Bird bikes land in Seattle | City budget report cites impact of tech slowdown

Tech’s outsized impact on Seattle: The city faces stronger economic headwinds compared to the rest of the country due in part to its reliance on the technology industry, according to a revenue report released by the city’s budget office. 

Amazon sent messages to employees, based on individual badge swipes to gain access to buildings, letting them know that they aren’t complying with a return-to-office mandate. Some Amazon employees, already opposed to the policy, criticized the messages this week. Read more. 

AI is a growing presence on farms. The Pacific Northwest is home to a number of up-and-coming startups using artificial intelligence and machine learning to zap weeds, monitor plant health, and identify rocks in fields. Read more.

IBM completes Apptio acquisition. The all-cash $4.6 billion deal comes seven years after the Bellevue, Wash.-based cloud and IT management company went public. Read more.

As phone fraud spikes around the world, Seattle startup Hiya reports that there were more than 70 million suspected instances of spam and fraud calls every day globally in Q2. One reader let us know just how close he came to giving in to a law enforcement-style scam targeting Seattle-area residents. Read more.

Tech Moves: Graham & Walker exec joins Seattle Storm; Union Bay founder has a new gig; and more key personnel changes.