Technology and human charm power new behind-the-scenes tours at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle

Multiple video boards at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle give way to tour-related information when fans are in the venue for guided walks. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser) Standing in the Amazon Music Lounge at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday, tour guide Joe Vella asked Alexa to play some suitable musical for visitors. Amazon’s voice assistant...

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Microsoft’s 343 Industries reportedly reorganizes after layoffs to chart future for ‘Halo’

(Halo Infinite screenshot) A new report indicates that Microsoft’s layoffs earlier this month have forced significant changes at its subsidiary 343 Industries, the company behind the Halo series of video games. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier wrote Tuesday that the layoffs have put Redmond, Wash.-based 343 into a position where it’s “all but...

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Tech Moves: BECU hires first chief data officer; Amazon exec to depart; and more

Rick Eiel. (BECU Photo) — Boeing Employees Credit Union appointed Rick Eiel as its executive vice president and first chief data and analytics officer. Eiel, who has more than 30 years of experience in the consumer financial industry, was previously head of product and analytics at Equifax. He also held executive roles at Wells Fargo and...

17h

Boeing pays tribute to its last 747 jumbo jet — and vows to keep its story going

The hangar doors open at Boeing’s Everett factory to reveal the last 747 jumbo jet. (Boeing via Vimeo) Boeing gave its iconic 747 jumbo jet a grand sendoff today, marking the end of a 55-year era for manufacturing but vowing that the “Queen of the Skies” will continue its reign for decades to come. Thousands of onlookers — including past...

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Science fiction focuses on the far future of terraforming, with a tie-in to today’s cities

An artist’s conception shows a city taking shape on Mars. (SpaceX Illustration) Billionaires such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos dream of making Mars more like Earth, or seeing millions of people living and working in space — but could such dreams ever be turned into reality? In a new novel titled “The Terraformers,” science writer Annalee...

20h

Privacy bill aims to protect health data on apps and websites in Washington state

Washington state Rep. Vandana Slatter. (Photo via Slatter’s office) Consumers in Washington state will gain new privacy protections over their health data if lawmakers pass proposed legislation called the My Health, My Data Act. The act would prohibit websites and apps from collecting consumer health data without user consent and prevent...

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Tech office leases slow to a ‘trickle’ in Seattle as real estate braces for layoff impact

Meta is subleasing its office building at Arbor Blocks 333 in Seattle. (GeekWire File Photo / Monica Nickelsburg) Office building attendance in downtown Seattle this past November increased year-over-year from 15-20% to 35-60%, as more companies establish in-office mandates, according to a new report from CBRE. But only a “trickle” of...

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Green aviation company ZeroAvia expanding in Boeing’s backyard with hydrogen-electric tech

On Jan. 19, ZeroAvia conducted a test flight of a Dornier 228 outfitted with a prototype of its hydrogen-electric powertrain. (ZeroAvia Photo via Twitter) ZeroAvia recently grabbed headlines for successfully flying the largest aircraft to date under hydrogen and battery power. The startup’s main operations are in California and the United Kingdom...

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Nonprofit supported by Paul Allen’s foundation studies link between lynx and burned habitats

(Bigstock Photo) A wildlife research nonprofit backed by the Paul G. Allen Foundation is embarking on a new study to learn more about how the Pacific Northwest lynx population is affected by wildfires.  Home Range Wildlife Research is a nonprofit that conducts research, offers field training for biologists, and works with local communities...

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Forbes ’30 under 30′ entrepreneurs raise $3M for remote work productivity startup backed by Meta

LifeAt Spaces employees, from left: Devin Ajimine, Ashika Mulagada, Pouya Rad and Marisa Chentakul. (LifeAt Spaces Photo) After more than a year of remote work, Devin Ajimine and his friends could not find a productivity tool that would help them stay focused. So they decided to build one themselves over a weekend. “We threw it...

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