This week: Rec Room, the Seattle-based social gaming platform once valued at $3.5 billion, is shutting down — and Snap is picking up some of the pieces.

Todd talks about what it was like fielding calls from distraught users on the night of the announcement. John offers his thoughts on what the shutdown says about the VR hype cycle, and whether everyone betting on the AI boom should take notes.

Plus: Major League Baseball's new automated ball-strike system is already exposing umpires and creating a whole new kind of showboating — including one player who was so confident the robot would overrule the ump that he just started walking to first base.

Also on the show: Todd road-tests Amazon's new FedEx Office returns partnership (pro tip: don't ask for stamps), OpenAI makes a head-scratching move into media by acquiring tech talk show TBPN, John gets fooled by an April Fools' prank, WSU researchers take on the torpedo bat, and our weekly trivia segment ties Apple's 50th anniversary to a piece of Microsoft lore.

Thanks to this week's sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Microsoft, proud to call Washington state home and committed to strengthening the communities that made its growth possible — investing in infrastructure, workforce development, education, and nonprofit partnerships to help ensure innovation drives broad-based prosperity across the state. Read more.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton. 

This week: <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/snap-acquires-assets-from-rec-room-as-social-gaming-platform-announces-shutdown/">Rec Room</a>, the Seattle-based social gaming platform once valued at $3.5 billion, is shutting down &mdash; and <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/snap-acquires-assets-from-rec-room-as-social-gaming-platform-announces-shutdown/">Snap is picking up some of the pieces</a>.
Todd talks about what it was like fielding calls from distraught users on the night of the announcement. John offers his thoughts on what the shutdown says about the VR hype cycle, and whether everyone betting on the AI boom should take notes.
Plus: Major League Baseball's new <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/abs-challenge-system-mlb-2026">automated ball-strike system</a> is already exposing umpires and creating a whole new kind of showboating &mdash; including one player who was so confident the robot would overrule the ump that he just started walking to first base.
Also on the show: Todd road-tests <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/amazon-and-fedex-together-again-this-time-for-e-commerce-returns/">Amazon's new FedEx Office returns partnership</a> (pro tip: don't ask for stamps), <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/02/openai-acquires-tbpn-the-buzzy-founder-led-business-talk-show/">OpenAI makes a head-scratching move into media</a> by acquiring tech talk show TBPN, John gets fooled by an April Fools' prank, <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/wood-is-wood-wsu-research-finds-yankees-viral-torpedo-bats-perform-the-same-as-traditional-bats/">WSU researchers take on the torpedo bat</a>, and our weekly trivia segment ties&nbsp;<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/on-apples-50th-recalling-the-time-a-microsoft-engineer-drove-steve-jobs-so-crazy-he-invented-the-ipad/">Apple's 50th anniversary</a> to a piece of Microsoft lore.
Thanks to this week's sponsor:&nbsp;This episode is brought to you by Microsoft, proud to call Washington state home and committed to strengthening the communities that made its growth possible &mdash; investing in infrastructure, workforce development, education, and nonprofit partnerships to help ensure innovation drives broad-based prosperity across the state.&nbsp;<a href="link">Read more.</a>
With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. 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

Rec Room, the Seattle-based social gaming platform once valued at $3.5 billion, is shutting down — and Snap is picking up some of the pieces. Todd broke the news, fielded calls from distraught users, and connects the VR bust to lessons for the AI boom. Plus: MLB's new automated ball-strike system is exposing umpires and creating a whole new kind of showboating, Todd road-tests Amazon's FedEx Office returns partnership, OpenAI makes a head-scratching media acquisition, and the trivia question ties Apple's 50th anniversary to a word Microsoft tried and failed to make happen.