This startup is tapping an undersea volcano for power

Undersea power: Endurance Energy will tap an undersea volcano off the coast of Oregon next month with a 100-kilowatt generator, enough to power a small neighborhood. It’s the fifth ocean-floor deployment for the startup, which has raised $63 million and is led by a former SpaceX engineer. GeekWire got a look inside its new facility near Seattle’s Lake Union.

GitHub goes down: Microsoft’s code-sharing platform went down for three hours Monday, breaking the website, pull requests, Actions and Copilot before GitHub said it had the problem under control. The company hasn’t disclosed a cause, but it comes as the platform struggles with the surge in AI coding. 

Anti-AI protest in Bellevue: In what one X user described as possibly “the most unserious protest of all time,” demonstrators dressed as rogue AI agents entered the lobby of OpenAI’s Bellevue building Friday with balloons, hot pink vests, and a chorus of “Happy Rogue Day to OpenAI.” It was part of “Dump Big Tech” actions in more than 20 states this month.

What should Liverpool FC fans expect from Jeff Bezos as a member of the club’s new minority ownership group? We offer our thoughts on this week’s GeekWire Podcast.

• Plus, a tip and an SEC filing lead to a scoop on a former Meta AI research director’s new startup, and we convene the GeekWire Editorial Board to decide the fate of the now Dallas-based supply chain startup Auger on the GeekWire 200.
• Read more and listen here, and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Become an AI power user: In his latest column, computer scientist and entrepreneur Oren Etzioni lays out the habits and settings he uses himself: having AI interview him before it starts, testing it on questions to which he knows the answer, and more valuable tips.

Hot Links:

• Even Jeff Bezos can’t buy his way into Miami’s ultra-exclusive Indian Creek Country Club, where the Amazon founder owns three homes but still hasn’t secured membership. (The Wall Street Journal).
• Some Seattle Public Schools students are opting to forgo school-issued laptops and screens, to boost focus and avoid privacy issues, as some teachers shift to paper tests to avoid situations where AI could provide the answer. (Seattle Times)
• Redfin partnered with national childcare marketplace Winnie to add nearby childcare details to every for‑sale listing on its site, promising buyers a clearer view of local daycare and preschool options as they evaluate homes. (Redfin News)
• The backlash against data centers is growing, but an outright ban could simply push AI infrastructure to less environmentally friendly places — making the case for Washington state to regulate the industry in ways that protect water, strengthen the power grid and promote cleaner energy. (Seattle Times editorial)
• Eleven cities and counties in Washington state have passed moratoriums on building data centers, including Seattle, Spokane, Pasco and Skagit County over water usage and electricity rate concerns. (Cascade PBS)
• Phoebe Gates’ AI shopping startup Phia is facing fresh scrutiny after an investigation found the company knew for months that its browser extension was taking credit for sales it didn’t drive through a practice known as “cookie stuffing.” (Bloomberg)

Thanks for subscribing, and hope you're having a great start to the week. — GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, [email protected], and publisher John Cook, [email protected].