GeekWire

Microsoft's partnership with Samsung promises smooth integration between Windows and the Galaxy Note10, and that was enough to convince GeekWire's Todd Bishop to dump his iPhone X in favor of the consumer electronics giant's new flagship device. But which of the two Note10 variations should he get? And what can he expect as he switches from on major smartphone platform to another? Tech reviewer Andru Edwards of Gear Live and the Geared Up podcast joins us on this special episode to offer his advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon, Uber, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and many other big companies have something in common. They're all platforms, providing underlying technologies that others use to build or facilitate their own businesses. But there are different types of platforms, with different motivations, and understanding the differences is key for anyone looking to build, compete against, regulate or do business with a platform.  We explore the power and pitfalls of platforms on this episode with Michael Cusumano, the Sloan Management Review Distinguished Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and the co-author of the book, "The Business of Platforms: Strategy in the Age of Digital Competition, Innovation & Power," with Annabelle Gawer and David Yoffie. The book examines the hidden forces behind some of today’s most powerful and influential companies. It's an especially timely subject given the current scrutiny of many of those companies.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're back! It's the return of our weekly news roundup, with Todd Bishop, John Cook and Monica Nickelsburg. First, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's surprise appearance at Samsung's latest Galaxy smartphone unveiling signals good things ahead for Windows users. We go inside the shutdown of ReachNow, BMW's car-sharing service that operated in Portland and Seattle, and discuss the unusual ways that some people in our society are using car-sharing services. And finally, on the Random Channel, we offer our latest documentary recommendations, catch up with Amazon's Treasure Truck, and savor some bread made from 4,500-year-old yeast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite the restrictions it imposes on Facebook's business, the Federal Trade Commission's settlement with the social media giant is viewed as insufficient by some critics. So what can we do as Facebook users? What impact is Facebook having on us in the meantime? And what can the tech industry learn from the whole thing? That's our topic on this episode of the GeekWire podcast, featuring highlights from a discussion with Sheryl Cababa, a user experience designer with Artefact in Seattle and the author of the report, "Can Social Media Be Saved?"; and tech industry veteran Andre Vrignaud, who found a way to manage the impact of Facebook on his life, as detailed in this GeekWire story earlier this year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was tough week for Amazon on the regulatory front. It started Tuesday with an antitrust hearing before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. Although Apple, Facebook, and Google also sent representatives, Amazon fielded the most pointed questions. A few hours later, the European Union launched a formal investigation into the company, focusing on how it treats third-party sellers in the Amazon marketplace. We explore why Amazon is in the hot seat, how the company is responded, what comes next on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast.  Plus, the end of the road for ReachNow, and our podcast recommendation for reliving the Apollo 11 moon landing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To understand the future of space, it helps to start with the past. On this special edition of the GeekWire Podcast, marking the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, we’ll hear from Alan Boyle, GeekWire's aerospace and science editor, and listen in on his conversations with three unsung heroes of the Apollo era: NASA flight directors Gerry Griffin and Milton Windler, and flight controller Poppy Northcutt. They each reflect on the historic mission and share the sentiment that America should go back to the moon and beyond. This episode of GeekWire is part of the Destination Moon podcrawl, organized by Seattle’s Museum of Flight. Look for other episodes about the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary in the coming days from other participating podcasts: Flight Deck from the Museum of Flight; Sound Effect from KNKX Radio; The Truth from Radiotopia; and Stuff You Missed in History Class.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you have guessed that nearly 25 percent of the Seattle region's top tech startups are led by CEOs with backgrounds at Microsoft? That was the surprising result of our analysis of the GeekWire 200, our index of the top privately held tech companies in the Pacific Northwest. And fundings for the region's startups bucked the national trend, as reflected in data from our new startup deal tracker.  Nintendo unveiled a new iteration of its Switch game console; former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer pulled off what might be his greatest deal ever; and an Amazon employee showed the potential of artificial intelligence with a high-tech cat door. GeekWire editor Todd Bishop and managing editor Taylor Soper recap and analyze the news on this episode of the show. Plus, listen for the debut of the new GeekWire Podcast theme song, by composer Daniel L.K. Caldwell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"You've got all of this opportunity for places where you can interface with the physical world. I think it's just where business opportunity is going to live." That was one of the takeaways from Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott's talk at the recent GeekWire Cloud Summit. On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we're presenting highlights from his conversation with GeekWire's Todd Bishop. The Microsoft CTO was previously vice president of engineering and operations at LinkedIn, led engineering and operations at mobile advertising company AdMob, and worked two stints at Google, starting as a senior engineering manager in 2005. He's also the host of the podcast Behind the Tech and is involved in diversity initiatives both inside and outside the company.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple's new campus in Seattle, unveiled this week, will accommodate as many as 2,000 workers, doubling the company's previous commitment to expand its engineering operations in the city. But beyond the sheer numbers, the prime location positions the company to compete more aggressively for talent against rivals including Amazon, Google and Microsoft. It also promises to make Seattle a bigger epicenter for cloud engineering, artificial intelligence and voice technologies.  We explore the implications of Apple's move on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, with GeekWire's Monica Nickelsburg, Kurt Schlosser, and Todd Bishop. Plus: Bill Gates and Jeff Bee-zos, Windows 95 makes a cameo at the Supreme Court, Teen Vogue's transition, Russell Wilson makes memes come true, and Slack meets Slack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you tuned into the news this week, you heard one company’s name over and over again. Slack, the workplace communication and collaboration technology company went public and instantly saw its share price spike by 50 percent. But with competition from Microsoft, Facebook, Google and others, where does Slack go from here? Today on GeekWire, the future of Slack, and the competition among tech giants to change how we communicate, collaborate and get work done. With Paul Condra, lead analyst for emerging technologies at PitchBook, and Nat Levy, GeekWire reporter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.