The Briefing by Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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The Briefing

By Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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Recent Editions

Apple CEO Tim Cook posing next to a line of new M2 MacBook products. Photo: Bloomberg.

The Importance of Apple’s M2 Chip; Meta’s New AI Audio Tricks for AR

By Mathew Olson · Jun 27, 2022 11:00am PDT

What’s in a name? In the case of Apple-designed silicon, not much: from the A-series of chips designed for iPhones through to the M1 and new M2 chips, Apple’s only revision to each new name is updating the number.So, when Mark Gurman of Bloomberg says he expects that Apple’s mixed reality headset will use the M2 chip—which lines up with what The... What’s in a name? In the case of Apple-designed silicon, not much: from the A-series of chips...

Tesla's Fremont factory, in a photo taken in May 2020.

At Tesla, Returning to the Office Creates New Problems

By Becky Peterson · Jun 27, 2022 6:00am PDT

On the evening of June 8, speaking from Tesla’s factory in Fremont, Calif., Elon Musk addressed a few dozen of the electric car maker’s employees in person, and thousands more in a livestream. It was the first time Musk had spoken to the entire staff since announcing the prior week that all white-collar staff would be required to... On the evening of June 8, speaking from Tesla’s factory in Fremont, Calif., Elon Musk...

Byd's cell-to-pack Blade battery, clashing with the typical boxy or cylindrical cell shape. Photo: Kyodo/AP

The Electric: China Engineers a Lead on an Important Battery Technology

By Steve LeVine · Jun 26, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Welcome back to The Electric! For years lithium-iron-phosphate was a has-been battery—once heralded by automakers but then left behind by nickel-based chemistries that delivered greater electric vehicle range. Then Chinese companies figured out how to pack LFP densely into cells, and the iron-based chemistry staged a comeback. This week, we... Welcome back to The Electric! For years lithium-iron-phosphate was a has-been battery—once...

Truth or Consequences: Would You Take an AI-Powered Polygraph Test to Prove You Hadn't Cheated on a Spouse?

Truth or Consequences: Would You Take an AI-Powered Polygraph Test to Prove You Hadn't Cheated on a Spouse?

By Jon Steinberg · Jun 25, 2022 8:00am PDT

Truth or Consequences: Would You Take an AI-Powered Polygraph Test to Prove You Hadn't Cheated on a Spouse?

Truth or Consequences: Would You Take an AI-Powered Polygraph Test to Prove You Hadn't Cheated on a Spouse?

By Jon Steinberg · Jun 25, 2022 8:00am PDT

Hi, welcome to your Weekend! Even before the Supreme Court’s earth-shaking rulings this week that struck down states’ gun restrictions and ended women's right to an abortion, Americans were losing faith in the highest court in the land. On Thursday, Gallup reported that trust in the Supreme Court has never been lower, with only 25% of... Hi, welcome to your Weekend! Even before the Supreme Court’s earth-shaking rulings this week...

Art by Clark Miller.

As a Kid, Samantha John Recoiled From Videogames. Now She’s Teaching Kids to Code Them

By Annie Goldsmith · Jun 25, 2022 7:00am PDT

This is “My Life’s Work,” a series about the unique life experiences that influenced the careers of tech founders and executives. Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity. For the past decade, Samantha John, 35, and her co-founder, Jocelyn Leavitt, have been helping kids learn to code. Their app, Hopscotch, teaches children... This is “My Life’s Work,” a series about the unique life experiences that influenced the careers...

Protesters at the Supreme Court today. Photo by AP

Roe Ruling’s Repercussions for Tech; Zendesk’s Fit of Pique

By Martin Peers · Jun 24, 2022 5:00pm PDT

What a week! Tech business news has been relatively scarce in recent days—but today’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade will have repercussions for all businesses. For the tech industry, which has been spreading outside the San Francisco Bay Area and New York for the past couple of years as remote work has become widely available,... What a week! Tech business news has been relatively scarce in recent days—but today’s Supreme...

Art by Clark Miller

Scene and Heard

‘The Last Great Party’: With Crypto Winter Coming, NFT Lovers Try to Stave Off Reality

By Margaux MacColl · Jun 24, 2022 2:30pm PDT · 9 comments

Ten days before NFT.NYC began last Monday in New York, I interviewed the conference’s founder, Jodee Rich, about how the crypto market’s collapse would impact this year’s gathering. It seemed like an obvious topic of discussion: $400 billion in cryptocurrencies’ market value had just vanished in a matter of weeks; heavyweights like Coinbase had... Ten days before NFT.NYC began last Monday in New York, I interviewed the conference’s founder,...

Carta CEO Henry Ward. Photo: Carta

Carta Has Had Talks to Acquire Vauban, a European AngelList-like Startup

By Erin Woo, Mahira Dayal and Becky Peterson · Jun 24, 2022 1:35pm PDT

Carta CEO Henry Ward. Photo: Carta

Carta Has Had Talks to Acquire Vauban, a European AngelList-like Startup

By Erin Woo, Mahira Dayal and Becky Peterson · Jun 24, 2022 1:35pm PDT

Financial services startup Carta has been in talks to acquire Vauban, a London-based startup that provides software for raising venture capital funds and investing capital, according to two people familiar with the matter. Carta, which builds software for startups and investors to track their equity stakes, raised $500 million at a $7.4 billion... Financial services startup Carta has been in talks to acquire Vauban, a London-based startup that...

Art by Clark Miller

Will Your Cheatin’ Heart Tell on You? As Americans Lose Trust in Each Other, They’re Turning to Tech to Detect Lies

By Zara Stone · Jun 24, 2022 12:00pm PDT · 1 comment

A few months ago, inside a soundproof room attached to his office, Dennis Cates, a retired police officer and founder of Mid Valley Polygraph in Porterville, Calif., cleared his throat and directed his client to answer an awkward question. “Have you ever had sex with your husband’s brother?” “No,” the client answered, clicking false on the... A few months ago, inside a soundproof room attached to his office, Dennis Cates, a retired police...

Amazon’s Ad Staffers Flee Amid Complaints of Bloat, Bureaucracy

By Mark Di Stefano and Jessica Toonkel · Jun 24, 2022 10:07am PDT · 1 comment

In the years immediately before Covid-19 sidelined the global advertising festival in Cannes, Amazon kept a low-key presence at the annual gathering of ad and tech people. While staffers booked rooms at the iconic Carlton Hotel to meet with clients, they were so conscious of overspending that one year two senior employees shared a room,... In the years immediately before Covid-19 sidelined the global advertising festival in Cannes,...

The Question Plaguing Connected TV: Who’s Watching?

By Andrew A. Rosen · Jun 24, 2022 9:00am PDT · 2 comments

PARQOR is part of The Information’s newsletter network. To receive it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, sign up here. We’re more than 15 years into the age of streaming media, and yet we still don’t know the answer to two basic questions: How many people are watching, and who are they? A recent study... PARQOR is part of The Information’s newsletter network. To receive it in your inbox every...

Not Just Tiger: Coatue, Greenoaks Reduce Late-Stage Deals

By Mahira Dayal · Jun 24, 2022 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Not Just Tiger: Coatue, Greenoaks Reduce Late-Stage Deals

By Mahira Dayal · Jun 24, 2022 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Last year, Tiger Global Management led a rush to back startups nearing initial public offerings, piling into late-stage funding rounds for banking app Chime, data firm Databricks and videoconferencing startup Hopin. New data shows just how much Tiger and other deep-pocketed investors have pulled back so far this year. Tiger’s participation... Last year, Tiger Global Management led a rush to back startups nearing initial public offerings,...

Nio plans to offer a car with solid-state batteries by the end of the year. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Electric: Solid-State Batteries Are All the Rage—Except in China

By Steve LeVine · Jun 24, 2022 5:00am PDT

Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a freelance researcher specializing in Chinese industrial policies. Since 2017, he has focused on the Chinese EV market, as well as smart cities, urban logistics and battery recycling management.Investors worldwide are pouring billions of dollars into companies such as QuantumScape, Solid Power and... Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a freelance researcher specializing in Chinese...

Netflix's offices in Los Angeles. Photo by Bloomberg.

Netflix’s Layoffs; What Twitter’s Stock Price Reveals

By Martin Peers · Jun 23, 2022 5:00pm PDT · 1 comment

What a grim summer this is turning out to be. News today that Netflix was laying off 300 people, or 3% of its workforce, is a reminder that the slowdown in streaming we talk about so often has a human cost (on that, more below). More sobering: Netflix was the 28th tech firm to lay people off this week, according to Layoffs.fyi. In other... What a grim summer this is turning out to be. News today that Netflix was laying off 300 people,...

Erin Woo Joins The Information’s Startup Team

By The Information Staff · Jun 23, 2022 4:00pm PDT

We are thrilled to announce that Erin Woo has joined The Information to report on startups and venture capital. Previously, she was a reporting fellow on the technology desk at The New York Times, where she wrote about startups, the Elizabeth Holmes trial and tech news ranging from QR codes to cryptocurrency. Erin started her career as an intern... We are thrilled to announce that Erin Woo has joined The Information to report on startups and...

Maria Heeter Expands The Information’s Investing Coverage

By The Information Staff · Jun 23, 2022 3:49pm PDT

Maria Heeter Expands The Information’s Investing Coverage

By The Information Staff · Jun 23, 2022 3:49pm PDT

We are excited to announce that Maria Heeter has joined The Information as a venture capital reporter covering late-stage private startups, venture capital investors and IPOs. Before joining The Information, Maria covered real estate at Bloomberg News, led the student newspaper of the Claremont Colleges and reported on business and Covid-19 for... We are excited to announce that Maria Heeter has joined The Information as a venture capital...

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Partner Content

Event Recap: Dos and Don’ts for Working with Creators

By The Information Staff · Jun 23, 2022 3:45pm PDT

So you want to hire an influencer to pitch your company. But how do you make sure you hire the right one? At The Information’s annual Creator Economy Summit, attendees gathered to discuss how to avoid common partnership mistakes during the “Brands, Creators and Campaigns” masterclass session. Panelists included: Jamie Gutfreund... So you want to hire an influencer to pitch your company. But how do you make sure you hire the...

How creator diversity programs compare. Table: Mike Sullivan

Creator Economy

What’s Hot at VidCon; How Creator Diversity Programs Compare (Chart)

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 23, 2022 3:11pm PDT

VidCon kicked off on Wednesday evening, with welcome receptions, social media-worthy spaces for creators to hang out and excited teen fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite influencer. My first stop was Meta Platforms’ creator lounge, a private space for creators to hang out–and of course take photos and shoot Reels.... VidCon kicked off on Wednesday evening, with welcome receptions, social media-worthy spaces for...

A promotional image for the Quest 2 VR headset. Photo: Meta Platforms.

A Peek at Meta VR Testing; Tim Cook Says “Stay Tuned” for AR News

By Mathew Olson · Jun 23, 2022 11:00am PDT

Meta Platforms is working hard—and shelling out money—to make sure it leaves no stone unturned when it comes to making sure its VR products work for a wide range of people. In recent days, for instance, Meta has been looking for very specific demographic groups—young people of South Asian descent or African American females who wear lipstick—for... Meta Platforms is working hard—and shelling out money—to make sure it leaves no stone unturned...

Tech’s Worst-Timed Deals: Six Acquisitions That Have Not Improved With Age

By Martin Peers · Jun 23, 2022 6:00am PDT · 7 comments

Tech’s Worst-Timed Deals: Six Acquisitions That Have Not Improved With Age

By Martin Peers · Jun 23, 2022 6:00am PDT · 7 comments

As tech valuations collapse to a fraction of where they were last year, executives likely have a few regrets. One is sure to be acquisitions done at the top of the market. It’s always tempting when stock prices and private valuations are trading at stratospheric levels for company executives to choose that moment to expand through... As tech valuations collapse to a fraction of where they were last year, executives likely have a...