Why battery startups are surging in the Pacific NW

Amazon earnings preview | Microsoft Surface and Xbox struggle | Apple ends Xnor.ai’s role in Pentagon’s Project Maven [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Skill up your machine learning at AI NEXTCon Seattle: [See 60+ speakers from Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Uber, Twitter, Amazon & more.]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Battery startups are surging: After years of incremental improvements, battery technology is getting a jolt of innovation, and Seattle and the Pacific Northwest are uniquely positioned to capitalize. “It’s a mind-boggling opportunity for growth,” says the CEO of one Seattle-area battery startup. [Here’s why](. Microsoft Surface challenges: As part of [an otherwise strong earnings report]( Microsoft said “execution challenges” [caused its Surface hardware business to fall short of internal expectations.]( One possible culprit: the company’s decision to delay the release of its new $249 wireless Surface Earbuds until spring. RELATED: [Xbox revenue falls 21% as Microsoft gears up for Xbox Series X]( Next up, it’s Amazon earnings day: [Here’s what to expect]( when the tech giant reports results for the peak holiday shopping season on Thursday afternoon. Seattle startup Xnor.ai played a role in the Pentagon’s controversial Project Maven, The Information [reports]( but Apple ended Xnor.ai’s involvement in the project after recently acquiring the startup. [Read more.]( Head Tax 2.0? Washington state lawmakers [are considering a new regional tax]( that would raise an estimated $121 million a year from some of the Seattle area’s biggest employers, including tech giants Microsoft and Amazon, to fund programs to alleviate homelessness. How can we create modern workplaces where everyone can thrive? That’s one of the questions at the heart of the new book, “Female Firebrands,” by Seattle-based human resources consultant Mikaela Kiner. [Check out a special episode of the GeekWire Podcast]( with Kiner and two “firebrands” from the book. Thanks for reading, and see all of our latest headlines below. Be sure to check back this afternoon for analysis of Amazon's quarterly results. — GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [It Feels Good to Fear Less]( SimpliSafe home security blankets your home with award-winning 24/7 protection that stands up to the unexpected. From burglars to burst pipes. As more than 3 million customers already know, fear has no place in a place like home. See why SimpliSafe won CNET’s Editors’ Choice twice. [Try it today with free shipping and a 60-day risk free trial!]( LATEST HEADLINES [Tethers Unlimited lifts the curtain on mesh networking system for small satellites]( [Senator Cantwell wants 5G spectrum auction to fund rural broadband expansion]( [Rainway debuts game streaming for Xbox One, allowing users to play PC games on a console]( [Japanese billionaire pulls out of moonshot dating TV project and apologizes to 27,722 women]( [Battery innovation offers ‘mind-boggling’ growth opportunity as Pacific NW becomes a major player]( SPONSORED: GEEK HOME OF THE WEEK [New Luxury Farmhouse in West Bellevue]( [Amazon earnings: Record holiday quarter expected as investors watch impact of 1-day shipping]( [Seattle startup SkyKick ‘pleased’ with ruling in EU trademark dispute with broadcast giant Sky]( [Microsoft Surface revenue falls short after Earbuds delay, as AirPods lift Apple results]( [Nintendo Switch hits 52M in lifetime sales following record quarter, passes SNES]( [Ex-Amazon, Oracle engineers raise $4M for robotic process automation startup Kloud.io]( [Xplore partners with Nanoracks to set up opportunities for deep-space missions]( [How these ‘Female Firebrands’ are challenging and changing the culture of the modern workplace]( [Amazon and Microsoft restrict employee travel to China as tech giants react to spread of coronavirus]( [Steve Ballmer calls death of Kobe Bryant ‘a tragedy of tragedies’ during tech summit in L.A.]( [Proposed tax seeks $121M a year from Amazon, Microsoft and other big Seattle-area companies to address homelessness]( [Report: After acquisition, Apple nixed Xnor.ai’s work on Pentagon’s Project Maven]( [Tech Moves: Adaptiva names CEO; ex-Tableau CMO joins Pantheon board; and more]( [Xbox revenue falls 21% as Microsoft gears up for Xbox Series X debut]( [Microsoft revenue rises 14% to $36.9B, profits exceed estimates, cloud rises and games fall]( [New UW center to match biomedical discoveries with resources to help bring products to market]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [ALLEN INSTITUTE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI2): CTO-in-Residence // Co-Founder]( - [Quorum: Account Executive]( - [ALLEN INSTITUTE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI2): Deep Learning Engineer // Co-Founder]( - [GeekWire: GeekWire Sales Account Executive]( - [CraftAg: Controller]( - [PATH: Senior Engagement Associate, Center of Digital and Data Excellence (9791)]( - [ALLEN INSTITUTE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI2): Technical Co-Founder // CTO (Stealth Startup)]( - [GeekWire: GeekWire Technology and Business Reporter]( - [Textio: Data Science Manager, Analytics]( - [Copper: Sr. Product Designer for well funded startup]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? 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