GeekWire Summit Highlights: Bill Gates, the race to a COVID-19 vaccine, and the future of devices

This week’s GeekWire Podcast options highlights from the primary week of the digital GeekWire Summit, together with what’s subsequent within the quest for a COVID-19 vaccine; a dialog with Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer; and Invoice Gates’ feedback on what’s protecting him optimistic in these tumultuous occasions.

Hearken to the episode beneath, or subscribe to GeekWire in any podcast app.

The total GeekWire Summit periods can be found on-demand solely to attendees of the digital occasion, which runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays via Oct. 29. Study extra and register right here.

Race to a COVID-19 Vaccine: We spoke with Dr. Deborah Fuller, professor of microbiology on the College of Washington; Dr. Lynda Stuart, deputy director on the Invoice & Melinda Gates Basis; Dr. Melanie Ivarsson, chief growth officer at Moderna, one of many main biopharmaceutical corporations with a COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Part 3 assessments.

Panos Panay rose to prominence within the tech business because the chief of Microsoft’s Floor {hardware} enterprise. Now, in his expanded function as the corporate’s chief product officer, he’s main the unified Home windows software program and {hardware} groups simply because the pandemic renews the relevance of desktop and laptop computer computer systems in our lives. On this podcast spotlight, we focus on Microsoft’s Floor Duo, and the place dual-screen units match within the evolution of computing.

And eventually, we talked with Invoice Gates in regards to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the local weather disaster, and his ideas on the tech business’s present antitrust challenges, amongst different matters. Towards the tip of our dialog, we requested him for some big-picture takeaways, together with what retains him optimistic in these tumultuous occasions. Hearken to the ultimate section for his reply.