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 May 3, 2026.
Sign up to receive these updates every Sunday in your inbox by subscribing to our GeekWire Weekly email newsletter.
Most popular stories on GeekWire
Microsoft employees learn details of voluntary retirement package: Here’s what the company is offering
Microsoft employees eligible for the company’s first-ever voluntary retirement program learned the details Thursday, including cash payments of up to nine months of base pay, up to five years of healthcare coverage, and continued stock vesting. … Read More
Microsoft’s OpenClaw team takes on the personal assistant challenge
A small team inside Microsoft led by Corporate Vice President Omar Shahine is building “Project Lobster,” an OpenClaw-based agent designed to work around the clock on behalf of knowledge workers within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. … Read More
Data centers at sea: Panthalassa nets $140M led by Peter Thiel for wave-powered AI
By combining massive floating power generators with onsite AI hardware, Panthalassa turns the ocean into a self-sustaining computing powerhouse — all without needing a single mile of underwater power cables. … Read More
Tech Moves: Amazon VP is now Chewy CTO; Smartsheet names CFO; Microsoft exec joins NetApp
Amazon VP Yunyan Wang is now Chewy’s CTO; Smartsheet names new CFO; and a longtime Microsoft exec joins NetApp’s C-suite, among other tech moves. … Read More
Microsoft’s new research finds an AI ‘paradox’ holding companies back
Microsoft’s 2026 Work Trend Index finds that the biggest barrier to AI at work isn’t the technology or the workers — it’s the organizations around them. … Read More
Helion makes big bet on ‘Tiny Merge’ fusion testbed to meet aggressive Microsoft timeline
Beyond massive curtains inside its Everett, Wash., R&D facility, Helion is betting that a downsized testbed can answer key technology questions as the company races to meet deadlines. … Read More
Opinion: The myth of Washington’s tax burden, by the numbers
Contrary to popular myths, our taxes are relatively low, haven’t exploded skyward, and are nowhere near the point of creating serious damage to the commercial sphere. … Read More
Amazon turns its logistics empire into a new business, taking on UPS and FedEx in freight and shipping
Amazon launched Amazon Supply Chain Services, bundling freight, distribution, fulfillment, and parcel shipping into a single offering for any business. … Read More
Microsoft’s new Xbox chief nixes Gaming Copilot for mobile and console, shakes up leadership
New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is winding down Gaming Copilot on mobile and canceling its console launch, barely a year after Microsoft debuted the AI feature. … Read More
2026 GeekWire Awards revealed: Big winners — and big love for Seattle — at annual tech celebration
More than 300 members of the Pacific Northwest tech scene packed the Showbox SoDo to honor the year’s top startups, founders, leaders and deal makers across a dozen awards categories. … Read More
