Amazon's Jeff Bezos, tech's new No. 1 CEO pitchman?

The big news of the week was Kindle Fire.

Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos staged a launch event in NYC Wednesday that drew much attention and intrigue: Wow, only $199? Why no 3G? And most importantly, with Fire, can Amazon catch a red-hot iPad?

The Kindle Fire announcement was very Apple-like, including the buildup, the coverage and the Big Apple setting. Switch out Steve Jobs wearing a mock-turtleneck for a shaven-headed Bezos, and we may be looking at tech's new top CEO pitchman.

In case you missed it, here is a rundown of our Kindle Fire coverage:

Amazon Kindle Fire tablet priced at $199, ready to rival iPad

Is Kindle Fire a game-changer in bid to catch red-hot iPad?

'Fire is Born' - A first look at Amazon's Kindle Fire commercial

Microsoft to benefit from Amazon Kindle Fire tablet?

Amazon.com's online name game with Kindle Fire and Silk

With Silk, Amazon aiming for a smooth, cloud-based browser

How a $199 Kindle Fire adds up for Amazon.com's bottom line

How buying Palm helps Amazon avoid Microsoft patent fees

But we had plenty of news beyond Kindle Fire.

Aislyn Greene had an excellent report on smartphone maker HTC's search for more space in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. Aislyn pushed the news forward in a significant way, talking with real estate professionals about how demand is up from tech companies eager to settle within Seattle's historic district. The interest is making it harder for companies to find the right space.

Check out her related post on why HTC and other companies are willingly signing licensing agreements with Microsoft to build Android-based devices on technology the Redmond company claims infringes on its intellectual property.

The second part of Aislyn's series will appear next Friday.

Here are some more news items I am catching up on:

Kashless, the parent company of Seattle's daily-deal site Tippr, settled with 14 defendants ensnared in a patent-infringement lawsuit involving Kashless intellectual property.

Xconomy has a detailed run-down of what this might mean for the many group-buying companies, including BuyWithMe and HomeRun, named in the suit. Kashless holds a number of patents related to the daily deals industry, which it used to reach "settlement agreements" with some of the defendants. Major players Groupon and Living Social weren't named in the suit.

Newly public companies Zillow, Dunkin' Donuts, Pandora have a new home: Russell Investments' Global Index.

PSBJ's hard-working banking reporter Kelly Gilblom says the Seattle financial services company announced plans to add 90 newly public companies to its largest index. Of the additions to the Global Index, 25 companies are U.S.-based and one (Zillow) is based in the Puget Sound region.