Bill Gates on life after lockdown

Tech industry fights new “Amazon Tax” | Bride and Zoom | Convoy adapts to COVID-19 ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Become a GeekWire member: [Support independent journalism and join today!]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Happy Thursday, GeekWire readers! We loved [this picture of the Space Needle]( by Tim Durkan ([a former Geek of the Week]( but couldn’t help but notice how much the artwork in the foreground looks like COVID-19 now. OK, onward ... “Picture restaurants that only seat people at every other table, and airplanes where every middle seat is empty.” That is what the “semi-normal” next phase of the pandemic will look like, Bill Gates says [in a new blog post]( offering a starkly pragmatic take that contrasts with predictions that the economy will come “roaring back.” But Gates also points to the potential for new innovations the likes of which haven’t been seen since World War II. [Read the story](. RELATED: [Bill Gates talks to students around the world about pandemic, studying and more in Code.org session]( “If there’s life, there’s travel,” says Expedia chairman Barry Diller, expressing optimism about the future even as the Seattle-based online travel giant [makes a series of dramatic moves]( to shore up its business amid the economic crisis. Bride and Zoom: Yep, weddings are still happening in this era of social distancing. Here’s [the inside story]( of one couple’s ceremony that took place in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood, and in cyberspace. Who’s hiring? Amid widespread coronavirus cutbacks, GeekWire is working on a story about tech companies in the Seattle region and Pacific Northwest that are still hiring and growing. If your tech company or one you know is adding staff during the downturn, email us at [tips@geekwire.com](mailto:tips@geekwire.com?subject=Hiring). Convoy adapts amid COVID-19: The Seattle-based digital freight startup saw record activity last month as it helped shippers meet huge demand across industries such as beverage, food, and retail. But other sectors have largely shut down. [Here’s how the company is responding](. Tech industry fights new “Amazon Tax”: Business and tech leaders are asking Seattle officials to reject a new payroll tax, warning that “imposing a punitive tax on job creation will only ensure a slower recovery that further harms the very people you wish to help.” [Read the story.]( SparkToro launch: The Seattle startup, led by Moz co-founder Rand Fishkin, [unveiled its influencer marketing platform](. Buy a shirt, help small business: GeekWire teamed up with Bellingham, Wash.-based Brist MFG [for these sweet “We Got This, Geeks” GeekWire-branded t-shirts](. For each purchase, $10 will go to the Keep Workers Healthy and Safe Fund. [Get your shirt here]( and wear it with pride, fellow geeks! Thanks for reading, good luck out there, and see a full list of our latest headlines below. — GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com, and managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Central. Affordable. Luxury. Gridiron.]( Have you always dreamed of owning a downtown home with some of Seattle’s best views? Perhaps you imagined that vision was out of reach. We have great news…[Read More]( LATEST HEADLINES [We Got This, Geeks: Buy a shirt and support small businesses in the Seattle region]( [Big Tech’s reputation is rising as governments tap the industry in coronavirus response]( [Convoy leans on its technology as Seattle digital freight startup navigates volatile trucking industry]( [Expedia Group raises $3.2B, names new CEO, makes further cuts as bookings plunge up to 43%]( [With physical sites lost to COVID-19, escape room pioneer Puzzle Break turns to new virtual games]( SPONSORED: GEEK HOME OF THE DAY [Front Row Views of Seattle from Gridiron Condos]( [Bill Gates on life after lockdown, and what it will really take to defeat ‘the first modern pandemic’]( [Spaceflight signs up as anchor customer for Firefly Aerospace launch in 2021]( [Swarm Technologies chooses Momentus and SpaceX to launch constellation of tiny satellites]( [More tech startup layoffs: Seattle-based security company ExtraHop cuts staff]( [Amazon’s new ‘AppFlow’ links cloud-based apps to AWS services, automating data flows]( [Bride and Zoom: Seattle couple marries in backyard with officiant and wedding guests on video call]( [Seattle tech industry fights proposed ‘Amazon Tax,’ claiming it will delay recovery and cost jobs]( [SpaceX launches seventh batch of 60 Starlink broadband satellites, and sets a rocket record]( [With high-tech rooms at home, Seahawks ready for remote NFL draft and AWS helps power entire event]( [Augmented reality swimming goggles maker Form raises $8.5M]( [Boeing reorganizes operations to prepare for the ‘post-pandemic’ aviation industry]( [Bill Gates talks to students around the world about pandemic, studying and more in Code.org session]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [ALLEN INSTITUTE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI2): Technical Co-Founder // CTO (Stealth Startup)]( - [ALLEN INSTITUTE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI2): Deep Learning Engineer // Co-Founder]( - [Compete To Create: Technical Lead / Principal Software Engineer]( - [ALLEN INSTITUTE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI2): CTO-in-Residence // Co-Founder]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2020 GeekWire LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted to receive emails from GeekWire LLC.  Our mailing address is: GeekWire LLC 123 NW 36th St, Suite 203 Seattle, WA 98107  [change email frequency or address]( | [unsubscribe](