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. 12, 2021.
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Most popular stories on GeekWire
Omicron surging rapidly in Seattle area, projections show huge spike within a week
The Omicron COVID-19 variant is surging in the Seattle area with speed that has the potential to overwhelm health care systems and disrupt workplaces, scientists and health officials said Friday at a media briefing. … Read More
Amazon’s second chance: Bellevue gives tech giant an opportunity to reshape its regional legacy
BELLEVUE, Wash. — Amazon is poised to transform a major swath of this city, much as the company reshaped Seattle during the past 15 years. … Read More
Omicron rising rapidly in Washington state, early data suggest
Early data from the University of Washington suggest that the Omicron COVID-19 variant may already be spreading rapidly in Washington state. The data are from samples analyzed by a quick method, and will need to be confirmed. … Read More
Univ. of Washington AI protein folding discovery wins ‘Breakthrough of the Year’ award from Science
Science magazine has revealed its breakthrough of the year: Artificial intelligence discoveries that predict how proteins fold, forged by researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design and Alphabet’s DeepMind. … Read More
Deadly tornado that collapsed Amazon warehouse raises questions about company’s policies
Editor’s note: This story was update with information from Amazon about the cell phone policy. … Read More
Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy leads $65M funding round for Stoke Space’s reusable rockets
Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the multibillion-dollar clean-tech initiative created by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, is leading a $65 million funding round to back Kent, Wash.-based Stoke Space’s effort to create a new breed of fully reusable rockets — and believe it or not, there’s a climate change angle. … Read More
Community safety app Citizen launching in Seattle after attracting 10M users across U.S.
Citizen, the app that allows people to monitor and participate in public safety watching and reporting, is officially expanding to Seattle after testing in the city for a few months. … Read More
Maritime Blue wins $500,000 for cleaner transportation as finalist in tech challenge
Maritime Blue, a Washington state public-private coalition focusing on environmentally friendly technologies for the maritime industry, has been awarded $500,000 in the first stage of a clean-tech challenge funded by the federal government. … Read More
Omicron variant likely to surge in Seattle area as health officials urge booster shots
Health officials in King County are anticipating a likely surge of the fast-spreading Omicron COVID-19 variant, said county health officer Dr. … Read More
GeekWire Gift Guide: 10 ideas for last-minute stocking stuffers
Sometimes it’s about the little things. … Read More
