This week: Michael Levin and Josh Lowitz of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) discuss the state of Amazon's Alexa and Echo business, and what the recently announced Alexa+ service means for the company and users. CIRP studies consumer behavior to provide insights for investors and industry leaders.

Related links and coverage
CIRP: Amazon Report on Substack. (Check out CIRP's Apple Report, as well.)
CIRP's Amazon Report: Alexa, Should I Pay for Alexa+? Or Get a New Echo?
GeekWire: Amazon’s new Alexa+ uses generative AI to personalize conversations and automate tasks
Amazon: Introducing Alexa+, the next generation of Alexa


With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton. 

This week:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrlevin/">Michael Levin</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlowitz/">Josh Lowitz</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cirpllc.com/">Consumer Intelligence Research Partners</a> (CIRP) discuss the state of Amazon's Alexa and Echo business, and what the recently announced Alexa+ service means for the company and users. CIRP studies consumer behavior to provide insights for investors and industry leaders.
Related links and coverage
<ul>
<li>CIRP:&nbsp;<a href="https://cirpamazon.substack.com/">Amazon Report on Substack</a>. (Check out&nbsp;<a href="https://cirpapple.substack.com/">CIRP's Apple Report</a>, as well.)</li>
<li>CIRP's Amazon Report: <a href="https://cirpamazon.substack.com/p/alexa-should-i-pay-for-alexa-or-get">Alexa, Should I Pay for Alexa+? Or Get a New Echo?</a></li>
<li>GeekWire: <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/amazons-new-alexa-uses-generative-ai-to-personalize-conversations-and-automate-tasks/">Amazon&rsquo;s new Alexa+ uses generative AI to personalize conversations and automate tasks</a></li>
<li>Amazon:<a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/new-alexa-generative-artificial-intelligence"> Introducing Alexa+, the next generation of Alexa </a></li>
</ul>
With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; Edited by Curt Milton.&nbsp;

GeekWire brings you the week's latest technology news, trends and insights, covering the world of technology from our home base in Seattle. Our regular news podcast features commentary and analysis from our editors and reporters, plus interviews with special guests.

GeekWire reporters John Cook, Todd Bishop and guests talk about the latest tech news and trends.

GeekWire

Alexa's AI upgrade: What it means for Amazon's business and Alexa users

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss the big real estate technology news of the week: Rocket Companies, the mortgage, real estate and personal finance giant, is buying Redfin, the Seattle-based tech-powered real estate company that has been a longtime disrupter in the world of buying and selling homes. 

Joining us to assess the implications are Stephanie Reid-Simons, who oversees the news team at RealEstateNews.com as a senior vice president with the news site; and Tim Ellis, a former Redfin market analyst who's a podcaster and blogger, and a veteran of Seattle-area startups including Porch, Moz, and Glowforge.

Also on the show: Microsoft brings its Copilot AI technology to gaming, but can Microsoft prove this is more than Xbox meets Clippy? We’ll consider that question in the final segment with Thomas Wilde, an independent video-game journalist and editor who writes about games for GeekWire, Hard Drive, and other publications.

Join us at Microsoft@50 at Town Hall Seattle this Thursday, March 20. 

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.

 

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss the big real estate technology news of the week: Rocket Companies, the mortgage, real estate and personal finance giant, <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/redfin-to-be-acquired-by-rocket-companies-in-1-75b-deal/">is buying Redfin</a>, the Seattle-based tech-powered real estate company that has been a longtime disrupter in the world of buying and selling homes.&nbsp;
Joining us to assess the implications are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniereidsimons">Stephanie Reid-Simons</a>, who oversees the news team at <a href="https://www.realestatenews.com/">RealEstateNews.com</a> as a senior vice president with the news site; and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetim/">Tim Ellis</a>, a former Redfin market analyst who's a podcaster and blogger, and a veteran of Seattle-area startups including Porch, Moz, and Glowforge.
Also on the show: Microsoft&nbsp;<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/microsoft-debuts-new-copilot-assistant-for-xbox-built-as-an-ai-gaming-sidekick/">brings its Copilot AI technology to gaming</a>, but can Microsoft prove this is more than Xbox meets Clippy? We&rsquo;ll consider that question in the final segment with <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/stolisomancer.bsky.social">Thomas Wilde</a>, an independent video-game journalist and editor who writes about games for <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/author/thomaswilde/">GeekWire</a>, <a href="https://hard-drive.net/author/thomas-wilde/">Hard Drive</a>, and other publications.
Join us at <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/events/geekwire-microsoft50/">Microsoft@50</a> at Town Hall Seattle this Thursday, March 20.&nbsp;
With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop.
&nbsp;

The meaning of Rocket's Redfin deal; Microsoft Copilot meets Xbox

This week on the Geekwire Podcast: Google prepares to say goodbye to Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, we get ready to say farewell to Skype; and we take a quantum leap with one of Microsoft's top technical leaders in the field: Chetan Nayak, technical fellow and corporate vice of quantum hardware for the company.

Related stories and links:
End of an era: Microsoft to shut down Skype, shifting users to Teams, 14 years after $8.5B deal
Microsoft quantum breakthrough promises to usher in the next era of computing in ‘years, not decades’
Amazon’s new quantum chip joins race to enable next era of computing
Google sets long-term plan to exit Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, consolidate in South Lake Union
Tech investors on why AI makes this a great moment for startups — with one caveat

With GeekWire's Taylor Soper and Todd Bishop; Audio editing by Curt Milton

 

This week on the Geekwire Podcast:&nbsp;Google prepares to <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/google-sets-long-term-plan-to-exit-seattles-fremont-neighborhood-consolidate-in-south-lake-union/">say goodbye to Seattle's Fremont neighborhood</a>, we get ready to <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/end-of-an-era-microsoft-to-shut-down-skype-shifting-users-to-teams-14-years-after-8-5b-deal/">say farewell to Skype</a>; and we take a <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/microsoft-quantum-breakthrough-promises-to-usher-in-the-next-era-of-computing-in-years-not-decades/">quantum leap</a> with one of Microsoft's top technical leaders in the field: <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/people/cnayak/">Chetan Nayak</a>, technical fellow and corporate vice of quantum hardware for the company.
Related stories and links:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/end-of-an-era-microsoft-to-shut-down-skype-shifting-users-to-teams-14-years-after-8-5b-deal/">End of an era: Microsoft to shut down Skype, shifting users to Teams, 14 years after $8.5B deal</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/microsoft-quantum-breakthrough-promises-to-usher-in-the-next-era-of-computing-in-years-not-decades/">Microsoft quantum breakthrough promises to usher in the next era of computing in &lsquo;years, not decades&rsquo;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/amazons-cutting-edge-quantum-chip-joins-the-quest-to-enable-a-powerful-new-era-of-computing/">Amazon&rsquo;s new quantum chip joins race to enable next era of computing</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/google-sets-long-term-plan-to-exit-seattles-fremont-neighborhood-consolidate-in-south-lake-union/">Google sets long-term plan to exit Seattle&rsquo;s Fremont neighborhood, consolidate in South Lake Union</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/tech-investors-on-why-ai-makes-this-a-great-moment-for-startups-with-one-caveat/">Tech investors on why AI makes this a great moment for startups &mdash; with one caveat</a></li>
</ul>
With GeekWire's Taylor Soper and Todd Bishop; Audio editing by Curt Milton
&nbsp;

Hanging up on Skype; Google's future in Seattle; Inside Microsoft's quest for a quantum leap

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss Microsoft's quantum computing breakthrough; a Washington state bill that targets Uber and Lyft surge pricing; the latest update to the GeekWire 200 ranking of Pacific Northwest startups; and Amazon's move to take creative control of the James Bond movie franchise.

Related Links
Microsoft quantum breakthrough promises to usher in the next era of computing in ‘years, not decades’
GeekWire 200 update: Here are the hot tech startups moving up our list for Q1 2025
Lawmakers take aim at Uber and Lyft with bill targeting surge pricing after big events
Amazon MGM Studios strikes deal for 007, takes over creative control of James Bond film franchise

With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop and editor Taylor Soper. 

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss Microsoft's quantum computing breakthrough; a Washington state bill that targets Uber and Lyft surge pricing; the latest update to the GeekWire 200 ranking of Pacific Northwest startups; and Amazon's move to take creative control of the James Bond movie franchise.
Related Links
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/microsoft-quantum-breakthrough-promises-to-usher-in-the-next-era-of-computing-in-years-not-decades/">Microsoft quantum breakthrough promises to usher in the next era of computing in &lsquo;years, not decades&rsquo;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/geekwire-200-update-here-are-the-hot-tech-startups-moving-up-our-list-for-q1-2025/">GeekWire 200 update: Here are the hot tech startups moving up our list for Q1 2025</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/washington-lawmakers-want-to-cap-uber-and-lyfts-surge-prices-after-concerts-sporting-events/">Lawmakers take aim at Uber and Lyft with bill targeting surge pricing after big events</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/amazon-mgm-studios-strikes-deal-for-007-takes-over-creative-control-of-james-bond-film-franchise/">Amazon MGM Studios strikes deal for 007, takes over creative control of James Bond film franchise</a></li>
</ul>
With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop and editor Taylor Soper.&nbsp;

Alexa's AI upgrade: What it means for Amazon's business and Alexa users

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