GEEK News
June 05, 2015 - 04:04 PM
Rocketdyne redux: Seattle area’s oldest rocket factory to get new ownership under old name
Matt Dawson, an engineer at Aerojet Rocketdyne’s facility in Redmond, Wash., processes a set of MR-80 rocket engines for NASA’s Perseverance rover mission in advance of its launch in 2020. (Aerojet Rocketdyne / L3Harris File Photo) A decades-old rocket factory in Redmond, Wash., is due to be rebranded with a time-honored name: Rocketdyne. If all goes according to plan, the facility will...
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Tech Moves: Microsoft CVP jumps to Google; Seattle engineers launch new startup; GitHub names VP
Satish Thomas. (Microsoft Photo) Satish Thomas, a 20-year veteran of Microsoft who spent two decades at the Redmond tech giant, is taking a new job at Google. “I’m joining during what feels like one of the most consequential moments in tech history — right in the heart of the AI era,” Thomas wrote on LinkedIn. He did not specify what role he’s taking at Google. Thomas said Microsoft...
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What Microsoft has learned about housing, and why it’s urging the state to unlock commercial land
A map from Microsoft’s Closing Washington’s Housing Gap report shows the estimated number of additional homes needed across the state through 2044, highlighting the scale of the shortfall in King, Snohomish, Pierce and other fast-growing counties. (Microsoft Image) A bill to open up strip malls, big-box stores, and other commercial land for housing development across Washington state gets its...
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‘A new era of software development’: Claude Code has Seattle engineers buzzing as AI coding hits new phase
Caleb John (left), an investor with Pioneer Square Labs, and Lucas Dickey, a longtime entrepreneur, helped host the Claude Code Meetup in Seattle on Thursday. (GeekWire Photos / Taylor Soper) Claude Code has become one of the hottest AI tools in recent months — and software engineers in Seattle are taking notice. More than 150 techies packed the house at a Claude Code meetup event in...
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Microsoft campus library closes in broader shift to AI-powered ‘digital learning experiences’
Microsoft is closing its physical libraries and transitioning to digital learning hubs. (GeekWire File Photo / Todd Bishop) The Microsoft Library in Redmond has long been a quiet anachronism in the middle of the high-tech campus, a place where authors gave talks and employees checked out old-fashioned paper books, including titles recommended by CEO Satya Nadella and other execs. That...
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Meta layoffs hit Seattle-area VR studio Camouflaj, developer behind ‘Batman’ game
(Meta Image) A series of layoffs across Meta’s virtual reality division has affected Bellevue, Wash.-based studio Camouflaj (Republique, Batman: Arkham Shadow). This week opened with reports that Meta had shuttered several game developers in its studio network, including Twisted Pixel (Marvel’s Deadpool VR) and Armature (Resident Evil 4 VR), both of which were headquartered in...
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Seattle-area startup MontyCloud raises Series B round to boost cloud operations software
MontyCloud CEO Walter Rogers. (LinkedIn Photo) MontyCloud, a Redmond, Wash.-based startup that helps companies optimize their cloud operations, raised a fresh Series B round to fuel growth. The company announced the funding in a press release this week but did not reveal the amount raised. A new SEC filing shows $11.4 million raised. We’ve reached out to the company for details....
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Seattle skyscraper renamed to JPMorganChase Center as banking giant relocates tech team
The newly named JPMorganChase Center in downtown Seattle, previously known as the Russell Investments Center, is home to JPMorganChase’s Seattle Tech Center. (GeekWire Photo / Taylor Soper) One of Seattle’s tallest skyscrapers has a new name that reflects JPMorganChase’s growing banking and technology hub in Seattle. Formerly known as the Russell Investments Center, the building at 1301...
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Seattle-area startup Included acquired by Phenom in HR software deal
Included co-founders, from left: Raghu Gollamudi, Laura Close and Chandan Golla. (Included Photo) Seattle-area startup Included announced Wednesday that it has been acquired by Phenom, a global human resources company based in Pennsylvania. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Included launched five years ago in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the widespread move by companies...
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Big tech takes a backseat to big science in Washington governor’s annual address
Gov. Bob Ferguson delivered his State of the State address in Olympia, Wash., on Jan. 13. (Governor’s Office Photo) While artificial intelligence is generating all the buzz, it was Washington state’s climate tech and healthcare innovation that got shoutouts during Gov. Bob Ferguson’s State of the State address on Tuesday. The speech largely focused on this winter’s epic flooding in Western...
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Magnitude 12s: Seahawks fans will be measured for seismic activity during playoff game in Seattle
Lumen Field in Seattle, home of the Seahawks. (GeekWire File Photo / Kurt Schlosser) It’ll surely be rocking at Lumen Field in Seattle on Saturday when the Seahawks take on the San Francisco 49ers in an NFL playoff matchup. But will it be “Beast Quake” rocking? Seismic sensors installed at the stadium this week will determine whether the 12s — the Seahawks’ energetic fan base — can move the...
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Gates Foundation will cut up to 500 positions by 2030 to help reach ‘ambitious goals’
The Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle. (GeekWire Photo / Taylor Soper) The Gates Foundation on Wednesday unveiled a record $9 billion operating budget for 2026 — which includes a plan to reduce its workforce by up to 500 positions over the next five years, or about a fifth of its current headcount. The foundation’s board approved a cap on operating expenses of no more than $1.25...
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Forget burying unwanted carbon — this Washington startup is turning it into protein, fuel and a frost deicer
Employees at OCOchem who helped produce the world’s first carbon dioxide-derived metric ton of potassium formate at the startup’s Richland, Wash., facility. It was shipped to an OCOchem customer in October. (OCOchem Photo) OCOchem, a clean tech startup turning carbon dioxide into industrial chemicals, has raised $2.15 million and continues signing new partnerships — despite a cooling...
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Office vacancy hits another record in downtown Seattle despite new tech leases
Downtown Seattle. (GeekWire File Photo / Taylor Soper) Tech companies are still signing leases in downtown Seattle — but it’s not enough to reverse a pandemic-era slide that pushed office vacancy to another record high, reaching 34.7% in Q4. The latest numbers from commercial real estate firm CBRE underscore how hybrid work and shrinking office footprints continue to weigh on a tech-heavy...
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GeekWire’s new AI summit will explore how agents are transforming business and work
We’re excited to announce a new GeekWire event for 2026: “Agents of Transformation: Inside the AI Shift.” This half-day summit will be held the afternoon of Tuesday, March 24, in Seattle, exploring how agentic AI is reshaping work, creativity, and leadership. The event, presented by Accenture, features fireside chats, expert panels, and real-world stories from technology leaders, business...
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Will Bezos step in? FBI searches Wash. Post reporter’s home in classified materials investigation
The Washington Post building in Washington, D.C. (Ron Cogswell Photo via Flickr) FBI agents searched the home of a Washington Post reporter on Wednesday morning as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified government materials. The Post reported that federal agents seized a phone, two laptops — one work and one personal — and a Garmin...
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Orbital Robotics reaches out with a plan to build robotic arms that use AI
An artist’s conception shows a spacecraft with robotic arms preparing to grapple the Hubble Space Telescope. (Orbital Robotics Illustration) A space startup founded by veterans of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture is recruiting partners in its quest to build robotic arms powered by artificial intelligence. Founded in late 2024, Puyallup, Wash.-based Orbital Robotics is still in its...
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Washington state bill targets private real estate listings and would require some public marketing
The Legislative Building in Olympia, Wash. (GeekWire Photo / Lisa Stiffler) This story originally appeared on Real Estate News. The debate over private listings and pre-marketing in Washington state could soon reach a turning point if a bill requiring the public marketing of residential properties advances in the state legislature. Washington Realtors is backing SB6091, a new draft bill...
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Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman departs after leading Seattle real estate giant for 20 years
Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman at the 2018 GeekWire Summit. (GeekWire File Photo / Dan DeLong) Glenn Kelman, the longtime CEO of Redfin and one of the most recognizable leaders in the U.S. real estate industry, is stepping down. Kelman’s departure comes six months after Redfin completed its $1.75 billion acquisition to Rocket Companies. His last day is Friday. “Redfin just completed our first...
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Amazon supersizes its Walmart rivalry with new big-box retail concept
A rendering of the future Amazon superstore outside of Chicago, from an Orland Park, Ill., planning document. Amazon has spent two decades trying to disrupt Walmart’s dominance. Now, it appears the e-commerce giant is taking those efforts to a whole new scale. A new proposal for a massive, 229,000-square-foot Amazon facility in suburban Chicago looks and feels a lot like a classic Walmart...
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Tech Moves: Acumatica hires CPO; former Amazon manager named new mayor of Bellevue
Jon Pollock. (Acumatica Photo) — Jon Pollock is now chief product officer of Acumatica, the Bellevue, Wash.-based enterprise software giant that was acquired last year by Vista Equity Partners. Pollock joins Acumatica from childcare management software company Procare Solutions, where he was CPO and general manager of Procare’s ChildPlus division. He previously held leadership roles with...
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Will Seahawks fans have reason to cheer against 49ers? Stadium cameras will capture the reaction
In an image captured by Momento, fans react in the stands at Lumen Field in Seattle as the Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 18. (Momento Photo) For every action during Saturday’s Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers NFL playoff game, there will hopefully be an equal and positive reaction from fans at Lumen Field. And it will all be caught on camera. Whether or not there’s...
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From bitcoin ATMs to M&A: Seattle startup Coinme to be acquired by Polygon Labs
(Coinme Image) Coinme, a Seattle-based cryptocurrency startup that got its start more than a decade ago with a network of bitcoin ATMs, has agreed to be acquired by blockchain payments company Polygon Labs. Polygon said it also plans to acquire wallet provider Sequence as part of a combined acquisition valued at more than $250 million. Coinme CEO and co-founder Neil Bergquist told...
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Microsoft responds to AI data center revolt, vowing to cover full power costs and reject local tax breaks
Microsoft’s Fairwater data center near Atlanta is part of the company’s broader AI expansion. (Microsoft Photo) President Trump was right about Microsoft — but he only leaked part of the story. Microsoft is changing its approach to building massive data centers for artificial intelligence, unveiling what it calls a “community first” initiative in response to growing opposition from people...
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Report: Meta plans to cut around 10% of Reality Labs workforce
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. (Meta File Photo) Meta is planning to lay off around 10% of the employees in its Reality Labs division, The New York Times reported Monday. The division — which employs roughly 15,000 people — has a strong presence in the Seattle area and is responsible for the company’s “metaverse” technologies that work in conjunction with augmented and virtual reality, including...
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Google makes a big move into agentic commerce, raising questions about Amazon’s retail dominance
(Google Image) Google is making a key push into AI-powered shopping with the unveiling of Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a new open technical standard aimed at letting shoppers buy products directly through AI chatbots and search interfaces. The protocol has backing from major retailers and payment players including Walmart, Target, Shopify, and Etsy. Notably, there was one e-commerce...
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5 new proposals to regulate AI in Washington state, from classrooms to digital companions
The Legislative Building in Olympia, Wash., is home to the state’s Legislature. (GeekWire Photo / Lisa Stiffler) Washington state lawmakers are taking another run at regulating artificial intelligence, rolling out a slate of bills this session aimed at curbing discrimination, limiting AI use in schools, and imposing new obligations on companies building emotionally responsive AI...
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Week in Review: Most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of Jan. 4, 2026
Get caught up on the latest technology and startup news from the past week. Here are the most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of Jan. 4, 2026. Sign up to receive these updates every Sunday in your inbox by subscribing to our GeekWire Weekly email newsletter. Most popular stories on GeekWire The money shows up in tax filings as a 2024 donation to French Gates’ Pivotal Philanthropies...
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GeekWire Podcast: Alexa’s next act, Microsoft’s retail play, Google’s AI Inbox, and a smart bird feeder fail
This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Amazon and Microsoft are racing to define the next era of consumer AI, on multiple fronts. We discuss Amazon’s attempt to upgrade Alexa into a true generative AI home chatbot — complete with a new web portal and updated Alexa app — while Microsoft tries to win over retailers with a new Copilot Checkout feature. Plus, we explore Google’s upcoming “AI...
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Ex-Expedia employee gets 4 years for planting spy cameras across Seattle campus in voyeurism case
Marcelo Vargas-Fernandez (left), a former Expedia Group employee, stands with his attorney, Court Will, during his sentencing hearing Friday in King County Superior Court in Seattle. (GeekWire Photo / Todd Bishop) A former Expedia Group employee who amassed 20 terabytes of illicit footage of women by hiding spy cameras throughout the company’s headquarters — including bathrooms — was sentenced...
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Microsoft’s big lease renewal in Redmond helps buoy Eastside office market near Seattle
Microsoft’s headquarters campus in Redmond. (GeekWire Photo / Taylor Soper) Microsoft’s decision to renew a large swath of office space in Redmond is emerging as a key stabilizing force for the Eastside office market near Seattle. That’s one takeaway from a new report by commercial real estate firm Broderick Group, which highlighted Microsoft’s renewal for 396,228 square feet at Redmond...
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Rad Power Bikes rider’s DIY solution for potential battery fire sparks broader safety discussion
A Rad Power Bikes e-bike owned by Eric Stahl of San Francisco, parked in his garage next to a DIY battery containment solution made out of cinderblocks that he hopes would help contain a battery fire if one started. (Photo courtesy of Eric Stahl) A Rad Power Bikes rider, alarmed by reports of e-bike lithium-ion battery fires, shared a homemade storage solution on Reddit this week, sparking a...
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Tech Moves: AWS VP switches roles; Seattle’s new economic development head; Microsoft Teams exec departs
Uwem Ukpong. (LinkedIn Photo) — Amazon’s Uwem Ukpong has a new title, moving from vice president of Global Services to VP of AWS Industries. Ukpong has been with the tech giant for more than four years, joining from energy technology company Baker Hughes. Ukpong’s resume is dominated by a 22-year stretch at Schlumberger, a Houston-based software and internet company that has offices...
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Bill Gates says there’s ‘no upper limit’ on AI, citing opportunity and risk
Bill Gates says he’s still optimistic about the future overall, with some “footnotes” of caution. (GeekWire File Photo / Kevin Lisota) Bill Gates had a front-row seat for the rise of AI, from his longtime work at Microsoft to early demonstrations of key breakthroughs from OpenAI that illustrated the technology’s potential. Now he’s urging the rest of us to get ready. Likening the situation...
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Seattle-area nuclear company TerraPower signs deal with Meta for up to 8 reactors
TerraPower and Meta have an agreement to launch a two-reactor nuclear power plant as soon as 2032. (Artist rendering provided by TerraPower) TerraPower, a Bill Gates-backed next-gen nuclear company, on Friday announced a deal with Meta to build up to eight small modular reactors in the U.S. with the first two coming online as soon as 2032. Tech companies have been aggressively pursuing new...
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