GeekWire
382 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 110 ratingsGeekWire 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.
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Episodes
Who will be the Next Tech Titan? Previewing the GeekWire Awards
April 20, 2024 13:55 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBThis 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 ...
Amazon CTO Werner Vogels on AI, healthcare, and sustainability
April 13, 2024 13:55 - 42 minutes - 39 MBThis 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. Read more on GeekWire: Amazon CTO Werner Vogels on the rapid progress of AI, and its impact on society Werner Vogels - All Things Distributed Arc...
AI for Good, with Microsoft's Juan Lavista Ferres
April 06, 2024 14:23 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBThis 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 He...
Inside a Tesla Cybertruck; how police dogs find devices; Ballmer's comedian son
March 30, 2024 14:58 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MBThis 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 c...
Microsoft's big AI hires, U.S. vs. Apple, and graffiti-fighting drones
March 23, 2024 14:23 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBThis 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...
Inside the plan to save Zulily, with the star of CNBC's 'The Profit'
March 16, 2024 13:00 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MBThis 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
AI's transparency problem: Tech leaders advocate for new insights into training data
March 09, 2024 14:00 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBArtificial 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 t...
AI's trust problem: Richard Edelman on the risk to the tech industry
March 06, 2024 15:09 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBA 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 fir...
How Microsoft, Amazon, and T-Mobile use big bets to build durable businesses
March 02, 2024 14:59 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBThis 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...
BONUS: Seattle after Techstars, with guest Chris DeVore
February 28, 2024 14:05 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBEntrepreneur 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 o...
Techstars Seattle's demise leaves a gap in startup market
February 24, 2024 15:17 - 21 minutes - 19.5 MBTechstars 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 thr...
OpenAI's Sora, a new Amazon book, and 5 days a week in the office
February 17, 2024 16:17 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBThis 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 ...
Bezos' big stock sale, Nadella's first 10 years, and will AI read your next book?
February 10, 2024 15:05 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBThis 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 M...
Apple Vision Pro, a developer's take; Defusing AI deepfakes
February 03, 2024 15:44 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBFirst 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 s...
Experiments in AI, with Kevin Leneway of Pioneer Square Labs
January 27, 2024 16:37 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBOur 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 GeekW...
Costco vs. Amazon, Microsoft's latest Copilot, and a Zulily conspiracy theory
January 20, 2024 15:41 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBThis 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 di...
Amazon Ring CEO Liz Hamren on AI and the future of home monitoring
January 13, 2024 16:18 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBLiz 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 si...
Can AI level the playing field? Nancy Wang of Advancing Women in Tech
January 06, 2024 14:40 - 39 minutes - 36.4 MBThis 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 B...
NY Times vs. Microsoft; Plus, Oren Etzioni on AI in 2023 and beyond
December 30, 2023 15:04 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBOur 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 w...
Surviving Amazon: Work, life, and bias inside one of the world's most ambitious businesses
December 16, 2023 14:44 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MBOur 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-...
How to be an 'Uncommon Thinker'
December 09, 2023 17:04 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBGeekWire'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 th...
'Amazon Q' and the new era of AI for business
December 02, 2023 16:04 - 26 minutes - 24 MBAI 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: Sphere of influence? Google’s big Vegas ad buy clouds the landscape at Amazon re:Invent AWS unveils ‘Amazon Q’ AI assistant, jabs at Microsoft and OpenAI at...
What's next for Microsoft and OpenAI; Amazon car sales; disappearing unicorns
November 25, 2023 16:18 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBThis 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 refo...
The shakeup at OpenAI, and what it means for Microsoft
November 18, 2023 18:00 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MBThe 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 ...
AI pioneer Fei-Fei Li on the future of humanity
November 11, 2023 15:28 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBFei-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, Expl...
Jeff Bezos' big move, Convoy's final stop, AI meets VC
November 04, 2023 14:51 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBWhat 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 ‘Seattle, you will always have a piece of my heart’: Jeff Bezos leaving Amazon’s hometown for Miami Jeff Bezos’ move out of Washington st...
Inside the AI Revolution: Tech execs on the new realities for software, startups, and the future
October 28, 2023 14:37 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBThis 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 wo...
What the heck happened at Convoy?
October 21, 2023 12:51 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBThis 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: ‘The markets crushed us’: In tearful farewell to employees, Convoy execs reflect on shutdown Convoy collapse: Read CEO’s memo detailing sudden shutdown of Seattle trucking startup Convoy raised $260 million just 18 months ago, at a valuation of...
Robots, AI, and the future of labor: 'Way bigger than the steam engine'
October 14, 2023 14:13 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MBOur 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. Sanctu...
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella vs. Google
October 07, 2023 14:36 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MBMicrosoft 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 figh...
Unpacking the FTC's case vs. Amazon
September 30, 2023 14:57 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBOn 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 cur...
Lumen CEO Kate Johnson: Seattle tech, AI, Microsoft, and 'cloudifying' telecom
September 28, 2023 13:47 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBKate 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. ...
Longtime Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley is our Copilot on this episode
September 23, 2023 14:18 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBIt 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 ...
Human creativity and AI: Catching up with Chris Pirillo
September 16, 2023 13:58 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBChris 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 Redmo...
Is Elon Musk calculated or crazed? Walter Isaacson on his new book
September 14, 2023 14:16 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBOur 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; addre...
Amazon's robots and its larger vision for work
September 09, 2023 14:45 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBTye 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: New robots are making...
Amazon is done debating return to office; Robot umps update; GeekWire Summit sneak peek
September 02, 2023 13:30 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBAmazon 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 ...
Shift AI Podcast: Seattle's place at the center of the AI universe, with Madrona's Matt McIlwain
August 26, 2023 13:33 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBOn 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 a...
Building an 'AI chief of staff,' with Xembly CEO Pete Christothoulou
August 19, 2023 14:44 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MBHow 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 rep...
Mariners CEO and wireless pioneer John Stanton on the future of baseball
August 12, 2023 15:28 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBHow 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 ...
Amazon's AI strategy, how AI startups can stand out, and hope for AI and humanity
August 05, 2023 14:58 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBThis 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, ...
Drones and the future of public safety, with Brinc CEO Blake Resnick
July 29, 2023 14:13 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBBlake 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 a...
Microsoft's big bet on the AI economy
July 22, 2023 14:01 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MBMicrosoft 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 produ...
Amazon's Alexa and the rapid evolution of AI
July 15, 2023 14:34 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBThis 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 expande...
What generative AI means for cities
July 08, 2023 14:00 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MBIf 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 is...
How AI is changing Microsoft Windows
July 01, 2023 16:09 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBFor 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 adaptat...
The story of OceanGate and Stockton Rush
June 24, 2023 15:17 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MB"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 o...
Inside the Amazon and Walmart rivalry, with Jason Del Rey
June 21, 2023 14:03 - 36 minutes - 33.2 MBOur 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 ...
Data's destiny: Bob Muglia on the future of AI and humanity
June 17, 2023 14:26 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MBThis 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 c...
Apple vs. Microsoft: Vision Pro, HoloLens, and the future of computing
June 10, 2023 14:58 - 21 minutes - 20.2 MBApple 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 gu...