Week in Review: Top Stories on GeekWire – Dec. 15, 2024

Get up to date on the latest technology and startup news with this weekly update. Here are some of the most popular stories from GeekWire for the week of December 15, 2024.

Venture capitalist Nick Hanauer shares his thoughts on the proposed Washington wealth tax, calling it ‘impractical’ despite his previous support for the state’s capital gains tax.

Washington’s governor suggests a 1% wealth tax on residents and proposes higher tax rates for certain businesses, sparking a debate on taxes and the potential impact on tech talent migration.

In a surprising move, the head of Amazon’s devices division, Panos Panay, gives out free Kindles to visitors at the company’s HQ fruit stand, reminiscent of Oprah’s famous giveaways.

Perplexity, a rival of OpenAI valued at $9 billion, acquires Seattle-based startup Carbon, specialized in helping developers connect data sources to large language models.

Amazon’s new reality TV competition, “Beast Games,” premieres on Prime Video, featuring 1,000 contestants competing for a $5 million prize, as MrBeast makes the jump from YouTube to Amazon’s streaming network.

Seattle startup Tribute closes its doors as its founder reflects on the entrepreneurial journey, navigating through funding difficulties and generating interest from enterprise corporations.

These are just a few of the top stories that caught readers’ attention this week. Stay informed by subscribing to our GeekWire Weekly newsletter to receive updates every Sunday in your inbox.