As cynical journalists, this doesn’t always come naturally to us, but during Thanksgiving on the GeekWire Podcast, it’s our tradition to take a step back and assess the positives in tech, business, and science.
This year’s installment reminds us of technologies we may take for granted, the advancements that have become so integrated into our lives over time that we suddenly can’t remember what we’ve done without them: automated scoring in sports pools; remote printing via the Internet; natural language processing; language translation; mobile ticketing; and drone photography; just to name a few.
We heard from several readers and listeners about what they are grateful for right now, including robotic process automation, continued advocacy for diversity in technology, and support networks for startup founders.
In this year’s contrarian turn, my colleague John Cook also touched on some of the silver linings of these clouded economic times, including a return to more realistic (and likely) tech startup valuations. We are also now seeing a glimmer of hope in the job market, as layoffs have opened up the market for hiring by smaller firms.
Taking a more opposing view, John shares why he is grateful for… Elon Musk? ! Be sure to listen to his explanation before pulling out your pitchfork.
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