Amazon reports Q4 earnings Thursday, capping a tech earnings season dominated by a single question: whether the industry's AI spending binge will be worth it.
Here's what to watch. Charlie Bell, the former Amazon exec who spent four years building Microsoft's security organization, is shifting roles at the Redmond tech giant to become an individual contributor engineer. Hayete Gallot, a 15-year Microsoft veteran now at Google Cloud, is taking over the security leadership role as the company prioritizes securing its AI initiatives. Read more.
In other Tech Moves: Tableau CEO Ryan Aytay steps down; Microsoft taps four new executive VPs; Avanade named Chris Howarth CEO; and more personnel changes in PNW tech.
Amazon is rolling out Alexa+ to all U.S. Prime members, making its generative AI assistant free as part of Prime. The move positions Alexa+ as a core Prime benefit — alongside shipping and streaming — as Amazon tries to catch up in an AI market already shaped by ChatGPT, Gemini, and others. Read more.
Washington Democrats unveiled a controversial "millionaires tax" that would raise $3 billion annually. Some startup investors argue it would strip away the region’s competitive edge. Read more.
Laid off at 50+ from Big Tech — what should you do now? Don't panic and don't update your resume yet. Seattle tech vet Nikesh Parekh lays out a framework to figure out what you actually want before you take the next job. His advice: slow down, do the hard soul-searching work, and experiment before you commit to your next move. Read more.
A small movie theater outside Portland used its marquee to mock “Melania,” the new documentary about the first lady, and the manager said Amazon MGM Studios got upset enough to pull the film after just a couple days. Read more.
Littlebird, the wearable kid tracker designed by a Seattle mom, has shipped after years of technical tweaks, including integration with Amazon Sidewalk. The screen-free connectivity device is making a big retail push with availability through Walmart. Read more.
Seattle-based startup Interlune is developing a NASA-backed lunar excavator to extract helium‑3 and build on-site infrastructure on the Moon, aiming to advance both space resource mining and construction. Read more.
Hot Links:
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Redfin’s first-ever Super Bowl ad will kick off a scavenger hunt within its app in which someone can win a $1 million home. (Redfin)
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AT&T, AWS and Amazon Leo are teaming up to modernize U.S. connectivity infrastructure by blending fiber networks, cloud tech and satellite broadband. (Business Wire)
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Sweeping layoffs at the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post are eliminating hundreds of newsroom jobs and ending the sports and books sections. (The New York Times)
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Redmond, Wash.-based Kymeta is partnering with Japan Display Inc. to develop a new multi-band metasurface antenna aimed at faster, more efficient satellite connectivity for defense and commercial uses. (Kymeta)
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Meta Reality Labs is partnering with Auger to power its next-generation global supply chain using the Bellevue, Wash., company’s autonomous operating system. (Auger)
- Madrona says the 2026 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference felt more like a kickoff than a wrap-up, with rising momentum around AI, speed and biopharma innovation. (Madrona)
Thanks for subscribing to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great day. — GeekWire editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com; and reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com. 
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