GeekWire

In ominous sci-fi future news this week, Facebook is working on a program that could let people type with their brain and hear with their skin. Is it a revolutionary idea or a Pandora's Box that could go wildly wrong? Plus, we hear about the world of Amazon's secretive horticultural program and bring back one of our favorite segments: The Random Channel. See links and details in this week's show notes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new iPhone is months away from being released, but some insiders are already getting chatty about its design. On this episode of Geared Up, we take a look at the rumors and speculations about what Apple will do with the next edition of its most popular product. Meanwhile, Nintendo cut production of the popular NES classic edition — could it be gearing up for a classic edition of the SNES? Plus, Todd isn't wowed by Pandora Premium, and Andru has some harsh words for Facebook's new VR chat feature.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The average person is born with 60 genetic mutations. Some are harmful, some are helpful and many don't mean anything at all — but for a parent, any variation in genetics can seem like a health disaster waiting to happen. Author Bonnie Rochman joins us on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast to delve into the world of genetics and parenting, including why and when we should think about testing kids' genes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is a numbers guy. He's taking that data-focused mindset to a new project: USAFacts, a project that's bringing together mountains of data to build financial reports on U.S. government operations, like a 10-K for business leaders. GeekWire editor Todd Bishop sat down with Ballmer to get all the details on his new project, and we're sharing the full interview on this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The GeekWire Awards are just around the corner, and on this episode of the GeekWire podcast, we take a look at our finalists. They represent the best of the best in the northwest tech community and they speak volumes about where things are headed in the coming years. Winners will be chosen by public voting and announced at our Awards on May 4 at MoPop. Check out all the finalists and vote for your favorites on our Awards Page, where you can also get tickets to the Awards.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Xbox spring games sale started this week with some pretty sweet deals on some of the biggest games of the past few years. Plus, Apple made a rare move: an apology. The company admitted they had made a big mistake in the design of the 2013 Mac Pro and promised a new version is on its way, but not until next year. We also dive into some of our favorite games of the moment including some fun surprises on the Switch, some addicting PC games and even board and pen-and-paper games. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uber won a small victory in its legal battle with the City of Seattle this week, but the fight is far from over. In more promising news, Seattle's giant tunnel boring machine, Bertha, finally reached the finishing line of the nearly two-mile tunnel she's been creating under the city. We get first-hand accounts of both events from GeekWire reporters on this episode of the Week in Geek, and also take a look at some interesting shifts in the startup funding landscape.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just in case Xfinity doesn't offer enough services, the cable and internet providor is making the leap into another industry: wireless phone service. Plus, YouTube launches its TV feature, giving subscribers live streams of local stations and limitless DVR storage, and we go hands-on with Apple's mobile photo and video editor, Clips. All that and more on this week's episode of GearedUp. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It may seem like something out of your favorite sci fi novel, but Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos wants to make space tourism a reality. He spoke about Blue Origin's plans for commercial space flight at the 33rd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, where GeekWire reporter Alan Boyle has been covering all the action. We're sharing a recording of that talk and his Q&A with reporters on this episode of the GeekWire podcast, so buckle up and hold on tight!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nine years ago, almost to the day, Seattle's NBA team, the SuperSonics, was officially relocated to Oklahoma City. And even though the city has changed by leaps and bounds since then, there's a growing movement to revive the Sonics in the city. Jeff Shulman has been documenting that movement, and the possible impacts to Seattle's tech community, on the Seattle Growth Podcast. On this episode, we talk with Jeff about how tech has changed the city since the team left, and what impact it would have on tech and beyond if it returned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The speculation is over! After months of anticipation, Samsung has revealed their next smartphone: the S8. Andru got his hands on one at the launch event in New York City this week, and says it's unlike any other smartphone he's seen. On this episode of GearedUp, we take a look at what makes the S8 special, and whether it stands up to Samsung's claim that it's the biggest thing to ever happen in the smartphone market. Plus, Todd shares his takeaways from the Windows 10 creators edition update, and we take a look at Andru's brand new Product Red iPhone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a busy news week in Seattle. Rover announced it is acquiring its biggest competition; the Bezos family made a record-breaking donation to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; and the University of Washington released a heartwarming study on the effects of Pokemon Go on family bonding. Catch it all on this episode of the Week in Geek. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few weeks ago, Henry turned 10. That's when a new friend named Alexa entered his life. Henry's dad, GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, says welcoming Amazon's AI assistant into their home has been an enlightening, and at times difficult, transition. This week on the podcast, we sit down with Henry, Kurt and Alexa to hear about Henry's new friendship. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starbucks and Amazon, two of Seattle's iconic businesses, started off very different from each other. But they're slowly and steadily moving towards the same goal: a hybrid of tech-driven and in-person retail. Today on the Week in Geek we ask, what does that mean for the businesses, and what would it look like if they eventually merged? Plus, we introduce a new segment: The Random Channel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trying to keep up with news from Apple this week was a challenge. New iPads, a new Product Red iPhone, a Snapchat-like app, and changes to Apple Watches were all in the headlines today. On this episode of GearedUp we review the news (or lack thereof) in all the announcements, plus Andru goes over some tips and tricks for getting better speeds on the Xbox One.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Theories about the future of tech are a dime a dozen, but this week's guest has a tried-and-true method to peek into the tech ecosystem: follow the money. Greg Beams is a partner at global professional services firm EY and heads up the Entrepreneur of the Year program in the Pacific Northwest. He takes us on an in-depth study of the numbers and figures behind Seattle's tech scene, and what they say about where the industry is going. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After months of anticipation, GeekWire learned the name of Amazon's secretive grocery pickup service: Amazon Fresh Pickup. On this episode of the Week in Geek, the GeekWire team has a hot debate over the actual usefulness of being able to order groceries ahead for pickup. Plus, we get an update on the case against the Trump administration's travel ban, and some of us bemoan a world without Uber. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a busy week in the gadget world. The Nintendo Switch set sales records, Pandora announced a new premium service, and McDonalds of all places is introducing a high-tech ordering system. Get caught up on all the electronics news with this week's episode of GearedUp with hosts Andru Edwards and Todd Bishop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Slack, the messaging and collaboration tool for teams, is all the rage right now inside many companies, and it has some big new competition from Google, Microsoft and others. We're going inside this growing market today with our guest, Samir Diwan, the co-founder and CEO of Seattle startup Polly.ai, a bot that runs polls and surveys in Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangouts Chat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If Paul Allen were just starting out in computer science today, he might not know where to start. Robotics, artificial intelligence, computer vision, augmented reality, biologic systems — the list of topics that fascinate him is practically endless. The Microsoft co-founder sat down with GeekWire after making a special appearance Thursday afternoon at the University of Washington in Seattle, marking his landmark $40 million donation to its computer science program.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week marked GeekWire's 6th anniversary, and it's been quite the wild ride for co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. On this GeekWire Podcast special, they talk about their experience so far as entrepreneurs, and how Seattle's tech scene has changed over the past 6 years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's going to be a formative year for smartphones: the highly anticipated Samsung S8 and the upcoming LG G5 are just two of the phones that will have a big impact on the future of smartphones, and particularly their design. On this week's episode of GearedUp we take a look at a G5 demo phone and leaked images of the new S8, and discuss the directions the industry is taking. Plus, we talk about the Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft's new game subscription service. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a big news week for the tech world. A small typo in an Amazon Web Services command caused half the internet to go down, Snap made its debut as a public company in the biggest IPO since Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and Seattle said hello to two new giant tech offices. Get the inside story and analysis from GeekWire editors and reporters on this episode of the Week in Geek. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nintendo's new video game console, the Switch, is a big deal. It's a new era in combining home and mobile gaming, and it's also Nintendo's chance for a comeback after their last home console, the Wii U, flopped. Today we go hands-on with an advanced copy of the console, which will launch in stores Friday, March 3, and we play it's most anticipated game, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Airbnb and Uber are two of Silicon Valley's most disruptive companies. In his most recent book, author Brad Stone dives into the unique figures at the heads of these companies, as well as the negative and positive disruption they're causing in marketplaces around the world. He spoke with GeekWire's Todd Bishop at Seattle's Town Hall for this episode of the GeekWire Podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The internet makes access to information incredibly easy, and we normally see that as a good thing. But what if the information being accessed is details of our private lives? And what if the person accessing them is a government intelligence agency? This week we speak with Jennifer Granick, author of "American Spies" and director of civil liberties at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, about the quest for privacy in the age of surveillance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple Music is taking on more and more TV shows, including James Corden' Carpool Karaoke and a brand new series called Planet of the Apps. What are they up to, and can they take on other TV streaming services? Plus, we take a look at the wars over wireless data plans, and a Windows 10 PC that's the size of an iPhone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Saving the world is no easy task, but Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates won't let that get him down. In this one-on-one interview with GeekWire, Gates explains why he's still optimistic about the future of the world. Plus, inside details about his conversation with President Trump, and his take on Microsoft's progress under Satya Nadella.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's official: the Snapchat Spectacles have landed in Seattle! This week on Geared Up, we get a our very own pair from the new Seattle machine and revel in the frenzy of the mysterious glasses. Plus, we discuss the Coros smart helmet, the current favorite accessory of GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, which lets riders listen to music or podcasts through their bones. And we take a look at the newly released Beats X, wireless earbuds and competitors to the AirPods. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NBA announced its newest league this week — every team will now have an associated e-sports team of professional video game players. E-sports fans are thrilled, but the jury's out among more traditional basketball fans. Plus, Twitter keeps the ball rolling with its NFL partnership, and we dig into the numbers behind Amazon's delivery network. Free shipping for Amazon Prime members may sound like a good idea, but it's costing the company big time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.