Amazon (AMZN) News

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Surgeon, data geek, outspoken advocate: Meet the new CEO of Amazon’s health partnership

by Clare McGrane on June 20, 2018June 20, 2018 at 10:26 am1 Comment

The joint healthcare venture from Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway finally has a leader. Surgeon and Harvard professor Dr. Atul Gawande was named its CEO Wednesday, and he has a monumental… Read More

Madrona reveals more details about its startup founder factory, taps ex-AWS manager as leader

by Taylor Soper on June 20, 2018June 20, 2018 at 11:22 am1 Comment

Scott Jacobson knows Seattle’s tech ecosystem: its global corporations, top research institutions, and talented entrepreneurs. But the managing director at Madrona Venture Group sees one piece that’s missing — and… Read More

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Amazon, JPMorgan and Berkshire Hathaway reveal CEO for new health venture, pick Boston as HQ

by Clare McGrane on June 20, 2018June 20, 2018 at 10:13 amComment

After months of speculation, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway announced the CEO of their new health venture Wednesday. RELATED: Surgeon, data geek, outspoken advocate: Meet the new CEO of… Read More

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TLDR:Microsoft responds to separation of families at the border, Alexa targets hotels, GameStop’s potential buyout

by Starla Sampaco on June 19, 2018June 19, 2018 at 4:15 pmComment

[Editor’s Note: TLDR is GeekWire’s tech news rundown show, hosted by Starla Sampaco. Watch today’s update above, subscribe to GeekWire on YouTube, check back weekday afternoons for more, and sign up for TLDR… Read More

Amazon’s ‘Hub’ apartment delivery lockers now available to 500K residents across U.S.

by Taylor Soper on June 19, 2018June 19, 2018 at 10:15 am 2 Comments

Amazon continues to roll out its “Hub” apartment delivery lockers, announcing today that the service is now available to more than 500,000 residents across the U.S. The company launched the… Read More

Google’s new Podcasts app syncs with Home speakers via Assistant, one-upping Amazon Alexa

by Todd Bishop on June 19, 2018June 19, 2018 at 12:37 pmComment

Details of Google Podcasts, the search giant’s new Android app for listening to audio shows, leaked overnight in advance of its official release, and one feature is especially noteworthy for… Read More

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Former Amazon devices executive Ian Freed launches Bamboo Music skill for Alexa

by Frank Catalano on June 19, 2018June 18, 2018 at 8:44 pmComment

Kids and their parents are getting a new way to use Amazon Echo devices for learning about music. And it’s coming as an Alexa skill from the person who once… Read More

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Amazon targets hotels with new ‘Alexa for Hospitality’ voice service, inks Marriott deal

by Taylor Soper on June 19, 2018June 19, 2018 at 10:10 am 3 Comments

Amazon is making a big push to get its Alexa voice technology inside hotel rooms. Related:Testing Alexa in a hotel room: We used Amazon’s voice assistant inside a swanky Las… Read More

Video

TLDR: Video game addiction, Ofo on naked bike riding, Echo Look review & unboxing

by Starla Sampaco on June 18, 2018June 18, 2018 at 4:51 pmComment

[Editor’s Note: TLDR is GeekWire’s tech news rundown show, hosted by Starla Sampaco. Watch today’s update above, subscribe to GeekWire on YouTube, check back weekday afternoons for more, and sign up for TLDR… Read More

Surprise delivery: Amazon HQ receives 150k signatures urging company to stop selling facial recognition software to cops

by Monica Nickelsburg on June 18, 2018June 18, 2018 at 3:26 pmComment

Amazon received an unexpected delivery Monday afternoon when community leaders dropped off four big boxes of signatures urging the company to stop selling image recognition technology to law enforcement agencies.… Read More

‘Get rich with Amazon’ schemers to pay up to $102M in settlement with FTC

by Nat Levy on June 18, 2018June 19, 2018 at 10:28 amComment

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has settled with three people accused of running what it called a scheme promising the “secrets for making money on Amazon” and defrauding people by… Read More

Shareholders, ACLU urge Amazon to stop selling facial recognition software to police ahead of event at tech giant’s HQ

by Monica Nickelsburg on June 18, 2018June 19, 2018 at 11:40 am1 Comment

Amazon is taking more heat for selling its facial recognition software to local law enforcement agencies. The American Civil Liberties Union is holding a press conference at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters… Read More

Video

Amazon Echo Look review and unboxing: What it’s like to use this fashion-focused Alexa device

by Starla Sampaco on June 17, 2018June 17, 2018 at 8:43 am1 Comment

[Editor’s Note: Starla Sampaco is the host and producer of GeekWire’s TLDR daily news show. Watch and subscribe here.] I just got my hands on Amazon’s new Echo Look. It’s… Read More

Amazon ends Mayday live video customer support on Fire tablets, five years after high-profile rollout

by Todd Bishop on June 16, 2018June 16, 2018 at 10:55 am 2 Comments

Amazon is pulling the plug on its Mayday video calling feature for on-screen customer support on its Fire tablets, ending a service that was personally unveiled by Amazon CEO Jeff… Read More

Podcast

Week in Geek Podcast: The story behind the dramatic reversal of the ‘Amazon tax’ in Seattle

by Todd Bishop on June 16, 2018June 16, 2018 at 8:46 am1 Comment

The fight over taxing big businesses in Seattle took a dramatic turn this week. The Seattle City Council voted to repeal the Head Tax, sometimes called the ‘Amazon Tax,’ less… Read More

Amazon-Whole Foods one year later: How tech is reshaping grocery, and how rivals are responding

by Nat Levy on June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 at 11:57 amComment

One year ago, Amazon agreed to buy Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, sending shockwaves through a grocery industry suddenly faced with competing against the world’s second most valuable tech company… Read More

Inside the private event where Microsoft, Google, Salesforce and other rivals share security secrets

by Todd Bishop on June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 at 3:06 pmComment

REDMOND, Wash. — At first glance, the gathering inside Building 99 at Microsoft this week looked like many others inside the company, as technical experts shared hard-earned lessons for using machine… Read More

Jeff Bezos is planning his big philanthropic push: Here are 5 ideas that need the billionaire’s attention

by Monica Nickelsburg on June 14, 2018June 14, 2018 at 5:12 pm 4 Comments

Over the past year, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has been collecting ideas for philanthropic causes he should back with his fortune, driving tremendous interest (and nearly 50,000 replies) to his… Read More

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TLDR: Elon Musk’s Boring Company to build Chicago transit system, housing development as a service, Death Cab sings about Amazon

by Starla Sampaco on June 14, 2018June 14, 2018 at 5:07 pmComment

[Editor’s Note: TLDR is GeekWire’s tech news rundown show, hosted by Starla Sampaco. Watch today’s update above, subscribe to GeekWire on YouTube, check back weekday afternoons for more, and sign up for TLDR… Read More

Seattle businesses rejected tax as ‘wrong approach’ to homeless crisis — now what will they do?

by Monica Nickelsburg on June 14, 2018June 15, 2018 at 10:32 am 22 Comments

The dramatic defeat of a new business tax designed to alleviate Seattle’s dire homelessness crisis was seen as a victory by many in the business community. Reactions ranged from measured… Read More

Amazon takes on Google as Ring launches $199 security product for the entire home

by Taylor Soper on June 14, 2018June 14, 2018 at 11:27 amComment

Amazon-owned Ring is taking on traditional home security systems and fellow tech companies like Google with its new Ring Alarm product. Ring Alarm is an expansion of the company’s video… Read More

Echo is Amazon’s most popular device, study says, narrowly beating out Fire tablets and Fire TV

by Nat Levy on June 14, 2018June 14, 2018 at 10:48 amComment

After a strong 2017, Amazon’s line of Echo smart speakers have overtaken Fire tablets as the tech giant’s most popular devices, according to a new report. The report from Futuresource… Read More

Microsoft reportedly working on Amazon Go-like cashier-less technology

by Taylor Soper on June 14, 2018June 14, 2018 at 8:53 am1 Comment

Amazon isn’t the only Seattle-area tech giant that wants to change how we pay for items at the grocery store. Microsoft’s business AI team is developing automated technology that tracks… Read More

Testing Amazon’s new DeepLens camera: Can this $249 device really recognize everyday objects?

by Nat Levy on June 13, 2018June 13, 2018 at 8:31 pm1 Comment

It’s been seven months since Amazon Web Services gave the first look at DeepLens — a $249 programmable video camera that runs machine learning models for object recognition — and… Read More

Jeff Bezos teases two new philanthropic causes — and promises the big reveal this summer

by Monica Nickelsburg on June 13, 2018June 13, 2018 at 7:49 pm1 Comment

After a year of deliberation and thought, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced plans to back two philanthropic initiatives, potentially signaling a new chapter for the planet’s richest person. Bezos’ fortune… Read More

Amazon cancels huge summer picnic and post-holiday party as Seattle employee count swells, plans new post-Prime Day concert

by Taylor Soper on June 13, 2018June 14, 2018 at 10:18 am1 Comment

No more post-holiday party or summer picnic for Amazon’s 45,000 employees in Seattle. Amazon has canceled two massive employee celebration events as the company’s workforce continues to swell in its… Read More

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Get a sneak peek at Amazon Web Services’ latest infrastructure updates from Peter DeSantis at the GeekWire Cloud Tech Summit

by Tom Krazit on June 12, 2018June 12, 2018 at 10:34 amComment

As the man in charge of the public cloud leader’s sprawling computing resources, Peter DeSantis needs to have his finger on the pulse of the latest and greatest in infrastructure… Read More

Amazon

Surgeon, data geek, outspoken advocate: Meet the new CEO of Amazon’s health partnership

Madrona reveals more details about its startup founder factory, taps ex-AWS manager as leader

Amazon, JPMorgan and Berkshire Hathaway reveal CEO for new health venture, pick Boston as HQ

TLDR:Microsoft responds to separation of families at the border, Alexa targets hotels, GameStop’s potential buyout

Amazon’s ‘Hub’ apartment delivery lockers now available to 500K residents across U.S.

Google’s new Podcasts app syncs with Home speakers via Assistant, one-upping Amazon Alexa

Former Amazon devices executive Ian Freed launches Bamboo Music skill for Alexa

Amazon targets hotels with new ‘Alexa for Hospitality’ voice service, inks Marriott deal

Surprise delivery: Amazon HQ receives 150k signatures urging company to stop selling facial recognition software to cops

‘Get rich with Amazon’ schemers to pay up to $102M in settlement with FTC

Shareholders, ACLU urge Amazon to stop selling facial recognition software to police ahead of event at tech giant’s HQ

Amazon Echo Look review and unboxing: What it’s like to use this fashion-focused Alexa device

Amazon ends Mayday live video customer support on Fire tablets, five years after high-profile rollout

Week in Geek Podcast: The story behind the dramatic reversal of the ‘Amazon tax’ in Seattle

Amazon-Whole Foods one year later: How tech is reshaping grocery, and how rivals are responding

Inside the private event where Microsoft, Google, Salesforce and other rivals share security secrets

Jeff Bezos is planning his big philanthropic push: Here are 5 ideas that need the billionaire’s attention

TLDR: Elon Musk’s Boring Company to build Chicago transit system, housing development as a service, Death Cab sings about Amazon

Seattle businesses rejected tax as ‘wrong approach’ to homeless crisis — now what will they do?

Amazon takes on Google as Ring launches $199 security product for the entire home

Echo is Amazon’s most popular device, study says, narrowly beating out Fire tablets and Fire TV

Microsoft reportedly working on Amazon Go-like cashier-less technology

Testing Amazon’s new DeepLens camera: Can this $249 device really recognize everyday objects?

Jeff Bezos teases two new philanthropic causes — and promises the big reveal this summer

Amazon cancels huge summer picnic and post-holiday party as Seattle employee count swells, plans new post-Prime Day concert

TLDR: Seattle repeals ‘Amazon Tax,’ AT&T and Time Warner deal approved, the biggest games at E3

Amazon says Seattle head tax repeal ‘is the right decision for the region’s economic prosperity’

Don’t count Cortana out: Study predicts Microsoft’s digital assistant will rival Amazon and Google in business use

MATE international underwater robotics competition

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