Get caught up on the latest technology and startup news from the past week. Here are the most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of Dec. 5, 2021.
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Most popular stories on GeekWire
MacKenzie Scott says ‘no dollar signs this time’ as she finds new value in philanthropy’s meaning
MacKenzie Scott is taking a break from the headline-grabbing posts about multi-billion-dollar gifts she’s given to charity the past couple years to instead offer a lesson in what philanthropy truly means. … Read More
Controversial capital gains tax spooks wealthy Washington residents as some unload their stocks
A controversial capital gains tax in Washington state that goes into effect next month is causing executives and business owners to cash out their stock holdings. … Read More
Tornado rips through Amazon warehouse in Illinois, causing deaths
Embed from Getty Images Updated below with statements by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and CEO Andy Jassy. … Read More
Survey suggests 84% of Americans are illiterate about AI — so here’s a quiz to test your own AI IQ
Can artificial intelligence write its own programs? … Read More
The Rock thanks his ‘tequila drinking buddy’ Jeff Bezos at People’s Choice Awards
Jeff Bezos made a surprise appearance at the People’s Choice Awards in Los Angeles Tuesday night to present an award to film star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and in the process revealed a budding, buff, bald-guy friendship. … Read More
Electric Sky wins DARPA grant to work on focused power beaming system for drones
A startup called Electric Sky says it’s begun building its first Whisper Beam transmitter for providing tightly focused wireless power to drones in flight, thanks to a $225,000 award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. … Read More
Meta grabbing more space in Bellevue’s Spring District with lease of fifth office building
Looking to expand its already sizable stake in Bellevue, Wash., Facebook’s parent company Meta is making a move on another 213,000 square feet of office space in the rapidly growing Spring District. … Read More
AWS problems impact Amazon, Disney, Smartsheet, Canva and other online services
If you’re having problems buying items or logging in to Amazon.com, you’re not alone, and thanks to the widespread use of Amazon Web Services, the problem isn’t limited to Amazon. … Read More
Yelp and Groupon battle over non-compete law in hiring of former Amazon ad leader in Seattle
Yelp’s attempt to hire a former Groupon vice president in Seattle has sparked a legal battle between the companies over Washington state’s non-compete law. … Read More
No-code AI: Former Microsoft and Salesforce execs reveal new ‘machine teaching’ startup Intelus
Machine learning is the common basis for modern artificial intelligence, using large amounts of data to build AI models that recognize patterns and make predictions when presented with new information. … Read More