GeekWire

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. See omnystudio.com/list...

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 redes...

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Plu...

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...

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 ne...

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 ch...

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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...

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. S...

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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: UniquelyH...

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 o...

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 See omnystudio.com/list...

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.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 podcas...