This was a week when many of us in the U.S. paused to reflect and give thanks. We’re keeping the tradition alive on the GeekWire Podcast. On this special holiday… Read More
As the new Public Health – Seattle & King County policy requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter certain businesses goes into effect today, digital methods of verification are expected… Read More
A new survey of workers and human resources leaders sheds light on attitudes related to changing work environments, including such things as burnout levels, how many days a week in… Read More
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will provide up to $120 million to help lower-income countries access a new pill to treat COVID-19, the foundation announced Tuesday. Molnupiravir cuts the… Read More
When Howard Frumkin first started inviting speakers for a meeting held last week on the effects of the pandemic, he thought it would be mostly over. “When we planned this… Read More
In the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, as we desperately flailed for reliable information to comprehend what had previously been largely unimaginable, Seattle’s Trevor Bedford was a rare source… Read More
Economic shocks such as the pandemic accelerate existing societal trends. That was a recurring theme among economists and urban planners at a recent meeting hosted by the Washington State Academy… Read More
Amazon Web Services will provide $40 million in credits and technical support over three years for organizations working to enhance health and reduce inequities in care. “Applying modern technology to… Read More
The pandemic has hastened already-existing economic trends, such as the increase in remote work. But at the same time, it is also exacerbating existing economic disparities. Speakers at a recent… Read More
A new art project being unveiled in Seattle today is part of an effort by Facebook and others to promote the importance of COVID-19 vaccines. The Community Vaccination Art Program… Read More
As many of its corporate brethren leave their timelines for returning to the office open-ended, or push things back to next year, T-Mobile is “highly encouraging” its workforce to get… Read More
From its early days as a streaming audio pioneer to its recent expansion into facial recognition technology, RealNetworks has focused on software and services throughout its 27-year history. But the… Read More
As people in the United States debate COVID-19 vaccine mandates, a new report from the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a reminder that many people around the world… Read More
Rep. Adam Schiff, in separate letters to bosses of tech giants Amazon and Facebook, criticized the efforts of both companies to curb the spread COVID-19 and related vaccination information. The… Read More
A new study finds that Microsoft’s companywide shift to remote work has hurt communication and collaboration among different business groups inside the company, threatening employee productivity and long-term innovation. That’s… Read More
Microsoft says it no longer considers early October a realistic timeframe for fully opening its U.S. offices, and it won’t be predicting a new date at this point. It’s the… Read More
In a six-page letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Sen. Elizabeth Warren expressed concerns that the “search and ‘Best Seller’ algorithms” on the online retail giant’s website are spreading misinformation… Read More
Diagnostics startup ID Genomics will accelerate its development of a quick test for variants of the COVID-19 virus with a new grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The… Read More
A new day, another new year return-to-office plan. Facebook joined the growing list of companies that are pushing back the date on when employees are expected to start showing up… Read More
This is starting to look like a trend: Expedia Group, the Seattle-based online travel giant, has told employees that it’s delaying a full return to the office until early next… Read More
In a bid to incentivize more frontline workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Amazon is offering a lottery of cash and prizes valued at almost $2 million, Bloomberg reported on… Read More
A day after pushing back the return to an in-person setting for its office workers to the new year, Amazon has issued new masking guidance for its warehouse workers as… Read More
Amazon told employees Thursday that it will delay its timeline for returning to regular work in the office until early next year. The new date: Jan. 3, 2022. Previously, Amazon… Read More
Amazon launched an at-home COVID-19 test kit for U.S. consumers last month, broadening the options for people to get tested for the disease. The self-administered test builds on Amazon’s in-house… Read More
Microsoft says it will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for all employees, vendors and guests entering its U.S. buildings starting in September, joining Google, Facebook and other companies in implementing… Read More
Is there ever really a good time to launch a startup? That’s the question Javier Luraschi was asking and sort of answering for himself in discussing his effort to “democratize… Read More
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, University of Washington scientist Deborah Fuller did a quick pivot to the new virus. Her skills in vaccine research had been honed for many years… Read More
The organizers of the upcoming Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, also known as PAX West, have announced that the event will now require either vaccination or a negative COVID test… Read More
Microsoft is giving employees $1,500 in bonus pay for weathering the “unique and challenging” circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an internal company memo seen by The Verge on… Read More
Seattle-based Icosavax has filed to go public via an IPO, just four years after it launched out of the University of Washington. The company, a spin-out from the UW’s Institute… Read More