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

The Information Weekend’s Last-Call 2021 Culture List

The Information Weekend’s Last-Call 2021 Culture List

By Jon Steinberg · Dec 31, 2021 8:00am PST

Hi, welcome to your Weekend: New Years Eve edition!There were plenty of unmissable cultural moments in 2021: “Squid Game” exploded, “Dune” dazzled, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift dominated, Bennifer reunited, “Friends” and Carrie Bradshaw returned, and sea shanties took over TikTok. But those were just the headliners. Suspecting there was more... Hi, welcome to your Weekend: New Years Eve edition!There were plenty of unmissable cultural...

Apple CEO Tim Cook at an AirPods production line with Luxshare CEO Grace Wang (standing behind Cook) in 2017. Photo by Luxshare

Designed by Apple: Female Billionaires; Tech Stocks’ Best and Worst

By Amir Efrati · Dec 30, 2021 5:12pm PST · 2 comments

Apple has created a lot of wealth for executives whose companies supply components and manufacturing services for its products, most notably Taiwan-based Foxconn and TSMC. One of the lesser known beneficiaries, Luxshare, and its CEO Grace Wang take center stage in Wayne’s excellent piece today about Apple getting cozy with Chinese suppliers as a... Apple has created a lot of wealth for executives whose companies supply components and...

Photo by Bloomberg. Art by Mike Sullivan.

Crypto Predictions for 2022

By Hannah Miller · Dec 30, 2021 4:00pm PST · 3 comments

This is the last edition of TI Crypto Global for 2021. I appreciate all the feedback and tips I’ve gotten since launching the newsletter in June. I’ve already reflected on crypto’s biggest moments this year, so now it’s time to gaze into the crystal ball for the year ahead. While 2021 was a huge year, 2022 could be even more consequential for... This is the last edition of TI Crypto Global for 2021. I appreciate all the feedback and tips I’...

The Information Weekend’s Last-Call 2021 Culture List

By The Information Staff · Dec 30, 2021 9:00am PST · 1 comment

The Information Weekend’s Last-Call 2021 Culture List

By The Information Staff · Dec 30, 2021 9:00am PST · 1 comment

There were plenty of unmissable cultural moments in 2021: “Squid Game” exploded, “Dune” dazzled, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift dominated, Bennifer reunited, “Friends” and Carrie Bradshaw returned, and sea shanties took over TikTok. But those were just the headliners. Suspecting there was more to 2021 than Lil Nas X and #FreeBritney, The... There were plenty of unmissable cultural moments in 2021: “Squid Game” exploded, “Dune” dazzled,...

Apple CEO Tim Cook at an AirPods production line with Luxshare CEO Grace Wang (standing behind Cook) in 2017. Photos by Bloomberg; Shutterstock; Luxshare. Art by Mike Sullivan

How Apple Grew Closer to China By Turning ‘Little Foxconn’ Into a National Champion

By Wayne Ma · Dec 30, 2021 6:00am PST · 7 comments

If you’ve used an iPhone 13, an Apple Watch or AirPods, chances are you’ve touched the handiwork of Luxshare, which assembles them. Over the past decade, it became the biggest Chinese manufacturer of consumer electronics. Luxshare got to this vaunted position because of Apple. For more than a decade Apple has been sending its... If you’ve used an iPhone 13, an Apple Watch or AirPods, chances are you’ve touched...

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook-parent Meta Platforms. Photo: Bloomberg

Meta’s Facebook Deepens Partisan Lines; What Waymo Didn’t Say

By Laura Mandaro · Dec 29, 2021 6:11pm PST

For several years, Facebook has been in bad graces with Democrat policymakers, who blamed the company, recently renamed Meta Platforms, for securing Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential win by allowing Russian operatives to run riot on the social network. Two stories in the past week on Meta’s Washington operations suggest this distrust won’t go... For several years, Facebook has been in bad graces with Democrat policymakers, who blamed the...

Photo by Bloomberg. Art by Mike Sullivan.

Crypto’s 10 Biggest Moments of 2021

By Hannah Miller · Dec 29, 2021 4:00pm PST · 1 comment

It has undoubtedly been a landmark year for crypto. With a market value of $2 trillion for all digital currencies, broadening adoption and huge investments from VC firms, crypto is now a major force in tech. Here’s a look back at the 10 biggest moments in crypto this year. It has undoubtedly been a landmark year for crypto. With a market value of $2 trillion for all...

Roelof Botha (l) and Neil Shen. Photos by Steve Jennings and Remy Steinegger via Flickr. Illustration by Mike Sullivan

Why Sequoia Capital Will Split From Star Chinese Partner

By Kate Clark and Shai Oster · Dec 29, 2021 6:00am PST

Roelof Botha (l) and Neil Shen. Photos by Steve Jennings and Remy Steinegger via Flickr. Illustration by Mike Sullivan

2022 Predictions

Why Sequoia Capital Will Split From Star Chinese Partner

By Kate Clark and Shai Oster · Dec 29, 2021 6:00am PST

Rising geopolitical tensions could spell the end of a 16-year relationship for Sequoia Capital and Sequoia Capital China. We predict the U.S. venture powerhouse and its Chinese affiliate, led by star deal maker Neil Shen, will move to part ways next year as the Chinese government extends a regulatory crackdown on tech companies and U.S.... Rising geopolitical tensions could spell the end of a 16-year relationship for Sequoia Capital...

The Apple Park campus in Cupertino, Calif. Photo: Bloomberg

Cybersecurity Startups Have a Lot to Prove

By Amir Efrati · Dec 28, 2021 6:08pm PST

Startups developing security software have largely tracked with the rest of the enterprise software startup field this year when it comes to funding and valuations—up and to the right—even as prices for publicly traded software companies fell a little closer to Earth. Venture capitalists poured a record $25 billion or so into cybersecurity... Startups developing security software have largely tracked with the rest of the enterprise...

Parker McCurley, co-founder and CEO of Decent Labs. Photo courtesy of Decent Labs. Art by Mike Sullivan.

Sarcophagus Raises $3.7M in VC/Crowdfunding Combo (Exclusive)

By Hannah Miller · Dec 28, 2021 4:00pm PST

Some of the most colorful headlines in the news about crypto focus on people locked out of massive fortunes because they lost the private keys needed to access their funds. Sarcophagus, a decentralized protocol that raised $3.7 million Tuesday, aims to prevent that problem from ever happening. Sarcophagus, which launched over a year ago,... Some of the most colorful headlines in the news about crypto focus on people locked out of...

A developer wearing Snap's AR Spectacles. Photo: Snap

Looking Back at 2021 and at What’s Ahead for AR and VR in 2022

By Mathew Olson · Dec 28, 2021 12:10pm PST · 1 comment

This is the last dispatch from Reality Check for 2021. It is also the end of the newsletter’s first year of publication. Whether you started reading back in March when we began, or are just diving deeper into AR and VR now, thank you for spending time away from your headsets and try-on filters to read Reality Check.For The Information’s annual... This is the last dispatch from Reality Check for 2021. It is also the end of the newsletter’s...

From top clockwise: Frances Haugen, Elon Musk, Melinda French Gates. Photos by Bloomberg; AP. Art by Mike Sullivan

The Best and Worst in Tech PR in 2021

By The Information Staff · Dec 28, 2021 10:45am PST · 6 comments

From top clockwise: Frances Haugen, Elon Musk, Melinda French Gates. Photos by Bloomberg; AP. Art by Mike Sullivan

The Best and Worst in Tech PR in 2021

By The Information Staff · Dec 28, 2021 10:45am PST · 6 comments

It would be an understatement to say that Frances Haugen and her employer, the company formerly known as Facebook, had very different years. From a public relations standpoint, the two are mirror images of each other. Haugen was feted as a whistleblowing legend for providing the internal documents that formed the foundation for The Wall Street... It would be an understatement to say that Frances Haugen and her employer, the company formerly...

Illustration by Scotty Reifsnyder

From a CEO Revolving Door to Comparisons With Snowflake: Security Startup Lacework Bounces Back

By Kevin McLaughlin · Dec 28, 2021 6:00am PST

A couple years ago, Lacework reached the kind of crossroads where once-promising startups can easily slide toward also-ran status—or worse. Faced with sluggish sales of its cloud-based cybersecurity product, Lacework was struggling to raise more money from existing investors and facing a revolving door of CEOs. At one point, after Lacework... A couple years ago, Lacework reached the kind of crossroads where once-promising startups can...

Photo: Bloomberg

China Blesses IPO Loophole; VR’s Mainstream Moment

By Wayne Ma · Dec 27, 2021 5:16pm PST

The Chinese government loves to announce major policy moves during the holidays—when financial markets are often closed—and it didn’t disappoint this year. On Christmas Eve, Chinese regulators finally legitimized a legal loophole that has allowed Chinese tech firms such as Sina Corp., Alibaba and Tencent to list their shares overseas... The Chinese government loves to announce major policy moves during the holidays—when financial...

Mysten Labs co-founder and CEO Evan Cheng. Photo by Mysten Labs. Art by Mike Sullivan.

Why Mysten Labs’ Founders Left Meta to Launch Their Own Blockchain

By Hannah Miller · Dec 27, 2021 4:16pm PST

Meta Platforms is betting on blockchain, but for some former employees, the company hasn’t been moving fast enough. Here’s a look at Mysten Labs, a startup founded less than three months ago by Meta alums who worked on the company’s crypto efforts and left to create their own gaming-focused blockchain. Founders: Evan Cheng, Sam... Meta Platforms is betting on blockchain, but for some former employees, the company hasn’t been...

Meta's incoming CTO Andrew Bosworth wearing a recent prototype headset. Photo: Meta

Quest 2’s Holiday Sales Pose Upgrade Dilemma; Apple Nabs Meta Spokesperson

By Mathew Olson · Dec 27, 2021 11:02am PST

Meta's incoming CTO Andrew Bosworth wearing a recent prototype headset. Photo: Meta

Quest 2’s Holiday Sales Pose Upgrade Dilemma; Apple Nabs Meta Spokesperson

By Mathew Olson · Dec 27, 2021 11:02am PST

Christmas 2021 has come and gone, and it’d be reasonable to guess that it was the single biggest day for consumer adoption of VR in history. In lieu of official stats, various Meta employees on Twitter were eager to trumpet the headset’s holiday success over the weekend, and a handful of independent developers shared anecdotes about peaking... Christmas 2021 has come and gone, and it’d be reasonable to guess that it was the single biggest...

Images by Bloomberg; Shutterstock. Art by Mike Sullivan

2022 Predictions

The Information’s 2022 Predictions

By The Information Staff · Dec 27, 2021 10:00am PST · 6 comments

Many of this year’s biggest tech developments caught everyone by surprise. Who would have predicted Didi Global would go public and months later have to delist? Zillow abruptly abandoned its home-buying business. Instacart and DoorDash held merger talks. And Facebook changed its name. What will 2022 bring? Our reporters talked to their... Many of this year’s biggest tech developments caught everyone by surprise. Who would have...

Illustration by Josh Brill

The Biggest Bet in Sports Gambling: The Ad Push to Grab Customers

By Sahil Patel · Dec 27, 2021 6:00am PST · 1 comment

Want to know the biggest bet in online gambling? It’s the multibillion dollar marketing gamble sports betting firms like DraftKings and FanDuel are taking as they try to sign up as many customers as possible, as fast as possible. The steady legalization of online sports betting in states across America has sparked a rush by firms, also... Want to know the biggest bet in online gambling? It’s the multibillion dollar marketing...

Photograph: Sophia Amoruso

Sophia Amoruso Wants to Retire ‘Girlboss’ for Good; Danielle Baskin Is Tech’s Most Prolific Prankster

By Jon Steinberg · Dec 24, 2021 8:00am PST

Hi, welcome to your Weekend: Christmas Eve edition!It’s over: another holiday shopping season, in the books. We’ve already shared The Information’s tech-adjacent gift picks, an overview of Silicon Valley’s annual gifting arms race, and our last-second NFT-buying guide, so I won’t bombard you with any more gift-related journalism this... Hi, welcome to your Weekend: Christmas Eve edition!It’s over: another holiday shopping season, in...

Alphabet's Ruth Porat. Photo by Bloomberg.

Tech’s Best and Worst of 2021

By Martin Peers · Dec 23, 2021 5:00pm PST · 1 comment

Alphabet's Ruth Porat. Photo by Bloomberg.

Tech’s Best and Worst of 2021

By Martin Peers · Dec 23, 2021 5:00pm PST · 1 comment

As the year winds down into a holiday break—clouded by rampaging Covid-19 infections—this seems the appropriate time to call out the year’s most noteworthy events and people in tech and media. As the year winds down into a holiday break—clouded by rampaging Covid-19 infections—this seems...