Author: Nat Levy – GeekWire

Nat Levy is a staff reporter at Geekwire covering a variety of technology topics, including Microsoft, Amazon, tech startups, and the intersection of technology with real estate, courts and government. Contact him at nat@geekwire.com and follow him on Twitter at @natjlevy.

Amazon spent close to $23B on R&D in 2017, outpacing fellow tech giants

Car2go and ReachNow car-sharing services to merge in deal between auto giants Daimler, BMW
Can Congress figure out tech and trade? Amazon, Microsoft and political leaders call for reform
Facebook opens big new Seattle building, boosting total capacity in the city to nearly 3,000 people

Latest from Nat Levy

Apple’s HomePod struggling to gain a foothold in competitive smart speaker market, report says

by Nat Levy on April 12, 2018April 12, 2018 at 10:57 amComment

Excess inventory of Apple HomePods is piling up at Apple stores, as the smart speaker has struggled to make a dent in the competitive market led by Amazon’s Echo, according… Read More

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi: self-driving cars today are ‘student drivers,’ will ultimately be safer than humans

by Nat Levy on April 12, 2018April 12, 2018 at 9:44 amComment

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said he is personally overseeing a “top-to-bottom” audit of the company’s safety procedures for self-driving cars, after a vehicle hit and killed a pedestrian in Arizona… Read More

Microsoft-owned Mixer’s new partnership aims to simplify livestreaming as it battles Amazon’s Twitch

by Nat Levy on April 11, 2018April 11, 2018 at 4:08 pmComment

Microsoft is teaming up with Lightstream Studio to help people broadcasting games on Mixer improve the look of their streams. The new alliance lets streamers integrate their feed into Lightstream, where… Read More

Hints of next generation Snap Spectacles camera glasses pop up in FCC filing

by Nat Levy on April 11, 2018April 11, 2018 at 8:28 amComment

Snapchat parent company Snap may be gearing up to release a new version of its Spectacle video sunglasses. Overnight, an application from Snap for a “wearable video camera” with the Federal… Read More

Four gaming companies hit with online gambling lawsuits over ‘free-to-play’ casino games

by Nat Levy on April 10, 2018April 12, 2018 at 6:41 amComment

A spate of lawsuits filed over the last few days target online gaming companies, alleging their digital casino offerings constitute illegal gambling under Washington state law. RELATED: Big Fish Casino… Read More

Walmart teams up with Postmates for grocery delivery service expansion to counter Amazon

by Nat Levy on April 10, 2018April 10, 2018 at 8:37 amComment

Walmart is stepping up its grocery delivery service through an agreement with Postmates to take on Amazon and Instacart in the highly competitive arena. Walmart previously announced plans to expand its… Read More

Video

Microsoft’s new portable smart mat aims to beam real items into the digital world

by Nat Levy on April 9, 2018April 9, 2018 at 3:56 pmComment

Microsoft’s research arm is working on a portable mat that can sense objects and then project them on to a smart device or computer screen, with a goal of closing… Read More

Lawsuit alleges toymaker Funko misled investors about its financials prior to IPO

by Nat Levy on April 9, 2018April 9, 2018 at 12:06 pmComment

A federal lawsuit alleges that toymaker Funko overstated its growth and profits in the run up to going public last year. Plaintiff Keith Jacobs seeks class action in the lawsuit… Read More

Amazon spent close to $23B on R&D in 2017, outpacing fellow tech giants

by Nat Levy on April 9, 2018April 9, 2018 at 10:33 amComment

Amazon powered its prolific 2017, which saw the release of a cavalcade of new products and services, with $22.6 billion in spending on research and development, tops among U.S. companies.… Read More

How a Seattle startup is using blockchain and virtual reality to upend the global coffee market

by Nat Levy on April 8, 2018April 10, 2018 at 2:33 pmComment

I’m sitting in the cafeteria of Building 25 on the sprawling Microsoft headquarters with an Oculus Rift headset strapped on my head. Swiveling from side to side, looking like a… Read More

Video

Walmart adding 500 new Pickup Towers for online orders as part of tech transformation

by Nat Levy on April 6, 2018April 6, 2018 at 10:51 amComment

Walmart is doubling down on the massive Pickup Towers it has placed in hundreds of stores across the U.S. The retail giant said this week it will deploy 500 more… Read More

Seattle median home price hits record $820K, soaring $43K in a month, putting buyers in a ‘pressure cooker’

by Nat Levy on April 6, 2018April 6, 2018 at 10:27 amComment

Seattle’s median home sale price climbed to $819,500 in March, gaining nearly $43,000 in value over last month’s record numbers. In its latest monthly update, the Northwest Multiple Listing Service… Read More

Instacart raises another $150M to double staff amid grocery delivery battle with Amazon

by Nat Levy on April 5, 2018April 5, 2018 at 3:41 pm1 Comment

Instacart has landed another $150 million to continue battling Amazon’s invasion of its rapid grocery delivery turf. The money is an extension of a $200 million Series E round in… Read More

B.C.-based Lululemon sets down permanent roots in Seattle with ‘sister city’ tech center

by Nat Levy on April 5, 2018April 5, 2018 at 11:41 amComment

Athletic apparel retailer Lululemon has established a permanent presence in Seattle, as it looks to take advantage of the region’s tech talent to beef up its digital offerings. The retailer’s… Read More

Amazon Key expands nationwide, but controversial in-home package delivery does not

by Nat Levy on April 5, 2018April 5, 2018 at 10:46 amComment

Amazon Key is going nationwide. Amazon said it has expanded the reach of the app — which works with smart locks and an in-house security camera to allow the company to let… Read More

Microsoft pledges $5B Internet of Things investment over 4 years

by Nat Levy on April 4, 2018April 4, 2018 at 10:55 amComment

Microsoft said Wednesday it plans to invest $5 billion in the complicated-but-exciting world of Internet of Things over the next four years. In a blog post, Corporate Vice President of… Read More

Smooth talker: Microsoft speech technology claims superior conversational abilities

by Nat Levy on April 4, 2018April 4, 2018 at 11:42 amComment

Microsoft’s digital assistants and chatbots are getting a lot chattier. Microsoft today unveiled the ability for bots to have “session-oriented” back and forth conversations with humans, instead of the single… Read More

GeekWire 200 March update: Top-ranked Smartsheet and DocuSign file for IPOs

by Nat Levy on March 30, 2018March 30, 2018 at 2:36 pmComment

Two of the top five companies GeekWire 200, our ranking of the Pacific Northwest’s top startups, are going public, leaving several top spots up for grabs for the first time… Read More

Microsoft doubles down on artificial intelligence in engineering reorganization

by Nat Levy on March 29, 2018March 29, 2018 at 10:46 am 3 Comments

Two key letters show up throughout Microsoft’s major reorganization announcement this morning: AI. Artificial intelligence will get even more emphasis as part of the company’s reshuffling of leadership and engineering divisions. In… Read More

Big Fish Casino video game constitutes illegal online gambling, federal appeals court rules

by Nat Levy on March 28, 2018March 29, 2018 at 10:46 am 11 Comments

A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that Big Fish Games’ Big Fish Casino constitutes illegal online gambling, according to Washington state law, in a case that could have major implications… Read More

Car2go and ReachNow car-sharing services to merge in deal between auto giants Daimler, BMW

by Nat Levy on March 28, 2018March 28, 2018 at 10:42 am 9 Comments

European auto giants Daimler and BMW, whose car-sharing services compete in Seattle and other U.S. cities, have agreed to combine their “mobility services business units,” in a bid to dominate the… Read More

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress about data privacy

by Nat Levy on March 27, 2018March 27, 2018 at 9:54 am1 Comment

News Brief: CNN reports that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has decided to testify before Congress about data privacy, following reports of the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica illegitimately obtaining personal information… Read More

Seattle home price gains lead the nation for 17th month in a row

by Nat Levy on March 27, 2018March 27, 2018 at 8:40 amComment

Seattle yet again sports the nation’s fastest-growing home prices, continuing a streak that has now lasted 17 months. According to the latest Case-Shiller national home price report, Seattle home prices in January… Read More

Can Congress figure out tech and trade? Amazon, Microsoft and political leaders call for reform

by Nat Levy on March 26, 2018March 27, 2018 at 8:31 amComment

Some of the most important U.S. laws that govern global trade and the flow of information across borders are outdated. Not disrupted by cutting-edge tech that has come out in… Read More

Microsoft Edge browser debuts on iPad and Android tablets

by Nat Levy on March 26, 2018March 28, 2018 at 7:20 am 2 Comments

NEWS BRIEF: Starting today, Microsoft’s Edge browser is available on iPads and Android tablets, four months after it debuted on Android and iOS smartphones. Edge is geared toward people who… Read More

A travel site by any other name: Expedia modifies moniker

by Nat Levy on March 26, 2018March 26, 2018 at 9:42 amComment

Expedia is changing its name. It’s only a minor alteration, as Expedia Inc. has become Expedia Group. The new name brings it a little closer to one of Expedia co-founder… Read More

FTC investigating Facebook as social network’s public trust and stock price plummet

by Nat Levy on March 26, 2018March 26, 2018 at 10:44 amComment

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is opening an investigation into Facebook’s privacy practices, following reports last week that political consultancy Cambridge Analytica obtained 50 million Facebook users’ personal data without permission.… Read More

Articles by Nat Levy

Top Stories from Nat Levy

Amazon spent close to $23B on R&D in 2017, outpacing fellow tech giants

Latest from Nat Levy

Apple’s HomePod struggling to gain a foothold in competitive smart speaker market, report says

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi: self-driving cars today are ‘student drivers,’ will ultimately be safer than humans

Microsoft-owned Mixer’s new partnership aims to simplify livestreaming as it battles Amazon’s Twitch

Hints of next generation Snap Spectacles camera glasses pop up in FCC filing

Four gaming companies hit with online gambling lawsuits over ‘free-to-play’ casino games

Walmart teams up with Postmates for grocery delivery service expansion to counter Amazon

Microsoft’s new portable smart mat aims to beam real items into the digital world

Lawsuit alleges toymaker Funko misled investors about its financials prior to IPO

Amazon spent close to $23B on R&D in 2017, outpacing fellow tech giants

How a Seattle startup is using blockchain and virtual reality to upend the global coffee market

Walmart adding 500 new Pickup Towers for online orders as part of tech transformation

Seattle median home price hits record $820K, soaring $43K in a month, putting buyers in a ‘pressure cooker’

Instacart raises another $150M to double staff amid grocery delivery battle with Amazon

B.C.-based Lululemon sets down permanent roots in Seattle with ‘sister city’ tech center

Amazon Key expands nationwide, but controversial in-home package delivery does not

Microsoft pledges $5B Internet of Things investment over 4 years

Smooth talker: Microsoft speech technology claims superior conversational abilities

GeekWire 200 March update: Top-ranked Smartsheet and DocuSign file for IPOs

Microsoft doubles down on artificial intelligence in engineering reorganization

Big Fish Casino video game constitutes illegal online gambling, federal appeals court rules

Car2go and ReachNow car-sharing services to merge in deal between auto giants Daimler, BMW

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress about data privacy

Seattle home price gains lead the nation for 17th month in a row

Can Congress figure out tech and trade? Amazon, Microsoft and political leaders call for reform

Microsoft Edge browser debuts on iPad and Android tablets

A travel site by any other name: Expedia modifies moniker

FTC investigating Facebook as social network’s public trust and stock price plummet

Inside ‘Avalara Hawk Tower,’ sales tax automation company brings island roots into a new era

Whole Foods executives reportedly depart as Amazon says integration is ‘off to a great start’

Waving at drones: The wackiest patent image you’ll see today, courtesy of Amazon

TeamsCode Development Challenge

Agile Security Summit: Integrating Application Security at the Speed of Agile

Learn what blockchain can do to retail with John Wantz CEO of SHOP