GeekWire

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. RELATED: New Microsoft Copilot features include natural AI voice interactions and daily news summary 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. RELATED: Microsoft AI CEO sees long-term memory as key to unlocking future AI experiences 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Related story: Tech leader Charles Simonyi provides a wide-angle view of the telescope that bears his family name Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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: Amazon ‘will return to being in the office the way we were’ before the pandemic, CEO tells employees‘The way we were’: Amazon tries to rekindle its future by rediscovering a spark from the pastThoughts on Amazon’s full return to the office from a CEO who knows the value — and the trade-offsA ‘home run’ or a ‘cowardly’ decision? Amazon’s new in-person work policy elicits cheers and jeersAmazon’s new back-to-office mandate fuels debate over remote work and productivity Waymo links and related stories: Armed with traffic cones, protesters are immobilizing driverless carsWe rode in Uber’s self-driving car, and now we’re less confident in the future of autonomous vehiclesJohn's Waymo ride this week.Waymo and Uber expand their robotaxi partnership to Austin and Atlanta With John Cook and Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 videocolor-changing car With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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: Hybrid policy for new Starbucks CEO sparks debate over remote work, corporate jet emissionsStarbucks’ New CEO Has a Big Carbon Footprint - WSJStarbucks’ New CEO Will Take Charge Without Training Wheels - BloombergSteve Ballmer Chases NBA Glory at Intuit Dome, the LA Clippers’ Gleaming New HomePlane English: Sea-Tac Airport turns to pen and paper to replace digital displays after cyberattackPort of Seattle outage continues two days after suspected cyberattack by ‘nefarious characters’GeekWire’s quest for an AI theme song opened our ears to the debate rattling the music industryshares his AI-generated theme song on LinkedIn With Todd Bishop and Taylor Soper. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Related Coverage: Starbucks’ new CEO brings extensive digital experience from prior role leading Chipotle See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ‘Google is a monopolist’: Tech giant loses antitrust suit over search business in huge victory for DOJCity of Seattle increasing in-office work to three days for more than 13,000 employeesDriven away: Overloaded by Amazon, rural delivery companies reach the end of the road With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop and editor Taylor Soper. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Microsoft capital spending soars to $19B, betting big on AI, as Azure growth underwhelms Wall StreetAmazon sales come up short, profits nearly doubleAmazon looks to reduce costs to compete more aggressively on price as consumer habits shiftBoeing chooses its next CEO — and he will reportedly be based back in SeattleSeattle tech vets launch 'Spok,' an AI copilot that aims to streamline marketing tasks – GeekWireCNBC:Google pulls AI ad for Olympics following backlash With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop and editor Taylor Soper. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ‘A little frightening’: CrowdStrike outage puts Microsoft’s role in global IT back in the spotlight Technical Details on Today’s OutageHelping our customers through the CrowdStrike outageMaster of Science Program in Cybersecurity LeadershipCrowdStrike update that caused global outage likely skipped checks, experts sayCrowdStrike Outage Hits Microsoft What do we know about CrowdStrike? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. How Ecobee is becoming the smart home company Nest should have beenthe HomeKit Insider podcast. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ADHD Resourcesbrettgreenecoaching.comADHD Strategies for Tech Founders and InvestorsNew Tech Northwest With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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: former OpenAI leader Ilya Sutskever's new ventureefforts to integrate AI into its applications and operating systems With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. A New Era Of AI And Human Ingenuity In The Classroomwww.leobix.usLet Art Be Your SuperpowerHow to Solve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals in 5 mins. Related Story: How a photo of OpenAI’s Sam Altman, enhanced by AI, sparked a journalistic debate at GeekWire With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.