Catch up on the latest tech and startup news from the past week. Here are GeekWire’s most popular stories for the week of October 19, 2025
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Most popular stories on GeekWire
AWS outage not caused by a cyber attack — but shows potential for ‘much worse’ damage
The outage serves as a warning sign of a potentially more disruptive situation and reflects the “technological monoculture” in global infrastructure. … read more
How the AWS Outage Happened: Amazon Blames Rare Software Bug and ‘Faulty Automation’ for Massive Error
A detailed explanation of this week’s Amazon Web Services outage released Thursday morning confirms that it was not a hardware fault or outside attack but a complex, cascading failure triggered by a rare software bug in one of the company’s most critical systems. … read more
Seattle’s mayor says Microsoft and Amazon have a ‘moral obligation’ to give back to the city
Harrell’s comments reflect a delicate balance facing city leaders — ensuring that Seattle’s global tech corporations continue to strengthen the economy and tax base while dealing with the heavy impact on housing, transportation and communities. … read more
Amazon customers report delivery delays after major AWS outage
Amazon’s e-commerce customers are experiencing unusual delivery delays after an Amazon Web Services outage on Monday — suggesting the cloud glitch affected the company’s own operations more than previously reported. … read more
Tim Chen was considered ‘too nerdy’ for venture capital. Now he runs the most popular startup fund in tech.
When Tim Chen tried to break into venture capital six years ago, he was turned down by multiple Seattle firms. … read more
Alaska Airlines cancels 360 flights, says significant IT outage caused by ‘failure’ at a data center
The impact of the outage was evident Thursday evening at Sea-Tac Airport, where long lines around the concourse and a maze of suitcases piled up in the baggage claim area. … read more
The AWS outage resurfaces old questions about cloud redundancy, hitting core apps and services.
Amazon is reclaiming Web services after disrupting Facebook, Snapchat, Fortnite, Coinbase and other major platforms, again illustrating the Internet’s overdependence on the cloud giant and lack of redundancy in online services. … read more
Amazon unveils AI-powered augmented reality glasses for delivery drivers
Amazon said it is working on AI-powered augmented reality glasses for delivery drivers, offering hands-free navigation, package scanning and proof-of-delivery tools. … read more
Satya Nadella Salary Exceeds $96M As Microsoft Stock Rises; Walmart’s CFO is set to join the board
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s total compensation rose nearly 22% to $96.5 million, driven largely by the company’s rising stock price, a new filing reveals. … read more
Carbon Robotics Raises $20M As Laserwind Maker Plans Secret New ‘AI Robot’ For Farms
It will blow your mind,” founder and CEO Paul Michaels said of the Carbon Robotics machine, which relies on the same AI system used in Carbon’s other tools. … read more