GeekWire

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 Tha...

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 Communit...

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 we...

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/ge...

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. Fo...

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 Thank you to this week’s sp...

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 behin...

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: Wealthsimple —...

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, enterpris...

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 stor...

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: W...

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 Gea...

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 entrepreneurshi...

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....

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.c...

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-pictu...

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...

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.co...

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...

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...

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 kid...

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 th...

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...

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 sur...

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 tak...