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

Illustration by Jesus Escudero.

Market Research

Livestream Shopping Is a Messy, Maddening Experience (for Now)

By Janet Ozzard · Nov 26, 2021 12:01pm PST

Holiday gift buying is hell. It always has been, and likely always will be, an anxiety-fueled decision tree that no machine-learning algorithmcan solve. However, another e-commerce paradigm has arrived with the promise of making gift shopping easier by adding that most social of social elements: an actual human, speaking directly to the camera,... Holiday gift buying is hell. It always has been, and likely always will be, an anxiety-fueled...

The Information’s Top Tech-Adjacent Gifts for 2021

By The Information Staff · Nov 26, 2021 9:01am PST · 4 comments

This year, there is no shortage of material—and immaterial—ways to show people you care. NFTs are certainly a choice, one that is more popular than ever, even if we can’t guarantee they’ll hold their absurdist values through the New Year. Another option is the ever-elusive Tungsten Cube, a hot commodity within crypto circles. One of these heavy... This year, there is no shortage of material—and immaterial—ways to show people you care. NFTs are...

Photos by Bloomberg; AP. Art by Mike Sullivan

What We Got Right (and Wrong) in Our Predictions for Tech in 2021

By The Information Staff · Nov 26, 2021 6:01am PST · 4 comments

Here at The Information we’ve come to enjoy the year-end ritual of publishing stories predicting what the coming year will look like for the tech industry. We also think it’s important to look back and grade ourselves on how well—or badly—we did with those predictions. Our grade point average for the 2021 tech predictions... Here at The Information we’ve come to enjoy the year-end ritual of publishing stories...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Breshad Perriman passing New York Giants cornerback James Bradberry an NFL game on Monday. Photo by AP.

The True Size of Disney’s Sports Burden

By Martin Peers · Nov 24, 2021 5:00pm PST

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Breshad Perriman passing New York Giants cornerback James Bradberry an NFL game on Monday. Photo by AP.

The True Size of Disney’s Sports Burden

By Martin Peers · Nov 24, 2021 5:00pm PST

If there’s one number that sums up why Disney may decide to spin off ESPN sometime in the next couple of years, it’s contained in a securities filing the entertainment giant made tonight, as most folks were probably off drinking in anticipation of tomorrow’s Thanksgiving holiday. That number is $70.4 billion, representing what Disney has... If there’s one number that sums up why Disney may decide to spin off ESPN sometime in the next...

LTK co-founder Amber Venz Box. Photo: LTK

Creator Economy

LTK’s Amber Venz Box on Social Shopping’s Next Wave; Q&A With a Cheese Board Influencer

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 24, 2021 2:42pm PST

Amber Venz Box, an early fashion influencer, co-founded social shopping app LTK ten years ago when she realized more people wanted to buy goods she recommended online than in person. Earlier this week, the Dallas-based company, which she runs with her husband Baxter Box, announced $300 million in funding from SoftBank Vision Fund 2 at a... Amber Venz Box, an early fashion influencer, co-founded social shopping app LTK ten years ago...

The protagonists of Resident Evil 4. Image: Capcom

A Quest Record, HaptX Funding and AR for Grocery Lists

By Mathew Olson · Nov 24, 2021 11:00am PST

VR game publishers, take note: Meta Platforms said Tuesday that Resident Evil 4 VR for Quest 2 became the fastest selling title (in first week sales) in the history of the Quest since its release last month. Evidently, with the right franchise and at least a little elbow grease, Quest owners are quite happy revisiting old games with a new VR... VR game publishers, take note: Meta Platforms said Tuesday that Resident Evil 4 VR for Quest 2...

Poshmark's signage at the Nasdaq when the company when public. Photo by Bloomberg.

Poshmark’s Slowdown Casts Doubt on Social Shopping’s Potential

By Malique Morris · Nov 24, 2021 6:01am PST

This should be Poshmark’s moment. The online merchant is at the center of a burgeoning social shopping explosion, as a growing number of startups and social media firms promote creators as sellers of either new or used goods. For Poshmark, though, it’s more like the worst of times. The company has been hit by the double whammy of... This should be Poshmark’s moment. The online merchant is at the center of a burgeoning...

Apple CEO Tim Cook. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Hole in Apple’s Security Argument

By Martin Peers · Nov 23, 2021 5:00pm PST

Apple CEO Tim Cook. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Hole in Apple’s Security Argument

By Martin Peers · Nov 23, 2021 5:00pm PST

Next time Apple executives argue that they can’t relax rules around their iOS App Store for fear of allowing a malware invasion, let’s remember today, when the company sued Israeli firm NSO in retaliation for allegedly infecting iPhones with spyware. Yes, as secure as Apple claims the iPhone to be, the devices are apparently no match for those... Next time Apple executives argue that they can’t relax rules around their iOS App Store for fear...

Amazon’s Growing Influencer Ambitions; An Instagram Thread Trend

Creator Economy

Amazon’s Growing Influencer Ambitions; An Instagram Thread Trend

By Mahira Dayal · Nov 23, 2021 2:52pm PST

Amazon has emerged as a key player in the creator economy, from its gaming live-streaming service Twitch to the Clubhouse competitor it is reportedly working on. But a less well known part of Amazon’s ambitions is how it has been tapping into creators to recommend products on its ecommerce site for years.Some popular creators like Tinx have been... Amazon has emerged as a key player in the creator economy, from its gaming live-streaming service...

A mock-up of the Fold app's new AR features. Credit: Fold

Niantic’s Gigantic Raise and Bitcoin Play; A Unity Exec’s Metaverse Doubts

By Mathew Olson · Nov 23, 2021 11:00am PST

Coatue Management’s injection of $300 million into Niantic has bolstered the game maker’s chances of becoming an AR force to be reckoned with. On top of that, the company is lending a bit of its AR credibility to Fold, a bitcoin rewards app, via a development partnership that’s rolling out a new AR experience today. Does this recent flurry... Coatue Management’s injection of $300 million into Niantic has bolstered the game maker’s chances...

YouTube chief Susan Wojcicki unveiling YouTube TV in 2017. Photo by Bloomberg.

YouTube TV in Talks to Add More Free Channels in Search for TV Ad Dollars

By Sahil Patel · Nov 23, 2021 6:00am PST

You won’t spot the series “Chicken Girls” from Brat TV on your regular cable service. But if all goes well, YouTube’s version of cable TV—its $65 a month YouTube TV service—will carry the comedy about teen girls in high school. Brat TV is one of several midsize digital media firms, including Vox Media and... You won’t spot the series “Chicken Girls” from Brat TV on your regular cable...

Dan Morehead, founder and chief executive officer of Pantera Capital, in Beverly Hills, Calif., in October. Photo by Bloomberg

More Institutional Investors Embrace Crypto VCs as Pantera Capital Raises $600 Million

By Kate Clark · Nov 23, 2021 6:00am PST

Dan Morehead, founder and chief executive officer of Pantera Capital, in Beverly Hills, Calif., in October. Photo by Bloomberg

More Institutional Investors Embrace Crypto VCs as Pantera Capital Raises $600 Million

By Kate Clark · Nov 23, 2021 6:00am PST

Pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and other institutional sources of capital used to shy away from cryptocurrencies over concerns about their use in illicit activity. Those reservations increasingly seem to be dissipating. The latest example comes from Pantera Capital, one of the first investment firms to focus exclusively on... Pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and other institutional sources of capital used...

John Malone. Photo by Bloomberg.

Live Shopping’s Pioneer Left for Dead

By Martin Peers · Nov 22, 2021 5:00pm PST

Every now and then, you have to feel a little sorry for the folks in old media, trundling along, doing their thing and not getting any attention for it. Take Home Shopping Network and QVC, two decades-old TV shopping channels that still produce billions of dollars a year in revenue. They’re the pioneers of the business that a new breed of tech... Every now and then, you have to feel a little sorry for the folks in old media, trundling along,...

Chart: Mike Sullivan

Creator Economy

Twitter Joins Big Tech Assault on Live-Shopping Startups; Harassment on TikTok

By Mahira Dayal · Nov 22, 2021 3:50pm PST

The way live-shopping apps are growing these days—in terms of equity valuations from VC investments and perhaps even revenue—it was only a matter of time before every incumbent social media app would try to steal their thunder. The latest is Twitter, which on Monday announced the debut of its first shopping livestream, a 30-minute event on... The way live-shopping apps are growing these days—in terms of equity valuations from VC...

Unlocking Value for Creators

By The Information Staff · Nov 22, 2021 3:21pm PST

At the Creator Economy Summit, The Information hosted a masterclass on the importance of access to capital for creators. In the masterclass, The Information's Sahil Patel spoke with Aaron DeBevoise, CEO & Founder of Spotter, Inc. which provides up-front cash for YouTube creators in exchange for access to their content... At the Creator Economy Summit, The Information hosted a masterclass on the importance of...

The new signage at Meta's Menlo Park headquarters. Photo: AP

Meta Pushes Quest Hard Amid Rebranding; Unity’s New Zealand Plans

By Mathew Olson · Nov 22, 2021 11:00am PST

The new signage at Meta's Menlo Park headquarters. Photo: AP

Meta Pushes Quest Hard Amid Rebranding; Unity’s New Zealand Plans

By Mathew Olson · Nov 22, 2021 11:00am PST

Is Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook, a bit too eager to shift its VR headsets away from the Oculus branding and over to Meta? We may find out over the next few weeks as shoppers complete their holiday gift-buying, because it seems like a lot of people will encounter the name “Meta Quest 2” when looking for the company’s VR headset.Meta... Is Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook, a bit too eager to shift its VR headsets away from...

FTC Chair Lina Khan. Photo by Bloomberg.

FTC Privacy Probe of Amazon Ring Puts Khan’s Agenda in the Spotlight

By Josh Sisco · Nov 22, 2021 9:01am PST

Federal Trade Commission staffers earlier this year recommended filing a lawsuit against Amazon over alleged privacy and data security breaches within Amazon’s Ring home security business, according to two people with knowledge of the investigation. But after Amazon lawyers began negotiating a settlement with the FTC, the agency’s... Federal Trade Commission staffers earlier this year recommended filing a lawsuit against Amazon...

Clockwise from left: Victoria Beasley of Prelude Ventures, Amy Francetic of Buoyant Ventures, Joshua Posamentier of Congruent Ventures, Ben Kortlang of G2VP and Carmichael Roberts of Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

Five Climate Tech Investors to Watch

By Mahira Dayal · Nov 22, 2021 6:01am PST

These are busy times for the venture capital investors backing startups tackling a range of tough-to-crack climate problems, from global warming to a shortage of clean water. VC investors have poured a record $30.8 billion into climate technology startups so far this year, a nearly 50% increase from all of last year, according to data firm... These are busy times for the venture capital investors backing startups tackling a range of...

At COP26, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson with Envision Virgin Racing's Formula 1 race car containing Johnson Matthey's eLNO battery. Photo: Courtesy Envision Racing

The Demise of Johnson Matthey’s Battery Business Doesn’t Worry the Industry. It Should.

By Steve LeVine · Nov 21, 2021 2:00pm PST

Welcome back to The Electric!Save the Date for the next Live Chat: Will the U.S. Control Its Own Battery Fate? At the cusp of the new age of batteries and electric vehicles, China starts with a potent strategic advantage—possession of some 80% of the global battery metals supply chain. For the entirety of the 2020s, it will supply most of these... Welcome back to The Electric!Save the Date for the next Live Chat: Will the U.S. Control Its Own...

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. Photo via YouTube

Crypto Gets Sports Fever, Rivian’s Breakup With Ford

By Nick Wingfield · Nov 19, 2021 5:00pm PST

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. Photo via YouTube

Crypto Gets Sports Fever, Rivian’s Breakup With Ford

By Nick Wingfield · Nov 19, 2021 5:00pm PST

The crypto world seems to have come to a consensus on the best way to bore into the brains of the mainstream: by plastering blockchain brands on anything sports related. The best example of that yet came earlier this week with the news that Crypto.com, a Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange, had agreed to pay $700 million to acquire naming... The crypto world seems to have come to a consensus on the best way to bore into the brains of the...