GeekWire's Most-Read Stories of the Week

Catch up on the top tech stories from this past week. Here are the headlines that people have been reading on GeekWire. ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Hear from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Co-chair Bill Gates, Expedia CEO Peter Kern, Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay, and Dreambox Learning CEO Jessie Wooley-Wilson and other tech and business leaders at the 2020 GeekWire Summit, Oct. 13-29: [Learn more and register before early bird rates end.]( THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES [Seattle mountaineering guide in legal battle with tech CEO seeking refund for failed Everest climb]( Seattle mountaineering guide Garrett Madison and Silicon Valley tech CEO Zachary Bookman were set to take on the world’s tallest mountain peak together. [WFH tips from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella: Regular breaks, short meetings, and other advice]( Schedule super quick meetings just to check in with colleagues. [Microsoft’s new ‘hybrid workplace’ policy will make working from home a permanent part of the mix]( Microsoft has released new “hybrid workplace” guidance that lays out how employees can have a more flexible remote work schedule and even relocate elsewhere in the country as the tech giant continues to adjust to changing needs during the ongoing pandemic. SPONSOR MESSAGE [The 2020 GeekWire Summit returns October 13-29, with an immersive and content-rich agenda that you will not want to miss!]( The fully virtual 2020 GeekWire Summit will take place over three weeks, allowing attendees to digest the in-depth fireside chats, interactive panels and brainy power talks in consumable bite-sized chunks. Get your pass and access all of the great sessions, including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Co-chair Bill Gates, Expedia CEO Peter Kern, Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay, and Dreambox Learning CEO Jessie Wooley-Wilson; in addition to timely discussions about COVID-19 with leading health and biotechnology executives on the Regence health tech stage. This year, your GeekWire Summit pass allows you to participate in networking opportunities, discussion forums, polls and view sessions on-demand. Register for tickets, [here](. [Real estate brokerage Compass to acquire Seattle-based home closing startup Modus]( New York-based real estate brokerage and tech company Compass will acquire Modus, a Seattle startup that automates the title and escrow phase of closing on a home. [Seattle investor who worked — and rocked — with Paul Allen goes viral with his cover of a grunge hit]( Steve Hall thinks Paul Allen would have gotten a kick out of his viral music sensation. [GameStop and Microsoft team up to sell Xbox All Access at more than 5K GameStop retail locations]( GameStop announced today a multi-year strategic partnership agreement with Microsoft. SPONSORED: GEEK HOME OF THE DAY [Sandy Beachfront in Medina]( [‘Mysterious $60B woman’: Profile offers rare look at MacKenzie Scott’s distribution of Amazon wealth]( MacKenzie Scott hasn’t given any interviews about her split from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos or her philanthropic pursuits in the time since. [Ex-Amazon employee arrested after issuing fake refunds totaling more than $96K]( A former Amazon employee was charged with federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after issuing false refunds for products ordered on Amazon.com. [Bill Gates on how to overcome vaccine worries and striving to match his dad’s achievements]( As the U.S. lurches through the COVID-19 pandemic, the public has turned repeatedly to Bill Gates to get his insights on the path forward and missed opportunities in the global health crisis. [Tableau integrates with Salesforce’s Einstein Analytics, now called Tableau CRM]( Tableau announced that it is combining its software with Salesforce’s Einstein Analytics arm. [U.S. government scrutinizes Microsoft’s hiring practices as tech giant looks to boost diversity]( Microsoft in June announced a sweeping racial justice plan, including an initiative to spend $150 million on diversity and inclusion programs, and double its number of Black and African American managers and senior employees by 2025 in the U.S. [Bing gets a new logo and is now called ‘Microsoft Bing’]( Bing has a new look and name. Microsoft’s search engine is now being called “Microsoft Bing,” which is using an updated logo. [Seattle startup Skilljar raises $33M as pandemic sparks demand for its customer education software]( The third time really has been a charm for Sandi Lin and Jason Stewart. [Death of the HQ? Pandemic hits commercial real estate, but long-term trends still open to debate]( “HQ’s are finished.” That was the hot take this week from Chris Herd, founder and CEO of remote work setup startup Firstbase. [Avalara pays $377M to acquire ‘tax answer company’ Transaction Tax Resources]( Seattle sales tax automation company Avalara paid approximately $377 million in cash to acquire Transaction Tax Resources (TTR), a McMinnville, Ore.-based provider of various tax-related products and services. GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [INRIX: Strategy Analyst]( - [Libro.fm: Senior iOS Developer]( - [INRIX: Senior Java Data Engineer]( - [Libro.fm: Senior Android Developer]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? 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