Highlights from today’s top stories. Subscribe here to receive this rundown daily.
Satya Nadella owns a soccer team. At least, he owns a piece of one. An all-star roster of Seattle tech leaders — including the Microsoft CEO — are joining a revamped Sounders FC ownership group, unveiled Tuesday by the pro soccer club.
Cray will develop an insanely fast supercomputer for the U.S. Department of Energy. Scientists need the $600 million “exascale” system for simulations to ensure U.S. nuclear weapons remain a deterrent without underground testing. HPE is acquiring the Seattle-based supercomputer maker for $1.3 billion. Read the story.
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture is protesting the rules for awarding future national security launch contracts. Blue Origin, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and Northrop Grumman have submitted bids in an Air Force competition aimed at selecting vendors for launches in the 2022-2026 time frame. Read the story.
Microsoft’s Cortana will soon be removed from a Johnson Controls smart thermostat. The device was once envisioned as a flagship smart home product for the digital assistant. It’s the latest sign that is Microsoft giving up on the digital assistant as serious competition for Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant. Read the story.
Is there a Lime in your Google Maps app? Yep, if you’re using Android in one of more than 100 cities where available Lime scooters are now displayed in Google Maps under an integration announced Tuesday morning.
Latest Seattle-area startup fundings
- Beauty products company Herbivore: $15 million.
- Battery startup Group14 Technologies: $14 million.
- Pioneer Square Labs spinout SingleFile Technologies: $3.3 million.
Check out our Startup Fundings database for more.
Platform Power: Our new GeekWire Podcast looks at the new generation of tech platforms such as Amazon, Google and Facebook as they draw increased scrutiny from regulators.
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