Seattle’s Pioneer Square Labs and Silicon Valley stalwart Mayfield form AI co-investing partnership – GeekWire

Navin Chaddha (left), managing partner at Mayfield, and Greg Gottesman, managing director at Pioneer Square Labs. (Mayfield and PSL Photos)

Seattle startup studio Pioneer Square Labs (PSL) and esteemed Silicon Valley venture capital firm Mayfield are teaming up to fund the next generation of AI-focused startups.

The partnership combines the startup incubation prowess of PSL, a 9-year-old studio that helps get companies off the ground, with Mayfield, a Menlo Park fixture founded in 1969 that has stalwarts such as Lyft, HashiCorp, ServiceMax and others in its portfolio.

As part of the agreement, PSL spinouts focused on AI-related technology will get a minimum of $1.5 million in seed funding from PSLs venture arm (PSL Ventures) and Mayfield.

Weve really been focusing a lot of our efforts on building defensible new AI-based technology companies and found a partner who feels very similarly and has incredible talent, resources, and thought leadership around this area, said PSL Managing Director Greg Gottesman.

Navin Chaddha, managing partner at Mayfield, described the partnership as very complimentary. PSL specializes in testing new ideas before spinning out startups. Mayfield steps in when companies are ready to raise a venture round and at later stages.

They have strengths, we have strengths, Chaddha said.

Its a bet by both firms on the promise of AI technology and startup creation.

Its a once-in-a-lifetime transformational opportunity in the tech industry, Chaddha said.

Mayfield last year launched a $250 million fund dedicated to AI. Chaddha published a blog post last month about what Mayfield describes as the AI cognitive plumbing layer, where the picks and shovels infrastructure companies of the AI industry reside.

Theres so much infrastructure to be built, Chaddha said. He added that the applications enabled by new AI technologies such as generative AI are endless.

Gottesman, who helped launch PSL in 2015 after a long stint with Seattle venture firm Madrona, said more than 60% of code written at PSL is now completed by AI a stark difference from just a year ago.

Its not that we have humans writing less code were just moving faster, Gottesman said.

The $1.5 million seed investments are a minimum;PSL and Mayfield are open to partnering with other investors and firms. The Richard King Mellon Foundation is also participating in the partnership.

The deal marks the latest connection point between the Seattle and Silicon Valley tech ecosystems.

Madrona, Seattles oldest and largest venture capital firm, opened a new Bay Area office in 2022 and hired a local managing director.

Bay Area investors have increasingly invested in Seattle-area startups including Mayfield, which has backed Outreach, Skilljar, SeekOut, Revefi, and others in the region. The firm was an early investor in Concur, the travel expense giant that went public in 1998.

Chaddha previously lived in the Seattle area after Microsoft acquired his streaming media startup VXtreme in 1997. He spent a few years at the Redmond tech giant, working alongside Satya Nadella who later went on to become CEO.

I think its fantastic that Mayfield is making a commitment not just to AI, but also to the Seattle area as well, said Gottesman.

PSL raised $20 million third fund last year to support its studio, which has spun out more than 35 companies including Boundless, Recurrent, SingleFile, and others. Job postings show new company ideas related to automation around hardware development and workflow operations for go-to-market execs. The PSL Ventures fundraised$100 million in 2021.

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Seattle's Pioneer Square Labs and Silicon Valley stalwart Mayfield form AI co-investing partnership - GeekWire

10 U.S. National Parks With Beaches – TheTravel

Summary

There are 63 national parks in the US, and over 400 national park units are managed by the National Park Service. With so many millions of protected miles to explore, these national parks manage to protect every type of environment.

This is good news for those struggling to decide if they want a beach-side vacation getaway or a full-blown national park road trip through the US; some parks make it possible to enjoy both. Located off the coast of some of the most popular ocean-side cities or along the miles of shore along the Great Lakes, there are hundreds of miles of beaches to explore in the US.

These 10 national parks in the US have some truly exquisite beaches, with a variety of wildlife, sandy space, and surrounding natural beauty to enjoy.

Sand Beach in Acadia National Park, Maine, USA, one of Maine's most beautiful beaches

Acadia National Park in Maine has been ranked as one of the most beautiful places in the US, and its scenic New England beaches are just one more thing to love.

Acadia National Park features both beautiful ocean beaches like Little Hunters Beach, and scenic lakeside shores, such as Echo Lake Beach. Visitors to the park often find themselves struggling to decide whether to set up at the beach or enjoy the ocean and lake views from one of the best hiking trails in Acadia National Park.

The variety of shorelines to explore means that guests can enjoy everything from sunbathing to kayaking to swimming (although guests should remember that this is the northern corner of the US, even in the summer, the water is brisk at best).

Sandy beach onSan Miguel Island in Channel Islands National Park, California, USA

For those looking for some truly untainted beaches in US national parks, it's hard to imagine a better destination than Channel Islands National Park.

Accessible only by ferry, the beaches and rocky shores of the Channel Islands have been spared the wear and tear of motorized vehicles. Additionally, because the Channel Islands are one of the most difficult national parks in the US to visit, the shores here are perfect for a quieter day at the beach.

A beach in Olympic National Park, Washington, USA

Olympic National Park is the most visited of Washington State's three national parks, and for good reason. In addition to the temperate rainforests and miles of incredible hiking trails in Olympic National Park, this scenic area just two hours from Seattle protects some of Washington's most beautiful beaches.

There are over a dozen beaches to choose from in Olympic National Park, including Ruby Beach, Sand Point, and Rialto Beach. Unlike the white sand beaches of the more southern national parks, visitors to Olympic National Parks beaches are likely to see dramatic rock formations and red-tinted sand on their beach excursions.

View from Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas, Florida

Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the least visited National Parks in the US, thanks to its inaccessibility off the coast of the Florida Keys. While the beaches of the seven islands that make up Dry Tortugas National Park require months of planning to get to, there is no doubt that these sandy shores are worth the work.

The Fort Jefferson Dry Tortugas Beach Section is the most isolated beach in the Florida Keys, which manages to further emphasize its beauty. Since the seaplanes only carry 10 passengers at a time, with limited flights to the park, guests will have these white sand beaches practically to themselves.

Scenic coastline inRedwood National Park, California, USA

Giant redwoods and beautiful California coastline? Redwoods National and State Parks may just be the perfect combination of land and sea. While the northern shores of California are a little chilly for full-blown swimming excursions, there are plenty of black sand, striking rock formations, and rolling sand dunes to explore.

While all of the beaches at Redwoods National and State Parks are beautiful, Enderts Beach and False Klamath Cove are two of the best beaches for those looking for some coastal wildlife. With thriving tidepools and unusual rock formations, these beaches highlight the beauty of the California coast and are some of the best US National Park beaches overall.

Boca Chita Beach and Lighthouse,Biscayne National Park, Florida, USA

Biscayne National Park is one of the most unique national parks in the US. Nearly 95% of Biscayne National Park is underwater, featuring protected coral reefs and coastal formations. The other 5% are some of the best national park beaches in the US.

The Boca Chita Key Beach, which also features the Boca Chita lighthouse, is perhaps the most photographed beach in Biscayne National Park. However, the entire Sands Key and Elliott Key, both of which frame the underwater portion of Biscayne, are lined with beautiful shorelines. Each one of these sandy stretches is perfect for a relaxing day on a US National Park beach.

The rocky volcanic coast ofHawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, USA

While the volcanoes and frozen lava flows may be the most famous part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, this popular destination on the Big Island also has some of the best national park beaches in the US.

While some of the scenic shoreline, namely the region that is part of the Kahuku-Phue parcel, is closed to the public for the time being, other beaches like Halape Cove can be enjoyed by adventurous travelers. After backpacking through the rugged jungle formed by the rich volcanic soil, the beaches of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park are a truly one-of-a-kind sight.

View of Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska

While the beaches in Alaska may not be full of white sand and warm ocean water, there is something inherently beautiful about these northern shores. Lined with wildlife, from river otters to sea lions, the beaches of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve are some of the most enchanting places to see the region's spectacular beauty.

The namesake Glacier Bay is the crowning jewel of the park's beaches. With wildflowers in the spring, floating glaciers in the bay, and a variety of Alaska's iconic animals, a beach visit to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve may just be the seaside getaway travelers didn't know they needed.

Canoers on the shore of Lake Superior in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

When travelers think of beaches, they often think about crashing ocean waves along the coast. The US is home to thousands of lakes, however, and some of those lakes hide the best national park beaches in America.

One such example is Isle Royale National Park, a conglomeration of islands on the Great Lakes that features miles of lake beaches. Another national park that cannot be reached by car, the beaches of Isle Royale National Park are pristine. Despite being a lake beach, the depth of the Great Lakes means that not only is swimming, paddleboarding, and kayaking available, but snorkeling can be enjoyed as well.

Aerial view of Trunk Bay on St John Island, US Virgin Islands National Park, USA

While not part of the 50 states, the Virgin Islands are a territory of the United States, and the idyllic Virgin Islands National Park has some of the most beautiful national park beaches in the US.

Nearly half of the land protected by Virgin Islands National Park is underwater, so beachgoers often find themselves snorkeling off the shore to make the most of their visit. A tropical destination near the Caribbean, there is no doubt that the beaches of Virgin Islands National Park, including Salomon/Honeymoon Bay and Hawksnest Bay are perfect for casual visitors and avid ocean explorers alike.

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At CES 2024, tech companies are transforming the kitchen with AI and robots that do the cooking – DC News Now | Washington, DC

LAS VEGAS (AP) Chef-like robots, AI-powered appliances and other high-tech kitchen gadgets are holding out the promise that humans dont need to cook or mix drinks for themselves anymore.

There was plenty new in the food and beverage world at CES 2024, the multi-day trade event put on by the Consumer Technology Association. Displays included cocktail-mixing and ice cream-making machines akin to a Keurig, and a robot barista whose movements are meant to mimic a human making a vanilla latte.

Heres some of the newest tech thats transforming the way meals are prepped, cooked and delivered:

GE Appliances is looking to change the way you smoke food with its new $1,000 indoor smoker.

Around the size of a toaster oven or microwave, the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker can fit a full brisket cut in half, 40 chicken wings or three racks of ribs. It still uses wood pellets to achieve a smokey flavor, but its technology traps the smoke inside, making it perfect for people who live in urban environments, like high-rise apartments, said Whitney Welch, a spokesperson for GE Appliances.

Using generative AI technology, Brisk Its new smart grill, the NeoSear, aims to make the art of barbecuing foolproof.

You can ask the grill all kinds of questions to create the perfect recipe: What seasoning should I add to make my chicken skewers spicy? How do I sear a medium-rare steak?

Once youve nailed down a recipe and prepped the food, Brisk Its InnoGrill AI 2.0 technology will command the grill to cook it.

Its everyones smart grill, said CEO Christopher Huang. It doesnt matter if youre a skilled enthusiast, if youre busy, young or old.

The grill is not yet available but will cost around $2,000, Huang said.

Freezing your own ice cream at home takes hours, but with tech startup ColdSnaps no-clean ice cream machine, your frozen treat is ready in two minutes.

Think of it as a Keurig for ice cream: Choose from flavors like salted caramel and coffee, then put the pod in the machine and it will dispense your cold treat in minutes after scanning the pods QR code.

ColdSnap can also whip up frozen lattes, boozy ice cream treats and protein shakes.

Tech startup Chef AI is unveiling what it calls a real one-touch air fryer.

Unlike the air fryer you might have on your kitchen counter right now, Chef AIs iteration of the popular appliance doesnt require any tinkering with settings. Just place the food in the air fryer, press Start, and it uses artificial intelligence to detect what type of food it is cooking, says the companys CEO, Dean Khormaei.

He said the air fryer would turn even the worst cooks into chefs.

Chef AI will be available in the U.S. in September for $250.

Whats the secret to a perfect dirty martini? Dont worry about it Bartesians cocktail-mixing appliance takes the guesswork out of bartending.

Bartesians latest iteration, the Premier, can hold up to four different types of spirits. It retails for $369 and will be available later this year.

Use a small touch screen on the appliance to pick from 60 recipes, drop a cocktail capsule into the machine, and in seconds you have a premium cocktail over ice.

If you fancy a homemade beer instead, iGulus new automated brewing machine lets you make your own beer a pale ale, an amber lager or a wheat beer. Just pour a pre-mixed recipe into the machines keg, add water and scan the sticker that comes with the beer mix. In nine to 13 days, youll have a gallon of DIY beer.

Artly Coffees barista bot mimics the way a human behind the counter of your favorite coffee shop might prepare your usual order.

What were really trying to do is preserve the craft of fine coffee, said Alec Roig, a hardware developer for the Seattle-based tech startup that now is operating at 10 locations across the Pacific Northwest and in New York City.

Roig said the companys resident barista, who is behind all of Artlys coffee recipes, was hooked up with motion sensors that recorded his movements as he prepared each recipe, from packing the coffee grounds into the filter to frothing the milk and pouring latte art.

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At CES 2024, tech companies are transforming the kitchen with AI and robots that do the cooking - DC News Now | Washington, DC

‘Cities for Action’ to address Caribbean asylum seeker crisis Caribbean Life – Caribbean Life

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With the unrelenting influx of Caribbean and other migrants crossing the southern border of the United States and travelling to major cities, such as New York City and Chicago, Mayor Eric Adams and the Mayors Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Manuel Castro on Monday disclosed that the city will host the Eighth Annual Cities for Action.

Officials say many of the immigrants arriving in New York City from the southern border are nationals from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and Guatemala.

Adams told a press conference that representatives from over 20 cities are expected to participate in the two-day event.

Since the founding of Cities for Action in 2014, immigration issues have only become more urgent. And, in the 20 months since we began managing a national asylum seeker crisis almost entirely on our own, cities have been the ones to step up and lead the way, the mayor said.

As we continue to tackle the current humanitarian crisis, New York City is proud to host this convening of municipal leaders who are working on the frontlines and advocating for the federal government to finish the job they started by providing more financial and logistical support to cities across the country, he added.

As a city of immigrants, we look forward to continuing the work with our municipal partners to advance compassionate solutions on-the-ground and immigrant-inclusive policies nationwide, Adams continued.

Castro said he looked forward to strategizing with other municipal leaders.

Its incredibly powerful to have so many city offices of immigrant affairs from across the nation come together in New York City this week, he said.

In a time where cities are leading the way in responding to the asylum seeker humanitarian crisis, it is timely we are coming together to strategize and advocate together on behalf of our cities and our immigrant communities, he added.

Adams said 23 jurisdictions from across the nation will participate in the event. They include: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and Santa Clara Counties, CA; Aurora and Denver, CO; Miami-Dade County, FL; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Louisville, KY; Boston and Somerville, MA; Baltimore City and Baltimore County, MD; Saint Paul, MN; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, PA; Austin, Houston, and El Paso County, TX; and Seattle, WA.

The mayor said more than 140,000 migrants and asylum seekers have converged on New York City, seeking shelter, since the crisis started.

He said his administration has adopted fast and urgent action in addressing the humanitarian crisis, with smaller-than-expected aid from the federal government.

Meantime, as Republicans in the US Senate continue attempts to block aid for Caribbean and other migrant and asylum seekers, the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is appealing to lawmakers in the nations capital to support critical asylum protections and push back against the Republicans radical agenda.

Recently, US immigration authorities reported an influx of Chinese migrants crossing the border in attempting to seek asylum in the US.

NYIC, an umbrella policy and advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York, prides itself in serving one of the largest and most diverse newcomer populations in the United States.

NYICs Executive Director Murad Awawdeh noted on Tuesday that US Senate Republicans, in their weeks-long budget negotiations on President Joe Bidens emergency supplemental funding request to support the war in Ukraine, are unrelenting in attempting to block aid to Caribbean and other migrants and asylum seekers, unless the budget includes extreme changes in immigration policy, including barriers to seeking asylum in the United States, humanitarian parole and enforcing stricter border policies.

As cities across the country continue to welcome newly-arrived asylum seekers, it is crucial that lawmakers in Washington support critical asylum protections and push back against the Republicans radical agenda, including cutting back on humanitarian parole, resuming construction on parts of the southern border wall, reinstating remain in Mexico, as well as the safe third country banall of which would ultimately result in the end of our asylum system, Awawdeh told Caribbean Life.

There is no reason to include increased use of inhumane policies like family separation as part of a foreign budget package, except pure cruelty, he added. Instead, lawmakers must expand effective and humane measures that will alleviate the pressure from the southern border, allow for more secure processing of asylum seekers, and ensure that localities like New York City, which have received thousands of new arrivals, are able to support and integrate them into our communities.

After embarking on a treacherous journey to the United States, immigrant communities deserve to feel protected and thrive in our country to live out their American dream, Awawdeh continued.

In his continuing efforts to manage, as best as he can, the expanding asylum seeker crisis, Adams recently launched the broadening of the Asylum Application Help Center.

With funding from New York State, Adams said he will open two new satellite sites in aiding asylum seekers in submitting applications for asylum, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and work authorization.

Last month, the mayor launched the citys first satellite sites for immigration application assistance in Harlem and Lower Manhattan.

While we continue to call for a national strategy to solve a national crisis, New York City continues to do its part to support asylum seekers, he said. For over a year, we have asked the federal government to put forward a resettlement strategy, expedite work authorizations for asylum seekers, and provide New York City with much needed and meaningful financial support.

In the absence of that national strategy, New York City continues to lead building out the legal and resettlement infrastructure needed to address this crisis, the mayor added. We hope the federal government will join us in these efforts and finish the job they started.

Since its launch this summer, bolstered by aid from state partners, Adams said the citys help center has supported the filing of over 7,200 asylum applications, about 2,900 work authorization applications and nearly 2,900 TPS applications.

He said New York City has also helped Caribbean and other asylum seekers file over 3,100 work authorization applications during two clinics hosted in partnership with the federal government and city-based nonprofits, totaling more than 16,000 asylum, work authorization and TPS applications.

As he continues to prioritize helping asylum seekers live independently, without significant or timely state and federal assistance, Adams said he plans to proceed, in January 2024, with a 20 percent reduction in spending on the migrant crisis in his Fiscal Year 2024 Preliminary Budget.

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'Cities for Action' to address Caribbean asylum seeker crisis Caribbean Life - Caribbean Life