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 Aug. 9, 2020.
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Most popular stories on GeekWire
Seattle business leaders ask city to reconsider tax after Amazon polls employees about relocation
The Downtown Seattle Association is asking the Seattle City Council to reconsider a new payroll tax following a news report that Amazon polled employees about which communities they’d prefer to work from elsewhere in the region. … Read More
REI looks to sell brand new Seattle-area HQ as pandemic forces retailer to rethink remote work
REI was set to move more than 1,000 employees into a brand new headquarters complex this summer, built on an 8-acre site surrounded by parks and wilderness just east of Seattle in Bellevue, Wash. … Read More
Filing shows where Microsoft is really making its money; reveals M&A spending; adds Netflix, Hulu, Tencent to list of rivals
Microsoft may be toying with the idea of buying Tik-Tok, but more than ever, its bread-and-butter is basic cloud services and server software for businesses. … Read More
Brad Porter, longtime Amazon Robotics leader and distinguished engineer, reportedly resigns
Amazon’s longtime robotics leader Brad Porter has left the company, according to a report from Business Insider. … Read More
Oracle names new cloud infrastructure leader, signals broader ambitions to challenge Amazon
Oracle wasn’t the first big tech company to offer public cloud computing infrastructure, or the second, or the third. … Read More
Uber and Lyft push back on Seattle mayor’s plan to pay drivers more money
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan unveiled a new proposal to increase pay for Uber and Lyft drivers and cover expenses such as gas. … Read More
Amazon reveals ‘confidential’ podcast plan in mass email; shows must agree not to disparage Amazon
Amazon Music and the tech giant’s Audible subsidiary plan to offer podcasts from third-party content providers directly on their platforms, significantly expanding their audio offerings and going head-to-head with Apple, Google, Spotify and others major podcast distribution platforms. … Read More
Seattle Seahawks become first NFL team to use CLEAR’s COVID-19 screening tool
The Seattle Seahawks are turning to technology to help keep players and personnel safe as a season unlike any other kicks off next month. … Read More
Super spreaders drive COVID-19: 80% of those infected likely don’t spread disease, Fred Hutch study finds
About 80% of people infected with the novel coronavirus don’t spread the infection to anyone else, leaving the so-called super spreaders as the drivers of the global pandemic that has infected more than 5 million Americans alone, killing 162,000 people. … Read More
Seattle startup led by former K2 exec raises $950K to help you sleep better while camping
Aaron Ambuske was tired of getting poor sleep while camping. … Read More