GeekWire

GeekWire
  • 0.0 (0)
  • TECH NEWS
  • EVERY TWO WEEKS

GeekWire brings you the week's latest technology news, trends and insights, covering the world of technology from our home base in Seattle. Our regular news podcast features commentary and analysis from our editors and reporters, plus interviews with special guests.

  1. 19 HR AGO

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

    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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    43 min

  2. 31 JAN

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

    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 for everyone else. Register here. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 min

  3. 24 JAN

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

    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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    39 min

  4. 17 JAN

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

    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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    33 min

  5. 10 JAN

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

    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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    38 min

  6. 3 JAN

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

    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. Related story: Drone capital of the world? Seattle could be a big winner in the U.S. crackdown on DJI and others 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.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    23 min

  7. 27/12/2025

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

    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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    41 min

  8. 20/12/2025

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

    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: Tin Can dials up another $12M to meet soaring demand for landline-style phone for kids Uncommon Thinkers: Tin Can is Chet Kittleson’s calling, and a way to foster deeper connections Uncommon Thinkers: Hope for the future from our 2025 honorees With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    35 min
See All (100)

About

GeekWire brings you the week's latest technology news, trends and insights, covering the world of technology from our home base in Seattle. Our regular news podcast features commentary and analysis from our editors and reporters, plus interviews with special guests.

Information

  • Creator
    GeekWire
  • Years Active
    2011 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 GeekWire
  • Show Website
    GeekWire

You Might Also Like