Robotics startup hires former Amazon AI leader, opens Seattle office

Collaborative Robotics, the Santa Clara, Calif., company founded in 2022 by former Amazon Robotics VP and Distinguished Engineer Brad Porter, has hired Michael Vogelsong (above), who co-founded Amazon’s Deep Learning Technologies team. Vogelsong will lead a research team from a newly opened Seattle office, where the company is developing a yet-to-be-revealed mobile collaborative robot for a variety of industrial settings. Read more.

Microsoft President Brad Smith is appearing before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security today for a hearing about the company’s security failures. In a prepared written testimony, Smith said the Redmond tech giant is committed to changing its ways. He also revealed details on the Microsoft board’s decisions this week regarding the new security components of senior executives’ compensation. Read more.

• In his opening statement, ranking member Rep. Bennie Thompson cited a ProPublica article published Thursday, in which a former Microsoft employee said he tried, without success, to warn execs about a flaw that ultimately left customers vulnerable to the 2019 SolarWinds attack.

Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellite broadband network has been tapped to provide internet connectivity to customers in seven South American countries, under the terms of a newly announced deal with Vrio Corp., the parent company of DirecTV Latin America and Sky Brasil. Read more.

As companies continue to feel their way on return-to-office policies, GeekWire hosted a celebration of its own new headquarters space in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood on Wednesday. We caught up with guests to discuss how they’re navigating the world of remote and in-person work. 

AI and space: Will intelligent AI agents take on the job of capsule communicator in future missions to the moon, Mars and other space destinations? It could happen.

Cybersecurity protection is a requirement for companies of all shapes and sizes, but it can be difficult to assess what tools are most effective — and affordable. A new startup called Cypher wants to help. Read more.

University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce will step down from her role next year after 10 years in which, among other accomplishments, she championed tech and innovation. Read more.

Hot Links:

• The Seattle Public Library is making progress in restoring services after a recent cybersecurity attack. Access to e-books and e-audiobooks is returning today. (ShelfTalk Blog)

• A UW Medicine cardiologist’s study looks at how machine learning models can scour medical records to help predict a patient’s risks for cardiac arrest. (UW Medicine)

• Jeff Bezos previously saved The Washington Post and he can save it again from a reinvention that has been a “mess.” (The Guardian)