Starla Sampaco
GeekWire
Seattle, WA, United States
Contact Starla
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
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Past articles by Starla:
Geared Up for the Super Bowl: Last-minute TV recommendations for the big game
One of the most highly anticipated television events of the year, Super Bowl LIII, is coming up on Sunday, Feb. 3. If you’re planning to buy a new TV for your next watch party, tech reviewer Andru Edwards, co-host of our Geared Up podcast, has some recommendations. → Read More
Geared Up: FaceTime eavesdropping bug, minimalist phones, and rumored Apple gaming subscription service
In this episode of Geared Up, Andru Edwards and I discuss the FaceTime bug that allowed iPhone users to eavesdrop on the person they called, reports of a new gaming subscription service from Apple, the minimalist phone trend, signs of new iPads and a seventh-generation iPod touch, and a foldable… → Read More
Amazon temporarily stops selling its Echo Wall clock: Why we wouldn’t buy another one anyway
Amazon has decided to temporarily stop selling its Echo Wall Clock, a device that displays the time of day and connects with an Echo device to show active timers. “We’re aware that a small number of customers have had issues with connectivity,” an Amazon spokesperson… → Read More
Glasses give sight to the legally blind, opening eyes to the broader potential of making tech accessible
Some of the most cutting-edge products at CES were designed for people with disabilities, demonstrating how the tech industry is increasingly focusing on accessibility technology as a way to make better products for everyone. → Read More
The world’s first e-bike with Amazon’s Alexa built-in
LAS VEGAS — The first ever electric bicycle with Amazon’s digital assistant built in made its public debut at CES this week. The highly anticipated Cybic E-Legend bike includes a SIM card, so riders will not need Wi-Fi to use Alexa functions like messaging and phone calls. “It’s a hands-free… → Read More
The world’s first e-bike with Amazon’s Alexa built-in
LAS VEGAS — The first ever electric bicycle with Amazon’s digital assistant built in made its public debut at CES this week. The highly anticipated Cybic E-Legend bike includes a SIM card, so riders will not need Wi-Fi to use Alexa functions like messaging and phone calls. “It’s a hands-free… → Read More
Seattle startup Lubn wins CES Innovation Award for smart key box
LAS VEGAS — From a laundry-folding robot to Alexa-enabled mirrors, smart home technology is all the rage at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Among this year’s recipients of the CES Innovation Awards is the LubnBox, a smart key box with visual authentication. At $199 to $349, the product is… → Read More
Bread-making robot built in Washington grabs the attention as CES kicks off in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS — As the big Consumer Electronics Show kicked off on Sunday, it was a Pacific Northwest company that turned heads with its prototype of the BreadBot, a robotic bread maker that starts with mix and ends with fresh loaves of bread. The Wilkinson Baking Company traveled from its hometown of… → Read More
VIDEO: Our favorite GeekWire moments of 2018
In this episode of TLDR, we’re taking a look back at some of our favorite and most fun GeekWire moments of 2018. It was a big year for our reporters and editors, from interviewing some of the top names in tech to setting up our own temporary HQ2 in Pittsburgh. Click on the video below to watch our… → Read More
An ugly Christmas sweater that talks: Electrical engineer and Misapplied Sciences CTO win GeekWire’s ugly sweater contest
Inspiration hit when Paul and Cathy Dietz learned that they could score free tickets to the GeekWire Gala if they won GeekWire’s ugly sweater contest. In just two days, Cathy designed and knitted an entire Christmas sweater dress from scratch while her husband created the parts to animate it. The… → Read More
Biotech journalist Luke Timmerman sets his sights on Mount Kilimanjaro and $1M for cancer research
As a journalist, Luke Timmerman has covered biotech for more than 17 years. Now, the Timmerman Report founder is making headlines for his efforts to raise money for cancer research. → Read More
Working Geek: For Amazon’s Alex Kravis, passion and practicality combined for role of a lifetime
Not only is Alex Kravis’s job as head of product and creative teams for Amazon’s Prime Video X-Ray a gig that blends her passions for film and TV with her degree in information sciences, her work is restoring some household harmony. When watching shows and movies with her wife, Kerry, in the days… → Read More
Rev. Jesse Jackson at the Washington STEM Summit: ‘There’s an opportunity deficit’
This year, the Washington STEM Summit brought together more than 300 leaders in government, education, community and business — including Rev. Jesse Jackson and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. Washington STEM is a nonprofit that focuses on opportunities to bring STEM… → Read More
The top selling items at Amazon and other retailers this holiday season
From smart speakers to gaming consoles, U.S. consumers spent billions of dollars between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. According to Adobe Analytics, online holiday shopping is expected to top $124 billion in 2018, up more than 14 percent from last year. (But don’t… → Read More
Company founded by U.S. Army vet develops cannabis-based products to help people struggling with pain
As the founder of G&G Laboratories, Mike Lui wants to help people who struggle with pain, such as veterans and aging populations. A U.S. Army veteran himself, Lui has had firsthand experience with muscle and joint pain. “You’re in combat zone wearing 40 to 80 pounds of gear in very extreme… → Read More
4 tech trends from the Seattle International Auto Show, and why self-driving cars aren’t one
This year, the Seattle International Auto Show will feature more than 700 cars, including many that are not available for purchase yet, like the Jaguar I-PACE and the 2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature. I previewed the event and spoke to auto expert Tom Voelk about some of the… → Read More
Geek on the Street: What is the greatest invention of all time, and what would you invent?
The toaster oven. Post-It notes. And, uh, plumbing. That’s what people said when asked their pick for the greatest invention of all time, as we checked in with visitors to Seattle Center for our Geek on the Street question. A bit less basic were responses to the… → Read More
Geek on the Street: What was the most memorable Uber ride you’ve ever taken?
Ah, memories. In this episode of Geek on the Street, we asked folks at Seattle Center to briefly tell us about the most memorable Uber ride they have ever taken. Not surprisingly, there was a wide range, from, “I was trying to escape church on Easter Sunday,” to “She… → Read More
Geek on the Street: Would you want to live to 200, and would do you anything differently?
Health technology is hot. But there are mixed feelings about aging a century or more beyond the typical current human lifespan. Our Geek on the Street question for this episode was inspired by T.A. McCann, the managing partner of Pioneer Square Labs and host of the… → Read More
Geek on the Street: What was first Nintendo game you ever played, and can you hum the theme?
Just in case you’ve forgotten the music behind popular Nintendo games, you now have your chance to hear some truly unique performances of the classics. In this episode of Geek on the Street, we asked folks at Seattle Center to tell us about the first Nintendo games they… → Read More