stints at outlets including Re/code, CNET and All Things Digital. She's now the chief technology correspondent for a new news organization, Axios. On this episode of the GeekWire podcast, we sit down with Ina to discuss the future of tech, the divide between Seattle and Silicon Valley and how journalism is adapting to a new digital landscape. Follow all our coverage and analysis of the tech world at GeekWire.com

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How SciFi's silo is expanding

Mon, 04 Sep 2017 13:00:00 +0000

When we think of old-school science fiction, novels about aliens and ray guns are top of mind. But these days, what counts as SciFi is rapidly changing. From more diverse creators to mediums including video games, there's more SciFi around now than ever before. On this episode of our special SciFi and arts series, we hear from noted author and president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Cat Rambo about the state of science fiction. Follow all our coverage and see more on geek culture at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors: The University of Washington's Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more: www.hcde.washington.edu; and Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more: hughesmarino.com

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Uber's CEO surprise

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 01:14:00 +0000

Surprise! Uber's new CEO is none other than GeekWire regular Dara Khosrowshahi. He's well known in Seattle as the longtime CEO of Expedia, and on this episode we talk about how he'll fit in at the embattled ride-hailing company he now leads. Plus, major steps in the fight against cancer, an inspiring bike ride and the mess of Seattle's sloppy intersections. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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Alexa and Cortana are hooking up

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 20:25:17 +0000

Amazon and Microsoft announced a surprise partnership this week: their smart assistants Alexa and Cortana are now buddies and can call on each other to do tasks. Plus, we test out Alexa’s latest trick: multi-room audio. We also hear the sordid tale of Kanoa earbuds and the unwitting role Andru played in the fallout of the company closing. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

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Analysis: Amazon slashes Whole Foods prices

Mon, 28 Aug 2017 20:39:10 +0000

It’s official: Amazon closed its acquisition of Whole Foods Monday and immediately rolled out big price cuts at the traditionally pricy grocery retailer. We tell you what we saw in Whole Foods stores Monday and just how much the changes will impact your wallet on this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast. Follow all our coverage of Amazon and other tech at GeekWire.com

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Random Channel: The best burgers in Seattle?

Sun, 27 Aug 2017 13:00:00 +0000

On this episode, we have some fun — and a fierce debate about burgers. Join the GeekWire crew for our watercooler segment, the Random Channel, a regular feature on our Week In Geek podcast. If you like it, let us know at podcast@geekwire.com and listen to the Week In Geek every Friday for more.

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Amazon reveals its Whole Foods plan

Fri, 25 Aug 2017 16:39:36 +0000

Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods will close Monday, and the tech giant has promised to immediately start slashing prices. Meanwhile, back on the ranch, Google and Walmart are teaming up to take on Amazon’s new grocery presence. So who will come out ahead in the great grocery race? Plus, a study on how we use apps and a report on Seattle’s latest bike sharing service, Ofo. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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Geared Up: All about the new Galaxy Note 8

Thu, 24 Aug 2017 21:16:52 +0000

Samsung unveiled its newest Galaxy Note phone in New York this week. Geared Up co-host Andru Edwards was at the event and phones in to give us his impression of the high-end device -- spoiler alert: it's packed with a TON of cool tech. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

The University of Washington's Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more: www.hcde.washington.edu; and Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more: hughesmarino.com

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The 'golden age' of sci-fi with best-selling author Greg Bear

Mon, 21 Aug 2017 23:13:29 +0000

Some of the top films, TV shows and books today are what was once called “genre fiction,” like sci-fi and fantasy. So is it a golden age for the geeky arts? Or is this mainstream-ization of geek culture more ominous? We explore that question with renowned sci-fi author Gret Bear in the first episode of our special pop-culture podcast series, hosted by Frank Catalano. Follow all our coverage and see more on Geek Culture at GeekWire.com

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The Week In Geek: Scary Smart Tech

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 13:30:00 +0000

Some tech is too smart for its own good. On this episode of The Week In Geek: an AI bot that can beat some of the best gamers in the world and how hackers could use smart devices to spy on us. Plus, tech that replaces medical equipment and disrupts dozens of industries. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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How to make the most of the solar eclipse

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 19:38:50 +0000

On August 21, the mainland United States will see its first total solar eclipse in 38 years. We talk with GeekWire Space and Science editor Alan Boyle about the importance of the eclipse, the science behind it and how you can make the most of it in this GeekWire podcast special. Follow all of Alan’s eclipse coverage at geekwire.com/space

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Geared Up: Massive leak reveals iPhone 8 specs

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 00:15:18 +0000

Apple accidentally leaked tons of information on the next iPhone this week. So what do we know about the much anticipated smartphone? Plus, we review the T-Mobile Revvl, a $125 smartphone that stands up to the likes of the iPhone 6. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

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Health Tech: Former Amazon exec bringing tech insights to healthcare

Wed, 16 Aug 2017 17:15:32 +0000

Everyone has an opinion on healthcare and think they know the one thing that will “solve” the system. Tech companies and innovators are no different -- but many who jump into healthcare find it’s not as straightforward as they thought. On this episode of Health Tech, we speak with Aaron Martin, a former VP at Amazon who is now bringing innovation into healthcare as an executive and tech leader at Providence St. Joseph Health. We get his take on the role and the common pitfalls of tech in health, and how innovators can have a real impact in the system.

Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group sponsors this inaugural season of our Health Tech podcast and this episode was recorded live at Providence headquarters in Seattle. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation

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Week in Geek: Streaming wars, e-sports tournaments and burgers

Fri, 11 Aug 2017 02:17:24 +0000

Disney and Facebook are taking on Netflix with their own TV streaming services. We get a glimpse inside The International, the giant e-sports tournament held in Seattle. And we talk *at length* about our favorite burgers. All that and more on this episode of the Week In Geek. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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Tech meets politics with WTIA CEO Michael Schutzler

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 16:54:33 +0000

Tech companies doesn’t always get along well with politicians — or with each other, for that matter. It’s Michael Schutzler’s job to be the go-between, bringing together a huge range of Washington tech companies and politicians to make sure the industry can thrive. We dive into issues like paid family medical leave, immigration and the state of Washington’s tech in this episode of the GeekWire podcast. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com

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Geared Up Trivia: Win an Echo Show!

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 16:45:58 +0000

Think you know your tech trivia? We’ll put it to the test on this short-but-sweet episode of Geared Up. Listen for a chance to win an Echo Show, the first Alexa-powered device with a touchscreen, as well as a chance to make a virtual guest appearance on a future episode of Geared Up. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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Microsoft bets its future on AI

Fri, 04 Aug 2017 16:26:46 +0000

Microsoft changed its vision statement this week to focus on artificial intelligence. It’s a big strategic shift for the tech giant -- will it pay off? Plus, scientists discover a cell that causes allergies and the tech community reacts to proposed cuts to legal immigration. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

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Geared Up: Smart Home 101

Wed, 02 Aug 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Smart home tech is giving us more control than ever over the places we live, from AI-fueled thermostats to voice-controlled lighting. In this special episode of Geared Up, we get into some of the cool gadgets and platforms making it all happen, and give you tips for building your smart home from the ground up. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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What these teen tech entrepreneurs love about Apple and Microsoft

Mon, 31 Jul 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Michael Royzen and Atul Ajoy may still be in high school, but these two developers and entrepreneurs are already well-versed in the tech industry, with strong opinions about Apple, Microsoft and the future of technology. On this episode, we hear from these teen entrepreneurs about their journey into tech and get their take on what's next. Follow all of our coverage at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more: hughesmarino.com

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All about the Redfin IPO

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 18:33:19 +0000

Tech-powered real estate brokerage Redfin made its initial public offering Friday morning, becoming the first Seattle-area company to IPO this year. On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we analyze Redfin as a public company and talk about its prospects in the years ahead.

Thank you to this week's sponsors: The University of Washington's Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more: www.hcde.washington.edu. And Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more: hughesmarino.com

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Week in Geek: The Uber of dating

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 01:41:34 +0000

Tired of the dating scene? Exclusive dating app League is hoping so, and it’s bringing its Uber of dating to Seattle. Plus, a ride-along with Seattle Police as they enforce the new Washington state distracted driving law and what truck drivers think of startup Convoy and the emergence of automated vehicles. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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Back from the dead: Galaxy Note, Nokia, and MS paint

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 21:20:27 +0000

It was a strange news week. Two smartphones came back from the virtual graveyard: the Galaxy Note and the Nokia smartphone. Plus, Microsoft announced it would discontinue MS Paint, before quickly resurrecting the program. We talk through it all on this ghoulish episode of Geared Up. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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Facebook Platform: What's next, a decade after launch

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 16:24:50 +0000

The Facebook Platform fuels all sorts of technology, from the “like” button on news stories to storing your Candy Crush score. Ten years after it was launched, we sit down with Facebook's VP of Platform and Marketplace, Deb Liu, to talk about how the platform has evolved along with our digital lives. We also take a look at what's on the horizon for the next few years. Follow all our coverage at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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The future of mobile marketing: Live from Postback with Tune and Belkin

Fri, 21 Jul 2017 19:24:00 +0000

The smartphone is king of the world these days, and how we interact with our phones is something that thousands of mobile marketers are constantly trying to understand. On this episode of the GeekWire podcast, we bring you two interviews from mobile marketing conference Postback, put on every year by Seattle company Tune. First, we speak with Tune CEO Peter Hamilton about the state of mobile marketing and how his background as an opera singer has helped him succeed in the startup world. Then we speak with the CMO of connected device company Belkin, Kieran Hannon, about the future of e-commerce and the smart home.

Special thanks to Tune for sponsoring this episode of the GeekWire podcast.

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Cooking dinner with Amazon Meal Kits

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 23:17:41 +0000

We uncovered a secretive Amazon project this week: home-delivered meal cooking kits, similar to services like Blue Apron, Hello Fresh and the Paul-Allen backed Sun Basket. The company is letting Seattle Amazon Fresh member test them out, so of course we placed and order and made some dinner. Plus, Todd tries out one of the city’s new bike sharing services, Spin. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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Hands-on with the first Alexa-native smartphone

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 22:40:16 +0000

The HTC U11 is the first phone to offer the ability to invoke Amazon's Alexa smart assistant voice assistant without the need to manually open the Alexa app. Users can just say "Alexa" at any time. We test the phone out, with mixed results, on this episode of Geared Up. Plus, the status of the impending new iPhone and we geek out over the newly announced Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge amusement park. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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Health Tech: This diabetes patient built her own artificial pancreas

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 19:23:37 +0000

Dana Lewis has Type 1 diabetes, which means her pancreas doesn't make the insulin she needs to survive. So she built a new one. Dana is the founder of the Open Source Artificial Pancreas System, a computer system that hundreds of diabetes patients now use to automatically manage their condition. We tell Dana's story on this episode of the GeekWire Health Tech Podcast. Read more about our health and technology coverage at GeekWire.com.

Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation.

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Amazon vs. Zillow and tech's diversity problem

Fri, 14 Jul 2017 16:02:25 +0000

It looks like Amazon is getting into the real estate services market, setting it up to compete with real estate tech companeis Zillow and Redfin. We discuss what the new venture could mean, and if the company will find success, on this episode of the Week In Geek. Plus, tech’s diversity problems have been on full display this week with a new initiative to make startup boards more diverse and a high-profile resignation over allegations of sexual harassment. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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Amazon Prime Day: Is it really a good deal?

Thu, 13 Jul 2017 20:57:47 +0000

Prime Day has become the biggest single sale on the internet, but are the savings really worth the hype? Andru runs down all the deals he found, but Todd is still skeptical. Plus, we have a lot of fun with Microsoft’s new Seeing AI app that identifies people and reads text, and share some fun summer tech support stories. All that and more on this episode of Geared UP. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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Microsoft will lay off thousands and Redfin announces its IPO

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 00:13:44 +0000

Microsoft confirmed rumors this week that it will lay off thousands of employees in a reorganization of its sales group. The goal: Support the company's Azure cloud computing group better. Plus, Redfin announces it will file for an IPO, possibly becoming the first Pacific Northwest company to go public in 2017. Plus, Seattle okays a new bike sharing program, so hold onto your helmets. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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Geared Up: Best tech of 2017 so far

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 21:03:44 +0000

2017 is halfway done, and this week on Geared Up we’re counting down our favorite gadgets and services from the first half of the year. Find out how to keep your kids safe on the internet, create a virtual phone and make grocery shopping a breeze. Plus, we take a look at the new tech we’re looking forward to for the remainder of the year, including the iPhone 8 and the Xbox One X. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto on the team’s tech evolution

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 17:56:20 +0000

The Seattle Mariners aren’t known for being a top baseball team, but the team’s new General Manager Jerry Dipoto is aiming to turn that around. Dipoto spoke with Root Sports reporter Jen Mueller about how the team is using the latest in sports tech and science to give them an edge at the recent GeekWire Sports Tech Summit, and we’re sharing their full conversation on this episode of the GeekWire podcast. See more from the Sports Tech Summit and more of our sports tech coverage at geekwire.com/sports

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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Zillow takes on McMansion Hell and NASA OKs a supersonic jet

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 15:56:32 +0000

You don’t see — or hear — many supersonic jets these days. That’s because they’ve been banned in most cases for over 40 years, but this week, NASA Oked a plan for a super-quiet supersonic jet. Plus, it was a dramatic week for Zillow as it took on popular architecture blog McMansion Hell over its use of copyrighted images. All that and more on this episode of the Week In Geek. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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Echo Show: Hands-on with Amazon's first touch-screen Alexa device

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 17:08:20 +0000

Amazon is making yet another foray into the smart home with the Echo Show, its first touch-screen Alexa device. We get our hands on one of the first Shows to ship and try it out on this episode of Geared Up. Plus, Todd’s impressions after using the new Microsoft Surface Laptop for a week and a few hacks to make the most of your MacBook Pro. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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Health Tech: How these psychologists became app developers

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 01:05:46 +0000

Apps can be addictive — but can they also help us kick harmful addictions? On this episode of GeekWire’s Health Tech podcast, we talk to two psychologists who are developing apps to help people quit smoking. Their journey from medical school to the tech world shows how technologies can push the boundaries of health. Follow all our coverage of health and healthcare technology at GeekWire.com Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation.

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Genetic analysis for wellness: Month 8 of Daniel Rossi's transformation

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 18:56:08 +0000

In this year-long series, GeekWire is chronicling GeekWire Chief Business Officer Daniel Rossi's quest to transform his health using the latest in science and technology. It's now month eight, and Daniel has just passed some major milestones with his most recent blood test. In this installment, we talk about what's been working for him and how a genetic analysis he received back in month two has helped him manage his health and his type 2 diabetes. Follow all our coverage of Daniel's journey, including GIFs comparing his pictures when he started and today, at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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WNBA legend Sue Bird on how tech is changing basketball

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 00:04:21 +0000

Sue Bird is a living basketball legend. She's played in the WNBA for over fifteen years and has earned two WNBA championships, four Olympic gold medals and countless other awards. So what's her take on how tech, analytics and data are changing the game? Find out on this special edition of the GeekWire Podcast. Read more of our sports tech coverage at GeekWire.com/sports.

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

The University of Washington’s Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more about them at: www.hcde.washington.edu/

Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more about them at: hughesmarino.com

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Big changes at Uber: Tipping is in, CEO is out

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 20:06:39 +0000

This week, Uber finally did what drivers have been asking it to do for years: allow customers to tip. The next day, it’s CEO and founder Travis Kalanick resigned. On this episode of the Week In Geek, we discuss how Uber’s many controversies have changed how we and others see the company. Plus, Amazon rolls out a new fashion service and a few updates on big Amazon news from last week. On the Random Channel: how we vacation. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsor:

GoDaddy — who is offering GeekWire listeners 35 percent off their purchase of a GoDaddy domain. Just use offer code gearedup35 at checkout, goddaddy.com.

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Hands on: Microsoft's new Surface Laptop and Apple's new iPad Pro

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 17:50:28 +0000

Microsoft is getting into the hardware business in a big way, and its new Surface Laptop is poised to compete with the likes of the MacBook Pro and other leading devices. We get our hands on one for our very first unboxing on this week’s episode of Geared Up. Plus, we take a look at Andru’s new iPad Pro 10.5 inch, complete with an preview of iOS 11. We’ll discuss how the devices stack up against Todd’s new MacBook Pro and also dive into Andru’s favorite game from this year’s E3 — Super Mario Odyssey. Follow all our coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week’s sponsor: GoDaddy — who is offering GeekWire listeners 35 percent off their purchase of a GoDaddy domain. Just use offer code gearedup35 at checkout, goddaddy.com.

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Analysis: Why Amazon is buying Whole Foods

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 19:56:08 +0000

Amazon announced Friday morning that it has reached an agreement to acquire grocery retailer Whole Foods for more than $13 billion. On this special coverage episode of the GeekWire podcast, we get into the nitty-gritty of the deal and what it means for Amazon and other retailers around the country. Follow all our special coverage of the news at GeekWire.com

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Week in Geek: Hands-on with the Amazon Dash Wand, and more

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 00:37:27 +0000

Amazon announced it latest — and tiniest — gadget Thursday: the Amazon Dash Wand with Alexa. It’s designed as a kitchen assistant, and we got our hands on one to test it out for this episode of the Week In Geek. Plus, why Amazon is suing a former AWS employee and how two Seattle entrepreneurs are trying to make doctors’ lives easier. On the Random Channel this week: What will Safeco Field’s new name be? Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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Health Tech: A tiny gadget takes on a giant health problem

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Taking a pill isn’t so hard. The tricky thing is remembering to take it. Patients not taking medication properly is a huge problem for the health industry, but these three entrepreneurs think they have a solution: A gadget that can fit in the palm of your hand.

Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation.

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Freakonomics founders on how data is changing the world

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 23:26:09 +0000

Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt have more in common than a first name: They’re also fanatics about numbers. GeekWire’s Todd Bishop sat down with Dubner and Levitt, founders of the popular Freakonomics podcast and books, at Microsoft’s Data Insights Summit this week. On this episode of the GeekWire podcast, the three talk about everything from healthcare to Amazon to how data is changing the world.

Follow all our coverage, including more about Microsoft's Data Insights Summit, at GeekWire.com

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Geared Up: Xbox One X, explained

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 22:38:27 +0000

It’s that time of the year -- E3, the United State’s biggest video game conference, is in full swing and the first day was all about Xbox. Microsoft announced all the details on the new Xbox One X, previously known as Project Scorpio, along with planned releases of backward compatible original Xbox games. Our own Andru Edwards is on site at E3 and we go over all the Xbox news with him on this episode of Geared Up.

Follow all our coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

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Can BMW beat Uber? Testing ReachNow's new ride sharing service

Fri, 09 Jun 2017 16:40:09 +0000

BMW car-sharing service Reach Now launched a new service this week: Ride, a ride-sharing service that's taking on Uber and Lyft. We tried it out and tell you all the juicy details on this episode of the Week In Geek. We also explain why Snapchat's parent company paid $200 million for a Seattle startup and why new engineering centers mean Seattle continues to reign supreme in cloud technology. On the Random Channel: Scathing reviews of some hot new tech ventures. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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Geared Up: Apple's WWDC: Everything you need to know

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 20:22:25 +0000

iPads, iMacs, HomePods, oh my! Apple’s annual World Wide Developers Conference set off a flurry of news from the tech giant this week, including big updates in the works for iPhones, a new iPad and an Amazon Echo competitor, the Apple HomePod. We break down all the news and tell you what you really need to know in this episode of Geared Up.

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Health Tech: The ultimate medical device — A smartphone

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 17:26:22 +0000

At just 35 years old, computer scientist Shwetal Patel has made a career out of taking on "grand challenges." Now he's tackling his biggest challenge yet: health. He’s using code and some creativity to turn the smartphones we carry around every day into powerful medical devices.

Thank you to our sponsor, Providence St. Joseph Health’s Digital and Innovation Group. Follow them at twitter.com/provinnovation.

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Introducing Health Tech

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 20:32:52 +0000

We're excited to share a teaser for our newest show -- Health Tech, a podcast all about digital health.

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Incoming! Amazon's drone parachute plan revealed

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 18:06:08 +0000

Amazon has had some wacky ideas over the years, but this might take the cake. The company patented a shipping label that turns into a parachute, designed to safely deliver packages from drones to your doorstep. Plus, bored by today's NBA games? Steve Ballmer has a solution: real-time, AI-fueled graphics that are layered over the game. We discuss how AI, drones and other tech are impacting all corners of our lives on this episode of the Week In Geek. On the Random Channel this week: our favorite TV shows of the moment.

Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

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Geared Up: Testing T-Mobile Digits and debating Comcast’s gigabit service

Wed, 31 May 2017 22:38:42 +0000

Comcast is taking the plunge with a new gigabit internet service. But is it worth it? We debate on this week’s episode of Geared Up. Plus, we test T-Mobile’s new digit service live and tell you all about the Essential Phone, a new smartphone from the creator of Android. Follow all our coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

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The future of libraries: talking tech with Seattle's City Librarian

Tue, 30 May 2017 17:03:45 +0000

When most people think of their public library, technological innovation isn’t exactly top of mind — but Seattle’s City Librarian Marcellus Turner is working to change that. On this episode of the GeekWire podcast, Todd Bishop and Frank Catalano talk with Marcellus to hear about how new tech initiatives are changing the libraries and how citizens can shape those initiatives at an upcoming Community Conversation event. He also gives us tips on some existing tech resources that you might be surprised to learn about.

Follow all our coverage at GeekWire.com, and learn more about the Seattle Public Library's community conversation events at spl.org/communityconversations.

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

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We finally get to try Amazon’s grocery pickup service

Fri, 26 May 2017 00:48:20 +0000

Remember the Amazon Fresh, the secretive grocery pick-up service that Amazon’s been working on? It finally opened for Amazon Prime members Thursday, and Todd took a few GeekWire journalists to try it out. Plus, inside Amazon’s shareholder meetings and all the latest news on geeky media, including Bill Gates' summer reading list.

Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

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Geared Up: Microsoft launches new Surface Pro and Nintendo goes on a road trip

Wed, 24 May 2017 15:56:45 +0000

Microsoft ups the ante on its Surface line with another new model: the Surface Pro. Plus, Nintendo announces a summer road trip to capitalize on the Switch’s runaway success. We give you all the details, and a debate about the pros and cons of USB-C, on this episode of Geared Up.

Follow all our coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

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A city on the moon? Jeff Bezos tells kids about his vision for space

Mon, 22 May 2017 20:43:04 +0000

Kids are full of questions, and this weekend some lucky elementary- and middle-schoolers got the chance to ask those questions to Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos. Some wanted to know how artificial intelligence will impact space exploration, while others weremore interested in stories about Bezos’ personal adventures. We’re sharing the full Q&A on this episode of the GeekWire podcast. Follow all our coverage, including interviews with students at this event, at GeekWire.com

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Week in Geek: Art + Tech in Seattle, Amazon on SNL, and more

Fri, 19 May 2017 23:49:13 +0000

It’s your weekly roundup of tech news, and we’ve got everything from how tech is impacting Seattle’s art scene to Amazon’s spot on Saturday Night Live. U2’s Bono even makes a surprise guest appearance. Tune in to hear behind the stories and get expert analysis from GeekWire reporters. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

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Geared Up: Smart assistants on steroids

Fri, 19 May 2017 01:12:34 +0000

Google, Alexa, Cortana, oh my! It’s been a week full of competing smart assistant news from Google, Amazon and even Microsoft. We break it all down, including who’s coming out ahead, on this episode of Geared Up. Plus, we try out the fidget gadgets taking over the internet and look at the latest leaks on the upcoming iPhone 8.

Follow all our coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive.

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

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How a new VC fund is trying to change the game for Seattle entrepreneurs

Tue, 16 May 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Flying Fish Venture Partners has a bold plan: completely change the game for entrepreneurs in Seattle. We sit down with Heather Redman, one of the fund's co-founders, to hear her vision for the fund and how she plans to shake up Seattle's startup ecosystem. Follow all our coverage, including more about Pacific Northwest startups, at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

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Microsoft Build recap/analysis with Tom Krazit

Sat, 13 May 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Microsoft’s Build conference just wrapped up, and GeekWire's editors have been busy covering all the announcements of new products and services, from the new Azure Cosmos DB to the Windows Fall Creators Update. On this episode of the GeekWire podcast, new Cloud & Enterprise editor Tom Krazit joins Todd Bishop to explain what’s going on at the tech giant and what it means for developers, enterprise customers and Windows users. Follow all our coverage, including special coverage of Build, at GeekWire.com

Thanks to this week’s sponsors:

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A controversial ad splits the GeekWire team

Fri, 12 May 2017 20:56:18 +0000

An ad placed on Seattle’s bus lines has caused an uproar on the web, and a fierce debate in the GeekWire offices. The ad was for Code Fellows, a Seattle-based coding school, and made what some saw as insensitive comments about Seattle’s housing crisis. We unpack the ad and the issues behind it in this lively, debate-style episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

Follow all our coverage, including our story on the ad, at GeekWire.com

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A “phone” call with Alexa and Microsoft's new direction

Fri, 12 May 2017 00:56:05 +0000

Alexa, Amazon’s artificial intelligence personal assistant, can now make phone calls -- so, of course, we try it out live on this episode of the Week in Geek. Plus, hear about Microsoft’s bold new strategy and the surprise guest that showed up at the Amazon Spheres this week. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

Wealthsimple — GeekWire listeners pay no management fees for a year when they invest up to $15,000 on Wealthsimple’s automated investing platform.

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Geared Up: Hands-on review of the all-electric Chevy Bolt

Wed, 10 May 2017 18:18:57 +0000

This week’s episode of Geared Up is all about electric transportation. Join Todd and GeekWire contributor Tim Ellis as they take a ride in Tim’s brand new Chevy Bolt, one of the all-electric cars making a buzz in the automotive world. We also check out Tim’s collection of electric-powered skateboards.

Follow all our coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive.

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

Wealthsimple — GeekWire listeners pay no management fees for a year when they invest up to $15,000 on Wealthsimple’s automated investing platform.

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LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman shares startup secrets

Tue, 09 May 2017 16:57:38 +0000

It’s been 15 years since Reid Hoffman co-founded LinkedIn. The company was acquired by Microsoft last year for $2.6 billion and Hoffman now sits on Microsoft’s board, but he’s still very much an entrepreneur. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we share Hoffman’s full talk at the recent Technology Alliance Luncheon in downtown Seattle, where he shares thoughts on how to drive entrepreneurship, the success of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and, of course, Settlers of Catan.

Follow all our coverage, including more on Hoffman's talk, at GeekWire.com.

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

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Meet Microsoft's sexy new laptop

Fri, 05 May 2017 18:05:54 +0000

Lots of news from the tech world this week: Microsoft takes on Apple and Google with a striking new laptop, Bill Gates and Roger Federer put on an epic tennis match and we consider what our lives would be like without Apple, Amazon, Facebook or Google. All that and more on this episode of the Week in Geek.

Follow all our coverage, including all the stories we discuss in this episode, on GeekWire.com.

Thank you to this week’s sponsors:

Wealthsimple — GeekWire listeners pay no management fees for a year when they invest up to $15,000 on Wealthsimple’s automated investing platform.

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Living an 'unlimited' life — A new look at wireless data plans

Wed, 03 May 2017 00:10:49 +0000

Five years ago, GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop shared his experience about deciding to drop his unlimited AT&T data plan. Things have changed dramatically in the past five years, with new services and devices pushing change in the wireless industry. This week on Geared Up, we take a fresh look at unlimited data plans and ask: did Todd make the right decision?

Follow all our coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes video on at youtube.com/gearlive.

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Week in Geek: How Amazon and Microsoft are really doing

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 20:45:37 +0000

It’s earnings season, and GeekWire reporters have been busy diving into the quarterly financial reports put out by tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, Nintendo and more. The reports cut through all the flashy marketing to give a glimpse into how these companies are really doing, and what products and departments are succeeding or struggling. On this episode of the Week in Geek we share a big-picture view of what all these numbers tell us about the tech giants in Seattle and around the country.

Follow all our coverage, including detailed looks at the recent earning reports, at GeekWire.com.

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Best Buy, Amazon and the new world of retail

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 19:49:41 +0000

E-commerce powerhouse Amazon has drastically changed the retail landscape, threatening traditional retailers left and right with their new model of selling things. A few years ago, Best Buy was a victim of that changing market and on the verge of collapse. But the company has clawed its way out of the hole thanks to a new emphasis on multi-channel commerce, in-store and online.

Today we’re sitting down with Best Buy Chief Digital Officer Bala Subramanian to hear how the retailer has integrated digital and online commerce to turn its business around. See more stories about Best Buy here and follow all our coverage at GeekWire.com.

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

Wealthsimple — an automated investing service, on a mission to simplify investing to help everyone (including you!) become an expert investor.

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Geared Up: What's the point of the Echo Look? Plus, hands-on with the Galaxy S8

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 00:35:08 +0000

Amazon unveiled a puzzling new device this week: The Echo Look, an Alexa-powered speaker that comes with a camera and lighting. It's marketed as a fashion device, but Todd and Andru aren't buying it — in more ways than one. Plus, equally puzzling news about new projects from Twitter and Apple, and we finally get a hands-on look at the new Samsung Galaxy S8.

Follow all our coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes video on GearLive.

Thanks to our sponsors:

Wealthsimple — an automated investing service, on a mission to simplify investing to help everyone (including you!) become an expert investor.

GoDaddy — whose mission is to radically shift the global economy toward life-fulfilling independent ventures and help their customers kick ass by giving them the tools, insights and people to transform their ideas into success.

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Week in Geek: Telepathic typing and why it will never be Day 2 at Amazon

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 21:46:09 +0000

In ominous sci-fi future news this week, Facebook is working on a program that could let people type with their brain and hear with their skin. Is it a revolutionary idea or a Pandora's Box that could go wildly wrong? Plus, we hear about the world of Amazon's secretive horticultural program and bring back one of our favorite segments: The Random Channel. See links and details in this week's show notes.

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Geared Up: new iPhone rumors, SNES classic edition and Facebook VR chat

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 20:41:54 +0000

The new iPhone is months away from being released, but some insiders are already getting chatty about its design. On this episode of Geared Up, we take a look at the rumors and speculations about what Apple will do with the next edition of its most popular product.

Meanwhile, Nintendo cut production of the popular NES classic edition — could it be gearing up for a classic edition of the SNES? Plus, Todd isn't wowed by Pandora Premium, and Andru has some harsh words for Facebook's new VR chat feature.

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'The Gene Machine' author Bonnie Rochman on how — and why — we test kids' genes

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 15:24:24 +0000

The average person is born with 60 genetic mutations. Some are harmful, some are helpful and many don't mean anything at all — but for a parent, any variation in genetics can seem like a health disaster waiting to happen. Author Bonnie Rochman joins us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to delve into the world of genetics and parenting, including why and when we should think about testing kids' genes.

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Full Interview: Steve Ballmer on USAFacts

Tue, 18 Apr 2017 15:50:18 +0000

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is a numbers guy. He's taking that data-focused mindset to a new project: USAFacts, a project that's bringing together mountains of data to build financial reports on U.S. government operations, like a 10-K for business leaders. GeekWire editor Todd Bishop sat down with Ballmer to get all the details on his new project, and we're sharing the full interview on this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

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Inside the GeekWire Awards

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 20:30:04 +0000

The GeekWire Awards are just around the corner, and on this episode of the GeekWire podcast, we take a look at our finalists. They represent the best of the best in the northwest tech community and they speak volumes about where things are headed in the coming years. Winners will be chosen by public voting and announced at our Awards on May 4 at MoPop.

Check out all the finalists and vote for your favorites on our Awards Page, where you can also get tickets to the Awards.

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Geared Up: Games, games, games!

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 16:45:13 +0000

The Xbox spring games sale started this week with some pretty sweet deals on some of the biggest games of the past few years.

Plus, Apple made a rare move: an apology. The company admitted they had made a big mistake in the design of the 2013 Mac Pro and promised a new version is on its way, but not until next year.

We also dive into some of our favorite games of the moment including some fun surprises on the Switch, some addicting PC games and even board and pen-and-paper games.

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Week in Geek: Uber takes Seattle to court and Bertha gets her big break

Fri, 07 Apr 2017 17:01:47 +0000

Uber won a small victory in its legal battle with the City of Seattle this week, but the fight is far from over. In more promising news, Seattle's giant tunnel boring machine, Bertha, finally reached the finishing line of the nearly two-mile tunnel she's been creating under the city. We get first-hand accounts of both events from GeekWire reporters on this episode of the Week in Geek, and also take a look at some interesting shifts in the startup funding landscape.

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GearedUp: Xfinity mobile, YouTube TV and hands on with Apple Clips

Thu, 06 Apr 2017 23:12:56 +0000

Just in case Xfinity doesn't offer enough services, the cable and internet providor is making the leap into another industry: wireless phone service. Plus, YouTube launches its TV feature, giving subscribers live streams of local stations and limitless DVR storage, and we go hands-on with Apple's mobile photo and video editor, Clips. All that and more on this week's episode of GearedUp.

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Jeff Bezos on the future of space tourism

Thu, 06 Apr 2017 18:19:28 +0000

It may seem like something out of your favorite sci fi novel, but Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos wants to make space tourism a reality. He spoke about Blue Origin's plans for commercial space flight at the 33rd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, where GeekWire reporter Alan Boyle has been covering all the action. We're sharing a recording of that talk and his Q&A with reporters on this episode of the GeekWire podcast, so buckle up and hold on tight!

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Sonic Boom: Hoops, tech and Seattle's quest to revive its beloved NBA team

Wed, 05 Apr 2017 22:50:03 +0000

Nine years ago, almost to the day, Seattle's NBA team, the SuperSonics, was officially relocated to Oklahoma City. And even though the city has changed by leaps and bounds since then, there's a growing movement to revive the Sonics in the city. Jeff Shulman has been documenting that movement, and the possible impacts to Seattle's tech community, on the Seattle Growth Podcast. On this episode, we talk with Jeff about how tech has changed the city since the team left, and what impact it would have on tech and beyond if it returned.

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GearedUp: Is the S8 the next revolution in smartphones?

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 16:26:21 +0000

The speculation is over! After months of anticipation, Samsung has revealed their next smartphone: the S8. Andru got his hands on one at the launch event in New York City this week, and says it's unlike any other smartphone he's seen. On this episode of GearedUp, we take a look at what makes the S8 special, and whether it stands up to Samsung's claim that it's the biggest thing to ever happen in the smartphone market. Plus, Todd shares his takeaways from the Windows 10 creators edition update, and we take a look at Andru's brand new Product Red iPhone.

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The Week in Geek: Bezos, Rover, and Pokemon

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 00:16:39 +0000

It was a busy news week in Seattle. Rover announced it is acquiring its biggest competition; the Bezos family made a record-breaking donation to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; and the University of Washington released a heartwarming study on the effects of Pokemon Go on family bonding. Catch it all on this episode of the Week in Geek.

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Boy Meets Artificial Girl

Thu, 30 Mar 2017 05:05:33 +0000

A few weeks ago, Henry turned 10. That's when a new friend named Alexa entered his life. Henry's dad, GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, says welcoming Amazon's AI assistant into their home has been an enlightening, and at times difficult, transition. This week on the podcast, we sit down with Henry, Kurt and Alexa to hear about Henry's new friendship.

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Starbucks, Amazon... Starmazon?

Fri, 24 Mar 2017 15:39:08 +0000

Starbucks and Amazon, two of Seattle's iconic businesses, started off very different from each other. But they're slowly and steadily moving towards the same goal: a hybrid of tech-driven and in-person retail. Today on the Week in Geek we ask, what does that mean for the businesses, and what would it look like if they eventually merged?

Plus, we introduce a new segment: The Random Channel.

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A flood of new Apple devices and features

Wed, 22 Mar 2017 00:57:22 +0000

Trying to keep up with news from Apple this week was a challenge. New iPads, a new Product Red iPhone, a Snapchat-like app, and changes to Apple Watches were all in the headlines today. On this episode of GearedUp we review the news (or lack thereof) in all the announcements, plus Andru goes over some tips and tricks for getting better speeds on the Xbox One.

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What's really happening in the world of tech funding

Mon, 20 Mar 2017 23:04:13 +0000

Theories about the future of tech are a dime a dozen, but this week's guest has a tried-and-true method to peek into the tech ecosystem: follow the money. Greg Beams is a partner at global professional services firm EY and heads up the Entrepreneur of the Year program in the Pacific Northwest. He takes us on an in-depth study of the numbers and figures behind Seattle's tech scene, and what they say about where the industry is going.

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Inside the Amazon Fresh Pickup saga

Fri, 17 Mar 2017 01:06:44 +0000

After months of anticipation, GeekWire learned the name of Amazon's secretive grocery pickup service: Amazon Fresh Pickup. On this episode of the Week in Geek, the GeekWire team has a hot debate over the actual usefulness of being able to order groceries ahead for pickup. Plus, we get an update on the case against the Trump administration's travel ban, and some of us bemoan a world without Uber.

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The success of the Switch, fast food goes high tech, and more

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 20:55:36 +0000

It's been a busy week in the gadget world. The Nintendo Switch set sales records, Pandora announced a new premium service, and McDonalds of all places is introducing a high-tech ordering system. Get caught up on all the electronics news with this week's episode of GearedUp with hosts Andru Edwards and Todd Bishop.

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Slack Wars

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 23:47:06 +0000

Slack, the messaging and collaboration tool for teams, is all the rage right now inside many companies, and it has some big new competition from Google, Microsoft and others. We're going inside this growing market today with our guest, Samir Diwan, the co-founder and CEO of Seattle startup Polly.ai, a bot that runs polls and surveys in Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangouts Chat.

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Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen on the future of technology

Fri, 10 Mar 2017 16:06:39 +0000

If Paul Allen were just starting out in computer science today, he might not know where to start. Robotics, artificial intelligence, computer vision, augmented reality, biologic systems — the list of topics that fascinate him is practically endless. The Microsoft co-founder sat down with GeekWire after making a special appearance Thursday afternoon at the University of Washington in Seattle, marking his landmark $40 million donation to its computer science program.

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GeekWire turns 6

Thu, 09 Mar 2017 16:57:35 +0000

This week marked GeekWire's 6th anniversary, and it's been quite the wild ride for co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. On this GeekWire Podcast special, they talk about their experience so far as entrepreneurs, and how Seattle's tech scene has changed over the past 6 years.

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The new Xbox Game Pass and the future of smartphone design

Mon, 06 Mar 2017 20:26:31 +0000

It's going to be a formative year for smartphones: the highly anticipated Samsung S8 and the upcoming LG G5 are just two of the phones that will have a big impact on the future of smartphones, and particularly their design. On this week's episode of GearedUp we take a look at a G5 demo phone and leaked images of the new S8, and discuss the directions the industry is taking. Plus, we talk about the Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft's new game subscription service.

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To Snap or not to Snap? Plus, how AWS Broke the internet

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 00:23:32 +0000

It was a big news week for the tech world. A small typo in an Amazon Web Services command caused half the internet to go down, Snap made its debut as a public company in the biggest IPO since Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and Seattle said hello to two new giant tech offices. Get the inside story and analysis from GeekWire editors and reporters on this episode of the Week in Geek.

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Hands on with the Nintendo Switch and Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Thu, 02 Mar 2017 18:54:39 +0000

Nintendo's new video game console, the Switch, is a big deal. It's a new era in combining home and mobile gaming, and it's also Nintendo's chance for a comeback after their last home console, the Wii U, flopped. Today we go hands-on with an advanced copy of the console, which will launch in stores Friday, March 3, and we play it's most anticipated game, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

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Author Brad Stone on the 'Upstarts' of Silicon Valley: Airbnb and Uber

Wed, 22 Feb 2017 23:35:45 +0000

Airbnb and Uber are two of Silicon Valley's most disruptive companies. In his most recent book, author Brad Stone dives into the unique figures at the heads of these companies, as well as the negative and positive disruption they're causing in marketplaces around the world. He spoke with GeekWire's Todd Bishop at Seattle's Town Hall for this episode of the GeekWire Podcast.

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'American Spies' author Jennifer Granick on privacy in the age of surveillance

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 18:21:37 +0000

The internet makes access to information incredibly easy, and we normally see that as a good thing. But what if the information being accessed is details of our private lives? And what if the person accessing them is a government intelligence agency? This week we speak with Jennifer Granick, author of "American Spies" and director of civil liberties at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, about the quest for privacy in the age of surveillance.

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GearedUp: Apple Music's new TV deals and a PC the size of an iPhone

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 17:02:59 +0000

Apple Music is taking on more and more TV shows, including James Corden' Carpool Karaoke and a brand new series called Planet of the Apps. What are they up to, and can they take on other TV streaming services? Plus, we take a look at the wars over wireless data plans, and a Windows 10 PC that's the size of an iPhone.

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Inside the world of Bill Gates: The full GeekWire interview

Tue, 14 Feb 2017 18:00:41 +0000

Saving the world is no easy task, but Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates won't let that get him down. In this one-on-one interview with GeekWire, Gates explains why he's still optimistic about the future of the world. Plus, inside details about his conversation with President Trump, and his take on Microsoft's progress under Satya Nadella.

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GearedUp! A smart helmet, some smart shades, and wireless earbuds

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 18:08:04 +0000

It's official: the Snapchat Spectacles have landed in Seattle! This week on Geared Up, we get a our very own pair from the new Seattle machine and revel in the frenzy of the mysterious glasses. Plus, we discuss the Coros smart helmet, the current favorite accessory of GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, which lets riders listen to music or podcasts through their bones. And we take a look at the newly released Beats X, wireless earbuds and competitors to the AirPods.

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The NBA embraces e-sports, and shipping is costing Amazon big time

Fri, 10 Feb 2017 16:22:28 +0000

The NBA announced its newest league this week — every team will now have an associated e-sports team of professional video game players. E-sports fans are thrilled, but the jury's out among more traditional basketball fans. Plus, Twitter keeps the ball rolling with its NFL partnership, and we dig into the numbers behind Amazon's delivery network. Free shipping for Amazon Prime members may sound like a good idea, but it's costing the company big time.

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