GeekWire

Hey GeekWire Podcast listeners, we hope you enjoy this latest episode of our new podcast, Numbers Geek with Steve Ballmer, featuring the remarkable story of Arlan Hamilton, who went from homeless to running her own venture capital firm, investing in "underestimated" founders. To listen to every episode of the new podcast, go to geekwire.com/numbersgeek. We'll be back soon with a new GeekWire Podcast episode. Thanks for listening!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"You’re worth a trillion dollars. Why do you need our 3 billion dollars?" That's how Amazon was greeted by the New York City Council this week. City leaders in the Big Apple pointed to the tech giant's rocky relationship with its original hometown of Seattle to contend that winning the company's HQ2 isn't much of a prize. Meanwhile, Apple announced plans for a big Austin campus, along with new offices in Seattle and Southern California.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest on this special edition of the podcast, Wash. State Gov. Jay Inslee. He spoke with us on stage during a special reception prior to the GeekWire Gala, about everything from his presidential ambitions to regulating big tech to lessons learned from Amazon's HQ2 search.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A preview of the new GeekWire podcast, Numbers Geek with Steve Ballmer, where we present a data-driven take on the country's most divisive issues. Subscribe now in your favorite podcast app to hear episode one.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Microsoft rivaled Apple to be the most valuale company based in the U.S. But just a few years ago, that success seemed almost impossible. The Microsoft Surface division has been a microcosm of the company's struggles and failures in the past years and on this episode, we speak with journalist and author Brad Sams about that story. Sams' book about the Surface is called "Beneath A Surface" and is out now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the holiday season, and along with festive Amazon packaging and never-ending carols, that means its time to buy holiday gifts! This week, we're sharing our annual Geared Up Tech Holiday Gift Guide. Todd and Andru will share their recommendations for the best gadgets and gizmos to put on your list -- plus a special surprise recommendation for that one person who has EVERYTHING. Visit GeekWire.com/GearedUp to see a full list of our recommendations and links to all the specific products we mention on this episode. Subscribe to Geared Up in your favorite podcast app by searching "Geared Up."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pickles that yodel. Foot-tall punching nuns. A rubber chicken museum. What do these things have in common? They're all brainchildren of Archie McPhee, the Seattle-based makers and retailers of whacky, delightful and (occasionally) practical items for more than 35 years. Join us for an audio tour of Archie McPhee's out-of-this-world retail store as we learn more about the company's history, its creative process and the stories of some of its most popular items. We're joined on this episode by David Wahl, Archie McPhee director of awesome (a.k.a. marketing and creative services).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon is moving into the big apple with half of its HQ2 project slated to bring about 25,000 — or up to 40,000 — new jobs to Long Island City in Queens. But can NYC learn to love HQ2? We check in with GeekWire Civic Innovation Editor Monica Nickelsburg on the scene in Queens to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's official: Amazon's HQ2 search has ended in not one but two new hubs for the technology giant in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, and Long Island City in New York. Join GeekWire Co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop as they dissect the news and the repercussions of the tech giant's extraordinary search.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon's continent-wide search for a second headquarters took a strange turn this week as news leaked that the company is planning to split its second headquarters into two different cities. Critics have decried the move as a "bait and switch" and it puts the status of HQ2, due to be announced any day, up in the air. Also: Tuesday marked a monumental election for the U.S., including several ballot measures that directly involve the tech industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.