Paul Allen and Living Computers auction items revealed

Computer history for sale: Christie's revealed more than 150 items to be auctioned from the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's collection, including historic computers and artifacts from the closed Living Computers Museum + Labs in Seattle. 

• Notable items include an Apple-1 from Steve Jobs' desk (above), early Microsoft memos, a signed letter from Albert Einstein to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and a first-class luncheon menu from the Titanic from the day the ship hit the iceberg.

• Given the scope of the former Living Computers Museum items in the auction, any aspirations to keep locally significant items in the Seattle region could hinge on investors and philanthropists bidding successfully for them. Read more.

Starbucks’ new CEO won’t be relocating from sunny California. The Seattle-based coffee giant — which set a return-to-office policy for employees last year — is opening a small remote office in Newport Beach for its new leader, former Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol. Read more.

GeekWire 200 update: Our latest ranking provides a snapshot of the Seattle region’s startup landscape, and highlights companies gaining traction. Where does your company rank? 

Two Seattle-area companies, Brinc and Echodyne, are bringing their drone and radar technologies together to help police and other law enforcement agencies win FAA approval to use drones to respond to 911 calls beyond visual line of sight. Read more.

The judge in a case pitting an electric aviation startup called Zunum Aero against Boeing has overturned a jury verdict awarding $72 million to Zunum, based in part on his conclusion that Zunum didn't prove its "trade secrets" were actually trade secrets. Read more.

Today's top trending story — Inside the Seattle labs of Xaira: The Bay Area-based biotech startup is equipped with $1 billion in funding and has about 15 employees in Seattle, including researchers who spent time at the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington. Read more.

Alpenglow Biosciences, a Seattle biotech startup that develops 3D spatial biology imaging technology, landed a $2 million research grant from the National Institute of Health, and a $1 million investment to further develop its platform. Read more.

Hot Links:

• T-Mobile was fined $60 million by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. for failing to prevent and report unauthorized access to sensitive data. (Reuters) 

• The Washington state Department of Commerce is leading a business delegation with three companies — Gamesight, House of How, and One More Game — at the gaming conference Gamescom in Germany. (Dept. of Commerce)

Top Photo Credit: CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2024