Spotted: Amazon robot maps sidewalks north of Seattle

Can this app make your dog smarter? | Another spinout from Pioneer Square Labs | Washington state ‘apple of the future’ returns to stores ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Become a GeekWire member: [Support independent journalism and join today!]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Amazon’s sidewalk-mapping robot spotted in the wild: Rolling down a sidewalk north of Seattle this weekend, [the white, six-wheeled robot looked like a miniature version of Google’s Street View cars]( with cameras and sensors protruding from the top and embedded in the rear panel. An operator followed closely behind, driving the robot with a wireless Xbox 360 controller. A closer look at the small sticker on the back revealed an Amazon logo. While the company isn’t commenting yet, the rare sighting of the sidewalk-mapping robot appears to offer a glimpse of how far the tech giant is going to enable autonomous neighborhood deliveries. Can this app make your dog smarter? That’s the question behind PupPod, a Seattle startup which just debuted its latest app-based interactive toy for dogs. GeekWire Managing Editor Taylor Soper gave it a spin with his 9-month-old labrador Ichi. [Here’s their review](. Another Pioneer Square Labs spinout: The latest company out of the Seattle startup studio is Secure, a fintech platform that aims to help employers offer a financial wellness benefit to workers beyond their paycheck in the form of an emergency savings account. Secure is led by two longtime Seattle-area entrepreneurs and is launching as the pandemic causes financial stress for millions of Americans. [Read more](. Cosmic Crisp apples begin shipping: A new crop of the much-hyped "apple of the future" is [headed from Washington state to stores across the U.S.]( Washington State University first developed the variety, a cross between the Honeycrisp and the Enterprise, 20 years ago and the first crop arrived a year ago. Lessons in leadership from Ventec’s CEO: This year has been challenging for people across the country, but consider what 35-year-old Chris Kiple has grappled with as the CEO of Ventec Life Systems — leading an unprecedented increase in production of the company’s ventilators in the face of a global crisis and the glare of the national spotlight. Kiple shares his lessons learned [in the latest installment of our Working Geek column](. Thanks for reading, have a great week, and see all of our latest headlines below. — GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, editor@geekwire.com, managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com., and Geek Life reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Calgary, a city of choice for the world’s best entrepreneurs. Learn more at the upcoming GeekWire Studios Virtual Event: Calgary -The city of disruptors, not the disrupted; sponsored by Calgary Economic Development]( Why Calgary? As the city of choice for the world’s best entrepreneurs solving global challenges in energy, transportation, food, and health, there is a thriving innovation ecosystem with highly-skilled talent, poised to embrace digital transformation, adapt and prosper. Hear from panelists: City of Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Virtual Gurus Founder & CEO Bobbie Racette, and Builders VC-Canada Investing Partner Mark Blackwell who will share their insights on why Calgary is quickly becoming Canada’s most adventurous TECH city. This session will be moderated by GeekWire Co-founder John Cook. Registration is free, availability is limited; register in advance to submit your question to the panel. [Register Today!]( LATEST HEADLINES [Seattle startup vets launch platform that lets employers provide emergency savings accounts]( [New crop of Cosmic Crisp apples begins shipping from Washington state to stores across the U.S.]( [Week in Review: Most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of Nov. 15, 2020]( [Testing PupPod: This $199 app-based training tool aims to increase mental stimulation for dogs]( [Spotted: Amazon robot maps sidewalks north of Seattle, laden with cameras and sensors]( SPONSORED: GEEK HOME OF THE DAY [Madison Park Storybook Bleu]( [How culture and leadership helped ventilator maker Ventec meet huge demand in COVID-19 response]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [INRIX: Chief Product Officer]( - [Phase Genomics: SENIOR DATA SCIENTIST/ MACHINE LEARNING ENGINEER]( - [GeekWire: GeekWire Technology and Business Reporter, Full Time]( - [INRIX: Senior Front-End UI Developer]( - [Flyhomes: Senior Front End Engineer]( - [INRIX: Senior Software Development Engineer]( [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](