GeekWire

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.