Inside the abrupt shutdown of BMW’s ReachNow car-sharing service

Microsoft's latest acquisition | Aurora effect over Seattle [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Hackers don’t just steal your data, they steal your memories: [QKey keeps your private information safe, learn more here.]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES “If you are in an active rental, do not fear. Please end your trip in the coverage area as normal when you are done.” That was the ominous message from ReachNow to users of its car-sharing service on July 17, underscoring the abrupt nature of its shutdown in Seattle and Portland. So what happened to ReachNow? [GeekWire civic editor Monica Nickelsburg has the behind-the-scenes story]( -- a case study in the challenges of running new mobility ventures, and an illustration of the uncertain future faced by services reinventing the way we get around. Microsoft’s latest acquisition is a New York-based startup that helps retailers build digital advertising and e-commerce offerings. The founders of the startup, PromoteIQ, say Microsoft is “building out the defining operating system to power the future of commerce.” It’s part of the evolution of the Redmond company’s broader advertising business. [Read the story](. Elsewhere in Redmond, Microsoft’s Julia Liuson is one of the executives leading the company into its new era. She oversees technical and business strategy, product development and engineering teams for Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code and .NET Framework, to name a few. [Read more in this Working Geek profile](. Poker pays off! At least that was the case for Bob Crimmins, our Geek of the Week, a Seattle startup mainstay who has grown a casual card game into a community for entrepreneurs with chapters in six cities and 2,300 members. [Read the profile.]( Random Channel: It might look like Alaska, but [this aurora effect was actually visible in the skies over Seattle]( from the National Weather Service rooftop. Have a great Monday, everyone. If you like our new newsletter format, please encourage a friend or colleague [to sign up](. Thanks for reading, and see more of our headlines below. ― GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com SPONSOR MESSAGE [Disconnect to Reconnect]( The ultimate, private, mountain resort getaway. Only 80 miles from Seattle. Own here for 100+ more days of sunshine, thousands of acres of outdoor recreation, and year-round activities and social events. Welcoming, family-friendly community. Easy to come as often as you need, to reconnect with your family, renew your priorities, and refresh your mind.[Tumble Creek at Suncadia.]( LATEST HEADLINES [Grocery delivery startup Dumpling raises $3M to democratize the gig economy, challenging Instacart from Amazon’s backyard]( [Rapidly growing Zillow Offers direct home sales program opens in 15th market, with more to come]( [Good news for card-carrying potheads: Seattle startup raising funds so you don’t have to use cash]( [Microsoft acquires e-commerce marketing company PromoteIQ to bolster advertising business]( [Esports tournament operator Matcherino lands funding as question swirl about industry’s growth]( SPONSORED: GEEK HOME OF THE WEEK [Lock & Leave Luxury: Historic Home, Delicious Gardens & Killer Views]( [Inside the abrupt shutdown of BMW’s ReachNow car-sharing service in Seattle and Portland]( [Geek of the Week: How lifelong entrepreneur Bob Crimmins’ little poker game ballooned to a 2,300-person startup group]( [The spectacle of Gen Con, the country’s largest (and possibly friendliest) tabletop game convention]( [Week in Review: Most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of July 28, 2019]( [How the specter of irrelevancy helped Microsoft Corporate VP Julia Liuson drive massive change]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [Lumedic: Product Manager]( - [Rad Power Bikes: Technical Writer, Content Product]( - [Renton Technical College: Computer Science Instructor]( - [Lumedic: Data Architect]( - [RealNetworks: Director, Product Management – SAFR]( - [GeekWire: GeekWire Sales Account Executive]( - [Y Combinator: Y Combinator: Work at a Startup Expo on 6/29]( - [Lumedic: Senior Manager of Software Development]( - [Lumedic: Senior Product Designer]( - [Highspot: Principal Backend Software Engineer]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2019 GeekWire LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted to receive emails from GeekWire LLC.  Our mailing address is: GeekWire LLC 123 NW 36th St, Suite 203 Seattle, WA 98107  [change email frequency or address]( | [unsubscribe](