GeekWire

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is a numbers guy. He's taking that data-focused mindset to a new project: USAFacts, a project that's bringing together mountains of data to build financial reports on U.S. government operations, like a 10-K for business leaders. GeekWire editor Todd Bishop sat down with Ballmer to get all the details on his new project, and we're sharing the full interview on this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast. 

The GeekWire Awards are just around the corner, and on this episode of the GeekWire podcast, we take a look at our finalists. They represent the best of the best in the northwest tech community and they speak volumes about where things are headed in the coming years. Winners will be chosen by public voting and announced at our Awards on May 4 at MoPop. Check out all the finalists and vote for your favorites on our Awards Page, where you can also get tickets to the Awards.

The Xbox spring games sale started this week with some pretty sweet deals on some of the biggest games of the past few years. Plus, Apple made a rare move: an apology. The company admitted they had made a big mistake in the design of the 2013 Mac Pro and promised a new version is on its way, but not until next year.  We also dive into some of our favorite games of the moment including some fun surprises on the Switch, some addicting PC games and even board and pen-and-paper games. 

Uber won a small victory in its legal battle with the City of Seattle this week, but the fight is far from over. In more promising news, Seattle's giant tunnel boring machine, Bertha, finally reached the finishing line of the nearly two-mile tunnel she's been creating under the city. We get first-hand accounts of both events from GeekWire reporters on this episode of the Week in Geek, and also take a look at some interesting shifts in the startup funding landscape.

It may seem like something out of your favorite sci fi novel, but Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos wants to make space tourism a reality. He spoke about Blue Origin's plans for commercial space flight at the 33rd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, where GeekWire reporter Alan Boyle has been covering all the action. We're sharing a recording of that talk and his Q&A with reporters on this episode of the GeekWire podcast, so buckle up and hold on tight!

Just in case Xfinity doesn't offer enough services, the cable and internet providor is making the leap into another industry: wireless phone service. Plus, YouTube launches its TV feature, giving subscribers live streams of local stations and limitless DVR storage, and we go hands-on with Apple's mobile photo and video editor, Clips. All that and more on this week's episode of GearedUp. 

Nine years ago, almost to the day, Seattle's NBA team, the SuperSonics, was officially relocated to Oklahoma City. And even though the city has changed by leaps and bounds since then, there's a growing movement to revive the Sonics in the city. Jeff Shulman has been documenting that movement, and the possible impacts to Seattle's tech community, on the Seattle Growth Podcast. On this episode, we talk with Jeff about how tech has changed the city since the team left, and what impact it would have on tech and beyond if it returned. 

The speculation is over! After months of anticipation, Samsung has revealed their next smartphone: the S8. Andru got his hands on one at the launch event in New York City this week, and says it's unlike any other smartphone he's seen. On this episode of GearedUp, we take a look at what makes the S8 special, and whether it stands up to Samsung's claim that it's the biggest thing to ever happen in the smartphone market. Plus, Todd shares his takeaways from the Windows 10 creators edition update, and we take a look at Andru's brand new Product Red iPhone.

It was a busy news week in Seattle. Rover announced it is acquiring its biggest competition; the Bezos family made a record-breaking donation to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; and the University of Washington released a heartwarming study on the effects of Pokemon Go on family bonding. Catch it all on this episode of the Week in Geek. 

A few weeks ago, Henry turned 10. That's when a new friend named Alexa entered his life. Henry's dad, GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, says welcoming Amazon's AI assistant into their home has been an enlightening, and at times difficult, transition. This week on the podcast, we sit down with Henry, Kurt and Alexa to hear about Henry's new friendship. 

Starbucks and Amazon, two of Seattle's iconic businesses, started off very different from each other. But they're slowly and steadily moving towards the same goal: a hybrid of tech-driven and in-person retail. Today on the Week in Geek we ask, what does that mean for the businesses, and what would it look like if they eventually merged? Plus, we introduce a new segment: The Random Channel. 

Trying to keep up with news from Apple this week was a challenge. New iPads, a new Product Red iPhone, a Snapchat-like app, and changes to Apple Watches were all in the headlines today. On this episode of GearedUp we review the news (or lack thereof) in all the announcements, plus Andru goes over some tips and tricks for getting better speeds on the Xbox One.

Theories about the future of tech are a dime a dozen, but this week's guest has a tried-and-true method to peek into the tech ecosystem: follow the money. Greg Beams is a partner at global professional services firm EY and heads up the Entrepreneur of the Year program in the Pacific Northwest. He takes us on an in-depth study of the numbers and figures behind Seattle's tech scene, and what they say about where the industry is going. 

It's been a busy week in the gadget world. The Nintendo Switch set sales records, Pandora announced a new premium service, and McDonalds of all places is introducing a high-tech ordering system. Get caught up on all the electronics news with this week's episode of GearedUp with hosts Andru Edwards and Todd Bishop. 

After months of anticipation, GeekWire learned the name of Amazon's secretive grocery pickup service: Amazon Fresh Pickup. On this episode of the Week in Geek, the GeekWire team has a hot debate over the actual usefulness of being able to order groceries ahead for pickup. Plus, we get an update on the case against the Trump administration's travel ban, and some of us bemoan a world without Uber.