Seattle startup wants to connect students with their future colleges

A former high school counselor is leading a new Seattle startup that aims to better connect students and the colleges they may want to attend. EdXeno founder and CEO Jason Booker (above) said his company is developing a mobile app to provide free college advising and resources to students, and give universities a recruiting platform by communicating directly with interested students. “The vision is to create this equitable landscape where everyone has access to the same information,” Booker said. Read more.

Can AI and a chatbot help smokers quit? The free QuitBot app from Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is like an on-demand counselor in your phone that can engage in conversations and share science-based information to support smokers trying to resist the urge to light up. Read more.

AWS gets new CFO: John Felton, a member of Amazon’s senior leadership team who most recently helped lead the company’s logistics operations, took a new role as senior vice president and CFO of Amazon Web Services.

AI guidance for schools: Washington this week became the fifth state to issue a roadmap to guide educators, students and families in using artificial intelligence in public schools. The overarching message is that AI and the tools it powers can’t be shut out of education, so educators are better off learning to work with it. Read more. 

Lunar lander misses out on moon, falls into ocean: Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander lifted off earlier this month on a rocket powered by Blue Origin engines. But a propellant leak doomed hopes for a moon landing and the robotic spacecraft splashed down in the South Pacific on Thursday. Read more.

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Hot Links:

• Amazon is making more small layoffs, this time in its Buy With Prime division. Periodic layoffs could be the new norm in tech. (Engadget; Business Insider)

• Amazon’s pending acquisition of iRobot could be in jeopardy amid reports that EU regulators plan to block the $1.7 billion deal. (CNBC)

• Microsoft is making its AI-powered reading tutor free. (ZDNet)

• Police are finding stolen smartphones inside ecoATM kiosks, which offer cash in exchange for consumer devices. (FOX13)

• After NFL star Patrick Mahomes had his helmet crack during a big hit in a playoff game last weekend, Vicis — the helmet manufacturer which has roots in Seattle — said its product “did its job.” (ESPN)