This week on the GeekWire Podcast: We go inside Amazon’s vision for the next generation of its voice assistant with Daniel Rausch (above), VP of Alexa and Echo. Recorded at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters, the episode explores how Alexa+ will enable more natural conversations and complete tasks autonomously. But is voice the right interface for those tasks? And can Alexa catch up to ChatGPT and other chatbots? We’ll find out soon as Alexa+ starts to roll out.
🎙️Read more and listen here, and subscribe to GeekWire in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
Standing up for Microsoft: The crowd at GeekWire’s recent Microsoft@50 event included many current and former employees and executives, and we capitalized on the opportunity to recognize them — culminating in a special moment spotlighting one of Microsoft’s earliest employees. Read more and watch a video highlight.
Here’s one idea to turn up the dial on startup creation in Seattle: stop celebrating 10-year anniversaries at big tech companies. Read more.
Seattle-area rocket company Stoke Space says that its new status as a provider for the U.S. Space Force is a "testament to the company's technical capabilities." Read more.
Some wealthy Washingtonians — including tech execs — are moving to Las Vegas to escape new taxes. Read more.
Upcoming events: Tech and startup community gatherings on our radar in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
Check out the GeekWire Calendar for more.
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Thanks for subscribing to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com; and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com.
