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. 19, 2021.
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Most popular stories on GeekWire
Bill Gates cancels his holiday plans, says ‘we could be entering the worst part of the pandemic’
Bill Gates is taking the action that many people are perhaps dreading themselves — canceling most of his holiday plans in the wake of the rapid spread of the COVID-19 variant Omicron. … Read More
Labor settlement ends Amazon’s “15-minute rule,” letting workers stay on-site for union organizing
A settlement between Amazon and the National Labor Relations Board will end a company policy that prevented workers from remaining in a non-working area of an Amazon facility for more than 15 minutes beyond their shifts. … Read More
‘Go home tech bro’: Sentiment sticks around in Seattle, but pandemic peels back a new perspective
Within the span of an hour last weekend, I went from holiday shopping at several small businesses in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood to getting my COVID-19 booster shot at Amazon’s headquarters downtown. … Read More
Tom Brady’s anger reaches the Surface: NFL star slams Microsoft tablet in rare shutout loss
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren’t the only ones to get battered and beaten during a “Sunday Night Football” game this week. … Read More
Guaranteed income program backed by Twitter’s Jack Dorsey begins in Tacoma; families get $500/month
The 110 Tacoma, Wash., families chosen to participate in a guaranteed income program received their first $500 check this month, according to MyNorthwest. … Read More
Another Seattle startup trying 4-day workweek in bid to enhance productivity, well-being and culture
Uplevel makes software tools to help engineering teams better measure how developers use their time and how they could best avoid burning out. … Read More
Life sciences developer Alexandria grows Seattle area footprint, pays $77.5M for land in Bellevue
Alexandria Real Equities, a life sciences real estate developer, has bought a 5.2-acre property in Bellevue, Wash., for $77.5 million. … Read More
High cost, high risk, high hopes: There’s a lot riding on the $10B James Webb Space Telescope’s launch
The launch of NASA’s $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope from French Guiana could mark a triumph in a tale that thousands of astronomers have been following for a generation. … Read More
Seattle VR startup Rec Room raises $145M, reaches $3.5B valuation
Rec Room, the Seattle-based development studio behind the fast-growing VR application Rec Room, has raised $145 million in new funding, bringing its current valuation to $3.5 billion. … Read More
Washington health officials encourage remote work and boosters amid Omicron surge
Washington state public health officials are urging people to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. … Read More