GeekWire

Google announced a bunch of new hardware today, including the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, a Pixelbook laptop, two new smarthome devices and a tiny, AI-fueled camera. We break down all the news and see where the devices stack up in the pre-holiday device lineup of smartphones, smart speakers and more. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

Winshuttle, the SAP data management experts — learn more at Winshuttle.com; Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle — learn more at hughesmarino.com; and Kinects, Seattle’s iconic new high-rise apartment tower — learn more at kinectstower.com.

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The Essential Phone was hyped as a breakout new Android device, without the bells and whistles of competitors. As it turns out, those bells and whistles were pretty important for Aaron Bird, a Seattle entrepreneur who bought the phone. Learn what Aaron thought and why he's giving the phone up on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

Winshuttle, the SAP data management experts — learn more at Winshuttle.com; Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle — learn more at hughesmarino.com; and Kinects, Seattle’s iconic new high-rise apartment tower — learn more at kinectstower.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all love pop culture artifacts: the guitar used by a favorite artist or costumes from a blockbuster sci-fi series. Melinda Simms and Brooks Peck have the undeniably awesome job of preserving and displaying those artifacts. We go behind the scenes of Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture with Simms and Peck on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast. Follow all our coverage and see more on geek culture at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

The University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering department -- learn more at hcde.washington.edu; Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle -- learn more at hughesmarino.com; and Kinects, Seattle’s iconic new high-rise apartment tower -- learn more at kinectstower.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gives the public a peek inside his life and his role at the company in his new book, Reply All. So what did it teach us about Microsoft and where the company is heading? Plus, we recount our scouting mission to Microsoft's secretive office in the small town of Silverdale, Wash., and Bill Gates' comments this week on the state of foreign aid, global health and skepticism towards science. Plus, Twitter gives us twice as much tweet. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

The University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering department -- learn more at hcde.washington.edu; Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle -- learn more at hughesmarino.com; and Kinects, Seattle’s iconic new high-rise apartment tower -- learn more at kinectstower.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yes -- several, in fact! In a classic surprise move, Amazon announced half-dozen new Echo devices on Wednesday. Some of them seem useful, inexpensive and impressively designed, but some just seem silly. We break it all down on this episode of Geared Up. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

The University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering department -- learn more at hcde.washington.edu; Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle -- learn more at hughesmarino.com; and Kinects, Seattle’s iconic new high-rise apartment tower -- learn more at kinectstower.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Personal data used to be something we could control easily -- but now digital services, websites and even the government are collecting our personal data at an unprecedented rate. How can we protect it? And what rules should be in place to keep personal data private? We discuss with Washington State Chief Privacy Officer Alex Alben on this episode of the GeekWire podcast. Follow all our tech coverage, including coverage of privacy and cybersecurity, at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

The University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering department -- learn more at hcde.washington.edu; Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle -- learn more at hughesmarino.com; and Kinects, Seattle’s iconic new high-rise apartment tower -- learn more at kinectstower.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s the best way to beat the nightmarish traffic in Seattle? We decided to find out. GeekWire reporters raced a car, ride shares, a bike, a high-tech skateboard and the good old bus system to find the most effective way through rush-hour traffic, and share our take-aways on this episode of the Week In Geek. Also on this episode: A new biotech HQ built to destroy cancer, the Seattle Sounders ditch Ticketmaster, and Microsoft opens a mysterious office in a town outside Seattle. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

The University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering department -- learn more at hcde.washington.edu; Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle -- learn more at hughesmarino.com; and Kinects, Seattle’s iconic new high-rise apartment tower -- learn more at kinectstower.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nest, a Google-owned smart device company, announced tons of new products this week and when you put them all together, you can make a smart home security system. Plus, Google’s weird $1 billion deal with HTC, a new lamp that comes with Alexa inside and upset over the new Apple Watch 3. Follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com and subscribe to our live behind-the-scenes videos on GearLive, youtube.com/gearlive

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

The University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering department -- learn more at hcde.washington.edu; Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle -- learn more at hughesmarino.com; and Kinects, Seattle’s iconic new high-rise apartment tower -- learn more at kinectstower.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want to know something about anything? Follow the money, and see where it goes. That's what we do on this episode of the GeekWire podcast with Pitchbook founder and CEO John Gabbert, who is elbow-deep in the finances that fuel the tech world. We'll dive into venture funding, unicorns, IPOs and much more. Read more and follow all our tech coverage at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

The University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering department -- learn more at hcde.washington.edu; Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle -- learn more at hughesmarino.com; and Kinects, Seattle’s iconic new high-rise apartment tower -- learn more at kinectstower.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amazon's "one-click patent" is about to expire -- it's a classic example of why the U.S. patenting process doesn't mesh with tech. We discuss on this episode of the Week In Geek. Plus: What we know so far about the huge Equifax hack, Seattle's proposed Air BnB tax and we dive into the world of Kubernetes, the hottest thing in cloud tech. Follow all our coverage and read the stories we talked about this week at GeekWire.com

Thank you to this week's sponsors:

The University of Washington Human Centered Design and Engineering department. Learn more: www.hcde.washington.edu; and Hughes Marino, the commercial real estate company now expanding to Seattle. Learn more: hughesmarino.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.