
GeekWire
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GeekWire is a fast-growing, national technology news site with strong roots in the Seattle region and a large audience of loyal, tech-savvy readers around the globe, who follow the site for breaking news, expert analysis, and unique insights into the technology industry.
GeekWire
3h ago
Amazon’s return to office five days per week has had an immediate impact on worker foot traffic in downtown Seattle according to the latest data from the Downtown Seattle Association. According to the organization’s Downtown Revitalization Dashboard, released Friday, the downtown core averaged nearly 95,000 daily workers in January — the second-highest daily average since March 2020 when Covid-19 first took hold. Downtown’s average weekday worker foot traffic is still 57% of January 2019’s average. But the latest numbers are 9% higher than January 2024. Amazon moved from a three-days-per-week ..read more
GeekWire
3h ago
As President Trump wields tariffs and strains relations with Canada, Seattle area’s Docugami is strengthening its cross-border ties. The document management startup is eager to reach a bigger pool of talent and new customers with the recent opening of a new subsidiary in Vancouver, B.C. For co-founder and CEO Jean Paoli, the move had nothing to do with politics or current events. For him, it’s just good business. “I don’t think this is a policy conversation for us,” Paoli said, adding that the plan has been in the works for 18 months. “If you think about Ottawa, if you think… Read More ..read more
GeekWire
3h ago
Cynthia Tee is now chief technology officer for Smartsheet. Tee was previously senior vice president of engineering at the Bellevue, Wash., company for nearly three years. Tee worked at Microsoft for nearly 20 years, leaving as a partner group program manager with Windows in 2014. Her other roles include leadership positions at Nordstrom and Ada Developers Academy. In January, the enterprise software giant again became a privately held company, completing its $8.4 billion acquisition by Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners. “A core focus of mine is designing trust and security into our platfo ..read more
GeekWire
3h ago
Seattle-based global health nonprofit PATH announced this week that it is reducing its workforce in response to Trump administration efforts to slash federal funding to research institutions. The number of employees affected and how many are in Seattle was not shared by PATH. The organization employs more than 200 people in the Seattle area and more than 3,000 globally. GeekWire reached out to PATH for more details and will update this story when we hear back. PATH said that U.S. government funding accounts for just over 30% of its annual budget. “This was not a choice made lightly,” the nonp ..read more
GeekWire
9h ago
You might think sex in space would be an out-of-this-world experience — but based on the scientific evidence so far, low-gravity intimacy isn’t likely to be as much of a high as it sounds. In fact, dwelling too deeply on the challenges of off-Earth sex and reproduction could be a real mood-killer. “In one’s fantasies, or on a quick imaginary level, you think, ‘Wow, think of the possibilities,'” says Mary Roach, author of “Packing for Mars,” a book about the science of living in space. “But in fact, to stay coupled is a little tough, because … you know, you… Read More ..read more
GeekWire
1d ago
Seattle city leaders have not been shy about cheering Amazon and CEO Andy Jassy’s mandate that put people back at their HQ desks at the beginning of the year. That sentiment appeared again during a conference call with reporters Thursday focused on the city’s ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown Seattle. In a previous meeting last August, stakeholders stressed that the goal is to attract downtown visitors of all kinds, not just the office workers who largely disappeared during the pandemic. “Everything that we’re doing is really trying to make sure that downtown is buzzing Sunday to Sunday ..read more
GeekWire
1d ago
A team from the University of Washington led by Nobel laureate David Baker is using artificial intelligence to design effective enzymes from scratch — an accomplishment the researchers call “one of science’s grand challenges.” Enzymes are the wizards of the natural world, proteins that can transform molecules and rapidly accelerate chemical reactions under mild conditions. They’re found in every living cell and are essential to life. Enzymes are already being harnessed for drug production and industrial processes. The newly developed tools for enzyme creation could unlock wide-ranging applica ..read more
GeekWire
1d ago
A class action lawsuit filed against the City of Seattle last week alleges that a new payroll system implemented last fall has resulted in widespread payroll errors, affecting thousands of employees across various city departments. According to the complaint, the system, from business cloud software giant Workday, has caused problems related to underpayments, incorrect paycheck deductions, missing leave accruals, and excessive overpayment deductions. The suit, filed Feb. 7 in King County Superior Court, claims that the payroll issues violate Seattle’s Wage Theft Ordinance, Paid ..read more
GeekWire
1d ago
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture plans to cut about 10% of its workforce according to an announcement Thursday by the Kent, Wash.-based company’s CEO. “Our primary focus in 2025 and beyond is to scale our manufacturing output and launch cadence with speed, decisiveness, and efficiency for our customers,” Dave Limp said in an email to employees, obtained by GeekWire (read in full below). “We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed.” Limp said the makeup of Blue Origin must change to ensure that… Read Mo ..read more
GeekWire
1d ago
Jessica Kamada does not have a traditional startups and venture capital background. And that’s exactly what helped her land $6.6 million for a new Seattle-based fund. Kamada is the founder and managing partner at Swizzle Ventures, which plans to use its inaugural fund to invest in around 30 companies focused on women’s health and wealth. “I didn’t go to an Ivy League school. I’m not coming out of a huge VC firm,” she said. “And so I really had to own the narrative of why different is better.” Kamada raised more than double her initial goal for Swizzle — notable… Read More ..read more