GeekWire
  • Home
  • News
    • Amazon
    • Microsoft
    • Startups
    • Space
    • Science
    • Sports Tech
    • Cloud Tech
    • TLDR
    • Geek Life
    • Podcasts
    • Apple
    • Google
    • Impact Series
    • Real Estate
    • Civic Innovation
    • Health/Life Sciences
    • Health Tech Podcast presented by Premera
    • App of the Week
    • Geek of the Week – presented by ExtraSlice
    • Startup Spotlight
    • Geek Home of the Week by Realogics Sotheby’s
    • Shift presented by Intel
    • Working Geek – presented by Alaska Airlines
    • Tech Moves
    • Launch Pads
  • Jobs
  • Events
    • GeekWire Events
    • Community Calendar
  • Resources
    • Memberships
    • Health Benefits
    • GeekWire Startup Resources
    • GeekWire Startup List
    • GeekWire 200
    • Seattle Engineering Centers
    • GeekWire Startup Spaces
    • Community Calendar
    • Amazon Office Buildings
    • Northwest Women VC & Angel Investor List
  • About
    • About GeekWire
    • Email Newsletters
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Sponsors
    • Reprints & Permissions
  • LATEST
  • POPULAR
  • Geek of the Week: Allen Institute for AI researcher Daniel King already winning in quest to make world a better place
  • Empire State Building ‘It’s up to you, New York’ … actually, it was up to Amazon, and don’t say you were never warned
  • Steve Ballmer’s Los Angeles Clippers sign cloud deal with Microsoft rival Amazon Web Services
  • Seattle indie game developer tinyBuild raises $15M, plans to grow using ‘dynamic structure’ strategy
  • Politicians pushing back on corporate power celebrate victory in Amazon’s NYC reversal
  • Future unicorns: Algorithm predicts the next $1B companies, including one Seattle startup
  • Pop culture toymaker Funko expands into board games with acquisition of Seattle studio
  • This DNA-driven dating startup says love is in the air — and they’ll help you sniff it out
  • Jim Bridenstine NASA lays out its commercial roadmap for putting astronauts on the moon in 2028
  • Redfin posts $487M in revenue in 2018 as losses balloon to $42M for the year
  • Come on, Amazon! The implications of the tech giant’s abrupt decision to nix its NYC HQ2
  • Big win or big loss? Reaction mixed to Amazon’s shocking decision to scrap New York HQ2
  • Amazon won’t reopen search for new HQ2 location after ditching New York City
  • Silicon Valley investment firm Alpine SG acquires 6 startups, forms new Seattle-area marketing company
  • In stunning reversal, Amazon drops plans for HQ2 in New York City in the face of growing backlash
  • Tech Moves: Smartsheet names AWS vet as CTO; Ex-Nike exec heads Grayl’s board; Indeed replaces CEO
  • Madrona continues hiring spree with Trilogy veteran Katie Drucker and former Avvo CEO Mark Britton
  • Morhard and Bridenstine NASA’s deputy chief echoes JFK in a pitch for commercial space ventures
  • Geared Up: Why Amazon is getting into WiFi, and how Apple could upgrade the AirPods
  • Nintendo surprises fans with ‘Super Mario Maker 2,’ remastered ‘Link’s Awakening’ and new game ‘Astral Chain’
  • Starlink constellation SpaceX seeks FCC approval for up to 1M Starlink satellite earth stations
  • Cities wising up to disruptive transportation tech: ‘Why should they use our public right of way to become billionaires?’
  • Demolition set to begin on Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct — watch it fall with web cams and more
  • Russell Wilson and Ciara ‘Dream Big’ with new library initiative, scholarship and goals in tech
  • Bill Gates patched things up with Paul Allen, hoped to travel the world with Microsoft co-founder
  • Amazon names Starbucks COO Rosalind Brewer as director, diversifying previously all-white board
  • Activision Blizzard subsidiary Z2 shuts down Seattle game studio amid larger layoffs
  • Amazon’s birthplace for sale: Home where Jeff Bezos started company listed for nearly $1.5M
  • In stunning reversal, Amazon drops plans for HQ2 in New York City in the face of growing backlash
  • Steve Ballmer’s Los Angeles Clippers sign cloud deal with Microsoft rival Amazon Web Services
  • GeekWire grills Bill Gates on a meaty issue for Seattle fast food lovers: Dick’s or Burgermaster?
  • Bill Gates explains why putting America first means giving a damn about the rest of the world, too
  • Say snow more? Weather guru Cliff Mass predicts ‘absolutely classic’ storm could hit Seattle region
  • Mark Zuckerberg Review: ‘Zucked’ examines Facebook’s unchecked power and ‘catastrophic’ results for us all
  • New filing reveals the bill for Expedia’s Seattle waterfront campus: $190M in 2018 and up to $475M this year
  • Future unicorns: Algorithm predicts the next $1B companies, including one Seattle startup
  • Startup tech exec and former pro hockey player joins new Seattle NHL franchise to lead tech efforts
  • Nudes judgment: ‘Saturday Night Live’ mocks the Jeff Bezos and National Enquirer selfie saga
  • Pop culture toymaker Funko expands into board games with acquisition of Seattle studio
  • Amazon HQ Will Amazon buy Etsy, Kohl’s, or the Seahawks? GeekWire predicts the tech giant’s next big deals

ofo

Another doggone bikeshare bicycle: Ofo reaches peak performance by being left on mountaintop

by Kurt Schlosser on September 5, 2018September 5, 2018 at 12:13 pmComment

No one would ever confuse any of the bikeshare bicycles on the streets of Seattle as mountain bikes. But a yellow Ofo bike has definitely achieved peak performance after being… Read More

Ofo picks 3 nonprofits to receive donated bikes as bikeshare company shuts down Seattle operation

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 20, 2018August 20, 2018 at 2:13 pm1 Comment

As it shuts down service in Seattle, Ofo is donating its bright yellow, shareable bikes to a handful of nonprofit organizations. Ofo confirmed plans to donate bikes to Cup of… Read More

Spin bike

Spin is rolling out of Seattle, leaving just one dockless bikeshare service

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 16, 2018August 17, 2018 at 8:51 am 11 Comments

Spin, the operator of Seattle’s dwindling bright orange bicycles, is shutting down service in the city. The news comes a few weeks after Ofo announced it will be pulling its… Read More

Ofo confirms Seattle departure date, promises refunds to riders

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 13, 2018August 13, 2018 at 12:54 pm1 Comment

Seattle Ofo customers who prepaid for rides will be refunded according to an email the bikesharing company sent this week. Ofo is shutting down operation in Seattle August 31. The… Read More

Video

TLDR: Amazon’s Whole Foods grocery pick-up service, Magic Leap’s mixed reality headset, Ofo bike graveyard

by Starla Sampaco on August 8, 2018August 8, 2018 at 5:15 pmComment

Today’s featured stories Amazon to offer Whole Foods drive-up grocery pickup for the first time, starting at two stores  Hype turns into (mixed) reality as Magic Leap finally unveils its… Read More

Is this Ofo bike graveyard in Dallas a glimpse into Seattle’s future?

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 7, 2018August 7, 2018 at 3:48 pm 7 Comments

Checkout the bike share program now. What a waste! Posted by Robert Vandling on Friday, August 3, 2018 Ofo is shutting down in cities across the U.S. and a new photo… Read More

Video

TLDR: A more ‘humanlike’ Alexa, Spin’s uncertain future in Seattle, fighting robots at Seattle Art Fair

by Starla Sampaco on August 6, 2018August 6, 2018 at 5:33 pmComment

Today’s featured stories A more ‘humanlike’ Alexa? Amazon shows off ‘home of the future’ and what’s next for voice AI Will Seattle become a one-bike town? Spin’s future in city… Read More

Spin bike

Will Seattle become a one-bike town? Spin’s future in city uncertain under new ordinance

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 6, 2018August 6, 2018 at 10:39 am 10 Comments

Last week, Seattle established permanent rules for dockless bikeshare companies but questions remain about the shape this new mobility service will take down the road. Two things are certain: Lime’s… Read More

Podcast

Week In Geek Podcast: How blueprints for 3D printed guns turned into a national lawsuit

by Clare McGrane on August 4, 2018January 15, 2019 at 9:23 pmComment

A legal battle over 3D-printed guns is heating up once again. Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a new lawsuit this week to prevent a Seattle-area group from publishing blueprints online… Read More

Video

TLDR: T-Mobile & Nokia’s $3.5B 5G alliance, Ofo shuts down in Seattle, Magic: The Gathering

by Starla Sampaco on July 30, 2018July 30, 2018 at 5:35 pmComment

Today’s featured stories With Sprint acquisition pending, T-Mobile teams up with Nokia in new $3.5B 5G alliance Ofo officially shutting down in Seattle after $250K bikeshare fee passes  ‘Magic: The… Read More

Ofo officially shutting down in Seattle after $250K bikeshare fee passes

by Monica Nickelsburg on July 30, 2018July 31, 2018 at 10:38 am 82 Comments

Ofo confirmed it will shut down operation in Seattle Monday afternoon after the city adopted a new $250,000 annual fee for bikeshare operators. Related: Seattle adopts 250K annual fee for bikeshare… Read More

Seattle adopts 250K annual fee for bikeshare companies that could pump the brakes on the new mobility service

by Monica Nickelsburg on July 30, 2018July 30, 2018 at 4:00 pm 3 Comments

Seattle approved a new $250,000 annual fee for dockless bikeshare companies that want to operate in the city Monday in a move that could have big implications for the nascent… Read More

Ofo prematurely tells Seattle riders it’s shutting down but future in the city remains uncertain

by Monica Nickelsburg on July 29, 2018July 29, 2018 at 9:36 pm 3 Comments

On Friday, Ofo sent emails to Seattle riders announcing plans to shut down its bikeshare program in the city. But the messages were sent in error, creating confusion over the… Read More

Chinese bikeshare company Ofo is shutting down in Seattle amid widespread US layoffs

by Monica Nickelsburg on July 27, 2018July 29, 2018 at 8:30 pm 39 Comments

Updated July 29: Ofo communications lead Taylor Bennett shared the following statement with GeekWire Sunday: Because the emails were sent to users based on where they’ve ridden, not necessarily where they… Read More

Podcast

Week In Geek Podcast: Facial recognition enters grade schools and Bird scooters landing in Seattle

by Clare McGrane on July 21, 2018January 15, 2019 at 11:17 pmComment

It was quite a week for controversial news. First up: Would you let a facial recognition program track your kids at school? One tech dad is making the technology a… Read More

Dockless bikeshare service Ofo reportedly laying off most of US workforce

by Monica Nickelsburg on July 18, 2018July 19, 2018 at 8:43 am 2 Comments

Update: Ofo confirmed that it is undergoing layoffs in the U.S. but would not say what percentage or number of employees will be let go. “We certainly are reorganizing,” said Tom Sarris,… Read More

Video

TLDR: Prime Day problems & protests, regulating bikeshare in Seattle, Microsoft asks government to regulate facial recognition

by Starla Sampaco on July 16, 2018July 16, 2018 at 4:20 pmComment

Today’s featured stories Updated: Amazon Prime Day off to a rocky start as users report issues with e-commerce website Prime Day protests call for Amazon boycott, but avoiding the tech… Read More

Inside Seattle’s proposed bikeshare rules of the road: 20,000 bikes, $250,000 permits

by Monica Nickelsburg on July 13, 2018July 14, 2018 at 10:50 am 15 Comments

After a year-long pilot and several delays, Seattle is finally ready to establish a permanent dockless bikeshare program. In documents shared with GeekWire, the Seattle Department of Transportation outlines a… Read More

Video

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

by Starla Sampaco on June 18, 2018July 13, 2018 at 4:10 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

Braking nudes! Seattle’s naked Solstice cyclists use Spin, Ofo and LimeBike in new bike-baring tradition

by Todd Bishop on June 16, 2018June 18, 2018 at 7:30 pm 3 Comments

People who use bike-sharing services are often criticized for not wearing bike helmets, but that was the least of the issues Saturday in Seattle. The traditional naked bike ride at… Read More

MyBallard bike share prank

Epic prank by seniors at Seattle high school fills parking lot with bike-share bicycles

by Kurt Schlosser on June 8, 2018June 8, 2018 at 12:08 pmComment

Updated, June 8, 12:05 p.m. PT: More details from LimeBike have been added to the story below. If you need a LimeBike in North Seattle today, your best bet would… Read More

Video

TLDR: Howard Schultz steps down as Starbucks chair, the state of bike share, new White House app uses Amazon Rekognition

by Starla Sampaco on June 5, 2018June 5, 2018 at 4:32 pm1 Comment

[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

State of bike share: 10K bikes in Seattle — out of 44K nationwide — and 468K rides, study finds

by Nat Levy on June 4, 2018June 5, 2018 at 10:05 pmComment

There were 10,000 dockless bike share bikes scattered across Seattle at the end of 2017, nearly a quarter of all units nationwide. That was one of the findings in a… Read More

Ofo joins Spin and LimeBike warning Seattle riders of brake lines deliberately cut

by Monica Nickelsburg on May 1, 2018May 1, 2018 at 9:09 am1 Comment

Ofo is the latest Seattle bike-share service to warn riders of brake lines being cut in acts of vandalism. In March, Ofo competitors Spin and LimeBike issued similar warnings to… Read More

Everyone wants to know how Seattle’s dockless bike share experiment is going

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 3, 2018April 3, 2018 at 1:02 pm 5 Comments

City planners and researchers are eager to get feedback on Seattle’s novel dockless bike sharing pilot to determine whether it is a viable mobility solution or an oversaturated fad. The… Read More

Video

TLDR: The International moves to Canada; parking lots for shared bikes; regulators target bitcoin

by Starla Sampaco on March 19, 2018March 19, 2018 at 3:57 pmComment

[Editor’s Note: TLDR is GeekWire’s daily news rundown, hosted by Starla Sampaco. Subscribe to GeekWire on YouTube to catch every episode, check back every weekday afternoon for more, and sign up… Read More

Do shared bikes need their own parking spaces? Seattle tests designated zones on sidewalks

by Todd Bishop on March 17, 2018March 17, 2018 at 11:07 am 3 Comments

One of the best parts of the new bike-sharing services is that they’re dockless, or free-floating, allowing riders to leave the bikes pretty much anywhere. It’s also one of the… Read More

Chinese bike-sharing juggernaut Ofo raises $866 million from Alibaba and other investors

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 13, 2018March 13, 2018 at 11:52 am1 Comment

Ofo has raised a massive $866 million in funding. The Beijing-based company operates millions of lemon-yellow dockless shared bicycles around the world. The round was led by China’s e-commerce giant… Read More

Complaints from bike-share workers reflect new reality for labor force that powers sharing economy

by Monica Nickelsburg on January 11, 2018January 11, 2018 at 10:47 am 2 Comments

After four months working with Ofo, Sean Healy reached a breaking point. He started driving vans and trucks for the bike sharing company’s new Seattle operation. He was helping Ofo… Read More

As Seattle’s bike-sharing pilot concludes, here’s what 2018 has in store for the neon newcomers

by Monica Nickelsburg on December 29, 2017January 3, 2018 at 9:49 am 6 Comments

Seattle’s novel bike-sharing pilot is crossing the finish line as 2017 comes to a close. With the training wheels off, Seattle’s now-ubiquitous neon bicycle fleets will continue operating on city… Read More

  • Older
The GeekWire Bash, March 7: Get tickets!

GeekWire Newsletters

Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Geek Home of the WeekSee More

Capitol Hill Home Prominently Sited on Millionaires’ Row
$4,795,000 | $460 Per Square Foot | 5 Beds | 4 Full, 2 Three-Quarter and 2 Half Baths

Featured SponsorSee More

Send Us a Tip

Have a scoop that you'd like GeekWire to cover? Let us know.

Send Us a Tip

Job Listings on GeekWorkSee More

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.
Software Development Manager – Backend
Software Development Manager – BackendOfferUp
Account Executive II
Account Executive IIMedBridge
Software Engineer Lead
Software Engineer LeadSkyKick

See MoreMember Message

Britt Provost, Apptio: Proud to be part of the GeekWire Community

Become a Member for exclusive benefits.

See MoreGeekWire Events

GeekWire Bash 2019 GeekWire Awards

Community Events

Fri 15

Launch & Grow Your Business

January 16 @ 10:00 am - February 27 @ 1:00 pm
Fri 15

Marvel: Universe of Superheroes

February 12 @ 10:00 am - March 3 @ 5:00 pm
Sat 16

NEO DevCon 2019

February 16 @ 9:00 am - February 17 @ 6:00 pm
See More Events

GeekWire Podcast

See MoreStartup Resources

For more helpful startup resources, see the GeekWire Service Provider Directory.
ALLtech
Insurance
MacDonald Hoague & Bayless
Legal Services

See MoreSeattle Engineering Centers

Track companies with engineering centers in the Seattle region
Xero
Enterprise Software
Apple
Hardware | Networking | Software

A Word From Our Sponsors

GeekWire Bash: Video games and robotics plus epic dodgeball, foosball and ping pong tournaments Learn more and get tickets.
Accelerate your career with a Master of Science in Business Analytics degree from the top-ranked Foster School of Business Explore Foster’s new MSBA program and learn how it can help advance your career today.
Changing the Future of Engineering Learn more about the program supporting students in engineering
BCTECHSummit: More jobs. More collaboration. More opportunities. Read more
5KPlayer Weaves 4K HDR Streaming, Download and Playback into a Minimalism Design Read More

About

  • About GeekWire
  • Contact Us
  • Ask About Advertising
  • Send Us a Tip
  • Apply for Startup Spotlight
  • Apply for Geek of the Week
  • Become a GeekWire Member
  • Join Our Startup List
  • Reprints and Permissions

Follow

GeekWire Newsletters

Catch every headline in your inbox

GeekWire Apps

  • iOS
  • Android
  • Apple News
  • Google Play Newsstand

GeekWire Developer Blog

Return to Top of Page
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
© 2011-2019 GeekWire, LLC