Why Amazon is investing in Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus

Amazon still looking for its fashion fit: Amazon's minority investment in the new parent company of luxury fashion retailers Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus could give the tech giant new insights and additional momentum in a retail segment that has long been a key part of its overall e-commerce strategy. The pending deal could also help to counter criticism of Amazon's long-term impact on traditional retail. Read more.

The automated parking system in a luxury condo tower in downtown Seattle is calling in high-tech reinforcements, with the addition of electric vehicle charging bays that rely on robotic arms to help get juice to residents’ cars. Read more.

The drone company in charge of a Fourth of July light show that ended in a watery disaster over a lake in SeaTac, Wash., is searching for answers to what went wrong when it lost 55 of 200 drones. The company’s CEO took some comfort in the fact that safety procedures prevented any injuries or property damage. Read more.

Seattle-area startup Gravitics landed a $125 million contract from Axiom Space to provide a pressurized spacecraft for Axiom’s yet-to-be-launched commercial space station. Read more.

Qumulo’s new CEO: Former Cisco and Arista Networks exec Douglas Gourlay just moved to Seattle from Silicon Valley to lead data storage company Qumulo. He replaces longtime leader Bill Richter, who is retiring. Read more.

• Tech Moves: TiE Seattle has a new president; former Microsoft and Amazon exec joins General Catalyst; and more key personnel changes. 

Hot Links:

• Microsoft’s ad subsidiary Xandr has been accused by EU privacy advocates of violating European data protection rules, including failing to minimize data collection and ignoring consumer data access and deletion requests. (The Register)

• 5G Open Innovation Lab won the NSIN Catastrophic Communication Challenge, held at Camp Murray in Washington state, with a secure, standalone 5G network designed for effective communication in degraded environments. (NSIN)

• Amazon’s new Echo Spot alarm clock, with a revamped design and improved audio quality, is the biggest upgrade to the device since it was introduced in 2017. (CNBC)

• A division of Bellingham, Wash.-based startup Tidal Vision landed a grant from the USDA to increase production of regenerative fertilizer. (Tidal Grow)