Geekwire

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we're featuring highlights from a live interview with Nathan Myhrvold, CEO of Intellectual Ventures and former chief technology officer at Microsoft. Myhrvold worked at Microsoft from 1986 to 2000, where he laid the groundwork for Microsoft Research, recruited top computer scientists, and played a key role in shaping the company’s technology strategy. Since leaving Microsoft, he has worked across fields including energy, science, physics, paleontology, photography, and high-tech cuisine. In this conversation, recorded at Town Hall Seattle as part of GeekWire’s Microsoft@50 event, Myhrvold shares his thoughts on the rise of AI, his longtime collaboration with Bill Gates, the future of energy, the secrets of Microsoft’s success, and what’s next in his Modernist Cuisine book series. Edited by Curt Milton; With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we talk with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about the company's 50th anniversary, and where it's headed from here.  Plus, highlights from Microsoft’s 50th anniversary event in Redmond, which featured a rare joint appearance by Nadella with former leaders Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer.  The day also reflected Microsoft's role in an increasingly complex global landscape, with a CNBC interview focusing in part on the impact of tariffs on the company and the global economy, and a protest outside the event condemning the use of the company’s technologies to support Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza. Related coverage: Inside Microsoft’s 50th: Iconic moments, strong memories, and the realities of the outside world Gates, Ballmer, Nadella and Copilot: Microsoft CEOs past and present engage in podcast chat with AI Inside the Microsoft Archives: How the tech giant preserves, shares, and learns from its history Microsoft@50 is an independent GeekWire edi

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: A conversation with Daniel Rausch, Amazon’s vice president of Alexa and Echo, recorded at the company’s Seattle headquarters. Rausch explained the company’s vision for Alexa+, Amazon's next-generation voice assistant, in advance of its upcoming rollout through an early access program. Alexa+ promises more fluid conversations with users, integrating with more services and devices for new capabilities, including the ability act autonomously on behalf of a user. It's a significant upgrade for Amazon's longtime voice assistant, judging from the live demos that Rausch walked us through before and after the podcast recording. But it remains to be seen how much value people will find in using their voice in those situations, rather than the tried-and-true simplicity of using a smartphone app or web browser. And at a fundamental level, Amazon is playing catch-up with OpenAI's ChatGPT and many other AI chatbots in the world of conversational artificial intellig

On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, as part of our Microsoft@50 special series, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer reflects on his remarkable tenure at the company he helped shape for more than three decades.  We talk about his early days working alongside Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the biggest mistake during his tenure, and his take on the company these days as its largest shareholder. He also opens up about his post-Microsoft pursuits — from his data-driven mission with USAFacts to transforming the NBA fan experience with the L.A. Clippers. And we hear his message for his former Microsoft colleagues. Ballmer's conversation with GeekWire's Todd Bishop was recorded live in front of an audience at GeekWire's Microsoft@50 event at Town Hall Seattle, March 20, 2025. Microsoft@50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture. More in GeekWire’s Microsoft@50 series AI Dreams: Microsoft@50, Chapter 1 Microsoft President Brad Smith on AI, global turmoil, and key i

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: A conversation with Microsoft President Brad Smith, on stage at GeekWire’s Microsoft@50 event this week at Town Hall Seattle, discussing the company’s anniversary and what’s next for the industry and the world. Related Links Microsoft@50 recap: Company faithful mark first 50 years and look to future at GeekWire event Microsoft president: Proposed Washington state business taxes would weaken tech sector Links discussed in the podcast intro: Using AI to uncover allegations in the JFK files of the CIA secretly funding a series of spy novels to influence public opinion in the 1960s. Fireballs, foxholes, and cryogenic suspension: Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman’s greatest quips With GeekWire co-founder Todd BishopSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss the big real estate technology news of the week: Rocket Companies, the mortgage, real estate and personal finance giant, is buying Redfin, the Seattle-based tech-powered real estate company that has been a longtime disrupter in the world of buying and selling homes.  Joining us to assess the implications are Stephanie Reid-Simons, who oversees the news team at RealEstateNews.com as a senior vice president with the news site; and Tim Ellis, a former Redfin market analyst who's a podcaster and blogger, and a veteran of Seattle-area startups including Porch, Moz, and Glowforge. Also on the show: Microsoft brings its Copilot AI technology to gaming, but can Microsoft prove this is more than Xbox meets Clippy? We’ll consider that question in the final segment with Thomas Wilde, an independent video-game journalist and editor who writes about games for GeekWire, Hard Drive, and other publications. Join us at Microsoft@50 at Town Hall Seattle this Th

This week: Michael Levin and Josh Lowitz of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) discuss the state of Amazon's Alexa and Echo business, and what the recently announced Alexa+ service means for the company and users. CIRP studies consumer behavior to provide insights for investors and industry leaders. Related links and coverage CIRP: Amazon Report on Substack. (Check out CIRP's Apple Report, as well.) CIRP's Amazon Report: Alexa, Should I Pay for Alexa+? Or Get a New Echo? GeekWire: Amazon’s new Alexa+ uses generative AI to personalize conversations and automate tasks Amazon: Introducing Alexa+, the next generation of Alexa With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Geekwire Podcast: Google prepares to say goodbye to Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, we get ready to say farewell to Skype; and we take a quantum leap with one of Microsoft's top technical leaders in the field: Chetan Nayak, technical fellow and corporate vice of quantum hardware for the company. Related stories and links: End of an era: Microsoft to shut down Skype, shifting users to Teams, 14 years after $8.5B deal Microsoft quantum breakthrough promises to usher in the next era of computing in ‘years, not decades’ Amazon’s new quantum chip joins race to enable next era of computing Google sets long-term plan to exit Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, consolidate in South Lake Union Tech investors on why AI makes this a great moment for startups — with one caveat With GeekWire's Taylor Soper and Todd Bishop; Audio editing by Curt Milton  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss Microsoft's quantum computing breakthrough; a Washington state bill that targets Uber and Lyft surge pricing; the latest update to the GeekWire 200 ranking of Pacific Northwest startups; and Amazon's move to take creative control of the James Bond movie franchise. Related Links Microsoft quantum breakthrough promises to usher in the next era of computing in ‘years, not decades’ GeekWire 200 update: Here are the hot tech startups moving up our list for Q1 2025 Lawmakers take aim at Uber and Lyft with bill targeting surge pricing after big events Amazon MGM Studios strikes deal for 007, takes over creative control of James Bond film franchise With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop and editor Taylor Soper. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new book, The Insider's Guide to Innovation at Microsoft, finds universal business lessons in the company's successes and also its failures, through case studies about different products and teams in various scenarios and stages of evolution.   The book was written by two Microsoft business strategists and innovation leaders: Dean Carignan, who now focuses on AI in the company's office of the chief scientist; and JoAnn Garbin, who created and led Microsoft's Regenerative Datacenter of the Future program as part of its sustainability initiatives. We speak with Carignan about the book on this special episode of the Geekwire Podcast, as part of our Microsoft @ 50 series. Microsoft @ 50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture. Learn more and register here for our Microsoft @ 50 event, March 20 in Seattle. More in GeekWire’s Microsoft @ 50 series AI Dreams: Microsoft @ 50, Chapter 1 Microsoft’s startup story: How the company became a tech giant, and what we can

It has been a wild few weeks and eventful few months in AI: DeepSeek, OpenAI, Stargate, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Salesforce, Google, Elon Musk, and more. In all of this, there's a heightened focus on what it takes to train AI models and the importance of open-source AI. This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we get insights from Ali Farhadi, CEO of the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2), the Seattle-based nonprofit that has been innovating in open-source AI since long before it was popular. "If the U.S. wants to maintain its edge ... we have only one way, and that is to promote open approaches, promote open-source solutions," Farhadi says, reflecting on the past few months. "Because no matter how many dollars you're investing in an ecosystem, without communal, global efforts, you're not going to be as fast."  Related Coverage and Links:  Allen Institute for AI's new open-source iOS AI app runs on-device for secure, private, offline use Allen Institute for AI challenges DeepSeek on key benchmarks wi

For this latest installment in our Microsoft @ 50 series, we talk with Bill Gates about the company's 50th anniversary, parallels between AI and the early days of the PC, and where he sees the next big opportunities for innovation. This is part of a wide-ranging interview coinciding with the release of his new book, Source Code: My Beginnings. We published Part 1 of the interview last week, focusing on his upbringing in Seattle, the influential people in his life, the early days of the company, and his perspective on events now unfolding in the world. Microsoft @ 50 is an independent GeekWire editorial project supported by Accenture. Learn more and register here for our special Microsoft @ 50 event, March 20, 2025, in Seattle. More in GeekWire’s Microsoft @ 50 series AI Dreams: Microsoft @ 50, Chapter 1 Microsoft’s startup story: How the company became a tech giant, and what we can learn from it today A new era for Windows: Can Microsoft’s longtime engine power another tech revolution? &lsq

Our guest this week is Corey Quinn, the chief cloud economist at The Duckbill Group, the host of the AWS Morning Brief and Screaming in the Cloud podcasts, and the curator of Last Week in AWS, a weekly newsletter. Apart from his newsletter and podcasts, Quinn's day job involves helping AWS customers understand and manage their bills. Amid all the AI hype and billions in capex spending, he uses those insights to provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse and a reality check on the state of the cloud market today.  RELATED LINKS Amazon on pace for $100B+ in yearly capex; Jassy expects cost efficiencies to drive AI demand Amazon’s quarterly profits soar to a record $20 billion, but cloud growth comes up short Platformonomics: Charles Fitzgerald breaks down Amazon's capital expenditures With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In advance of the release of his new memoir, Source Code: My Beginnings, Bill Gates sat down with GeekWire for a wide-ranging conversion on topics including his extraordinary upbringing in Seattle, the key people and influences in his life, the remarkable circumstances and luck that led to his work in software, and his outlook on the world today. RELATED: Bill Gates’ book ‘Source Code’ is a surprisingly candid memoir of the Microsoft mogul’s early years We're presenting this interview in two parts, this one focusing on Gates' new book and his life, and where the world is headed from here. On an upcoming episode, as part of our Microsoft @ 50 series, we'll hear his thoughts on the evolution of the company that he and Paul Allen started five decades ago, the opportunities in artificial intelligence, and what's next for Microsoft and the industry. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Contributing: Kevin Lisota.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we dive deep into DeepSeek, the AI project that shaking up the tech world, to better understand the underlying technical advances and the long-term implications for the industry. Joining us is Bill Howe, an associate professor at the University of Washington's Information School and the co-founding director of the UW Center for Responsible AI Systems and Experiences, among other UW roles. Related stories:  DeepSeek’s new model shows that AI expertise might matter more than compute in 2025 Allen Institute for AI challenges DeepSeek on key benchmarks with big new open-source AI model Microsoft CEO says AI use will ‘skyrocket’ with more efficiency amid craze over DeepSeek Who will win in AI? DeepSeek’s breakthrough stirs questions around value capture We open the show from the Microsoft campus in Redmond, after getting an inside look at the company's history for an upcoming installment in our Microsoft @ 50 series. John marvels at the size of new

This week, we delve into the Project Stargate announcement by OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank, in conjunction with President Trump, and assess the implications for OpenAi's relationship with Microsoft. We explain what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella really meant with his CNBC zinger about the Stargate investment, and consider how Elon Musk's involvement in the new administration could play out in the tech industry.  PLUS, we discuss Madrona's big new funds and the potential impact on startup activity in the Pacific NW, and find a revealing piece of Microsoft history on an old CD-ROM. Related stories:  Microsoft and OpenAI tweak the terms of their cloud deal, enabling $500B Stargate AI project ‘I’m good for my $80 billion’: What Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella really meant by his Stargate zinger CNBC: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on $500B Stargate project: Our partnership with OpenAI continues Madrona raises $770M for new funds — here’s what the Seattle VC firm is betting o

For this installment in our Microsoft @ 50 series, GeekWire revisited Bill Gates’ classic book from the mid-1990s, The Road Ahead, with the benefit of three decades of hindsight. We found in its pages a vision for technology that was essentially on the mark — foreseeing pervasive access to information, the rise of smart devices, and the central role of the internet in business, education, and the home. We also discovered striking parallels and insights relevant to the AI revolution we're experiencing today. https://www.geekwire.com/2025/the-road-ahead-at-30-what-bill-gates-classic-book-about-the-future-says-about-the-world-today/ On this episode, we get the behind-the-scenes story of the book from Peter Rinearson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, writer, entrepreneur, and former Microsoft VP, who co-authored The Road Ahead with Gates and former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold. Microsoft @ 50 is a year-long GeekWire project exploring the tech giant’s past, present, and future

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: An inside look at Amazon's classic process for strategic thinking and decision-making, with a former Amazon product and technology director who has written new book about the documents used by the company to determine its direction. What can others learn from its approach? Plus, we break down this pivotal moment in Amazon's history, as employees return to the office five days a week; and we check in on the state of the Seattle startup world. Our guest is Marcelo Calbucci, a serial entrepreneur and longtime Seattle startup community leader who has worked for both Amazon and Microsoft. His new book is The PRFAQ Framework: Adapting Amazon's Innovation Framework to Work for You. It's available in hardback and Kindle. Calbucci has also created a giveaway contest for GeekWire readers and listeners. Enter here for a chance to win a copy of the book. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Seattle-area software developer and AI entrepreneur Patrick Husting of Ghostwriter AI and the Equestrian App returns to the show to talk about the evolution of artificial intelligence over the past two years, how people are using the technology today, and where things are headed in 2025. Related links Can Microsoft avoid the ghost of Clippy? Familiar theme emerges in Copilot rollout for Office apps ‘Ghostwriter’ in the machine: How this software developer is integrating AI into work and life Microsoft Word gets ChatGPT integration with new ‘Ghostwriter’ third-party add-in WSJ: Microsoft Is Forcing Its AI Assistant on People—and Making Them Pay Elon Musk's xAI Launches Standalone Grok App Boy Genius Report: ChatGPT o1 hacked a chess game to cheat against a better opponent With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when you mix modern AI with a piece of vintage technology and the musical stylings of a very amateur guitarist? You might be surprised.  That's the subject of this week's episode. GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop's fun holiday project, revisiting a favorite gadget from his youth, illustrated some bigger themes about the AI that has emerged in the past two years, and the role it can play in life and work.  Read more here: 'From impossible to merely difficult': AI meets a vintage 1980s musical gadgetSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.