Rep. Jayapal to Andy Jassy: Did Amazon lie to Congress?

Andy Jassy, new Amazon CEO, speaks at the 2021 GeekWire Summit. Citing news reports indicating that Amazon gamed its own marketplace to favor Amazon products over third-party sellers’, Seattle Rep. Pramila Jayapal said she is giving the company, “a final opportunity” to explain itself before she refers the matter to the United States Department of...

2h

Avalara continues acquisition spree with purchase of property tax compliance company CrowdReason

Tax software giant Avalara made yet another acquisition, announcing Monday that it bought property tax compliance software developer CrowdReason Limited Liability Company. Avalara will use the deal to boost offerings related to document management, tax content, and property tax returns. Earlier this month Avalara acquired Track1099, which helps businesses...

4h

Zillow Group stock falls 10% after company says it will stop buying additional homes this year

(Zillow Image) Zillow Group announced Monday that it will not sign any new contracts to buy homes via its home-buying and selling service for the rest of this year due to “backlog in renovations and operational capacity constraints.” The news sent Zillow’s stock down more than 10 percent. Zillow will continue to buy homes that are under contract via...

5h

Alaska Airlines launches investment arm to support goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040

An electric-powered aircraft from Beta Technologies, a startup backed by UP.Partners, a new partner with Alaska Star Ventures (Beta Technologies Photo) Alaska Airlines on Monday announced the launch of Alaska Star Ventures to invest in new aviation technologies as part of the airline’s goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040. For its first...

5h

Report: Microsoft knew about ‘inappropriate’ messages from Bill Gates to female employee in 2008

Bill Gates in 2013, at his final shareholder meeting as Microsoft chairman. (GeekWire File Photo) Messages from Bill Gates to a female Microsoft employee were deemed “inappropriate” by the company in 2008, prompting two executives to speak to Gates about the matter, the Wall Street Journal reported today, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter....

5h

Valve introduces Deck Verified, so users can see which games run on new portable Steam Deck device

Valve Software will introduce a new system for games on its digital storefront Steam. With Deck Verified, users can tell “at-a-glance” what games in their library are compatible with Valve’s upcoming portable gaming PC, the Steam Deck. At time of writing, at noon PT on Oct. 18, there are 59,709 applications available on Steam, most of which are video...

6h

Amazon’s Zoox will test its autonomous driving technology in Seattle’s ‘different driving culture’

A Zoox test vehicle drives past Seattle’ Pike Place Market. (Zoox Photo) Zoox, the robotaxi company acquired by Amazon last year, plans to start testing its autonomous driving technology in Seattle for the first time this month, after focusing its testing on Las Vegas and the Bay Area for the past four years. The company also plans to open an office...

8h

Amazon adding 150k seasonal workers as massive hiring push continues across operations network

An Amazon fulfillment center. (GeekWire File Photo / Kevin Lisota) Amazon said Monday that it is adding 150,000 seasonal jobs to bolster the ranks of its operations network during the busy holiday season. The annual boost in holiday help comes as the tech giant has already been looking to fill tens of thousands of hourly positions across the fulfillment...

10h

The disappearing bathtub and OceanGate’s other tales of the Titanic’s rapid decay

Mission specialists at left and right capture pictures of the Titanic’s iconic bow, as seen through the Titan submersible’s 2-foot-wide window. (OceanGate Expeditions Photo) For evidence that the wreck of the Titanic is rapidly deteriorating, you need look no further than Captain Edward Smith’s bathtub. That is, if you can find it. The case of the...

11h

Startup fundings: Dance Church lands $4.7M to fuel online fitness platform, and other recent PNW deals

Members of the Dance Church team, including founder Kate Wallich, seated center in white top, and CEO Clara Siegel, seated left in black top. (Talia Green Photo) Here’s our latest rundown on recent funding rounds raised by Pacific Northwest companies. — Dance Church, the Seattle-based creators of a high-energy, dance-focused movement class that also...

11h