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

Get smarter about the day’s news in tech, media and finance by following Silicon Valley’s most-read executive newsletter.

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Recent Editions

Jessica Lessin interviews Alibaba's Joe Tsai. Photo by Brent Pottinger.

China Subscriber Summit

Watch Interviews From Beijing and Hong Kong Summits

By The Information Staff · Oct 6, 2017 2:47pm PDT · 1 comment

If you missed our summit meetings in Hong Kong and Beijing, you can catch up with the videos here. Among those on stage were Joe Tsai of Alibaba, Shou Zi Chew of Xiaomi and Bob Xu of Zhen Fund. If you missed our summit meetings in Hong Kong and Beijing, you can catch up with the videos...

An Auro autonomous shuttle. Photo by Auro

Ridecell Acquires Auro, Maker of Self-Driving Shuttles

By Amir Efrati · Oct 6, 2017 1:31pm PDT · 2 comments

Ridecell, a software startup in the car-sharing and ride-sharing market, is buying Auro Robotics, one of the earliest autonomous vehicle startups, Auro CEO Nalin Gupta confirmed to The Information, without elaborating. The all-stock deal is likely to value Auro at around $20 million, said a person briefed on the deal.Auro equips off-the-shelf... Ridecell, a software startup in the car-sharing and ride-sharing market, is buying Auro Robotics,...

The Information’s 411 — Turning the Page on Travis

By Tom Dotan · Oct 6, 2017 12:57pm PDT

Amir explains what Waymo is doing with self-driving cars in Chandler, Az. Cory and Reed break down the Facebook backlash as the company nears its day on Capitol Hill. Amir explains what Waymo is doing with self-driving cars in Chandler, Az. Cory and Reed break...

DeepMind co-founders Mustafa Suleyman and Demis Hassabis. Photos by Bloomberg and Flickr/TechCrunch.

Google Cloud’s AI Push Could Involve DeepMind

By Kevin McLaughlin · Oct 6, 2017 7:02am PDT · 6 comments

DeepMind co-founders Mustafa Suleyman and Demis Hassabis. Photos by Bloomberg and Flickr/TechCrunch.

Google Cloud’s AI Push Could Involve DeepMind

By Kevin McLaughlin · Oct 6, 2017 7:02am PDT · 6 comments

DeepMind may be coming to Google’s cloud service.The highly regarded artificial intelligence startup has operated as its own unit within Alphabet since it was acquired in 2014, helping improve Google services like Google Assistant but not generating much revenue on its own. But recently, executives from Google Cloud and DeepMind have... DeepMind may be coming to Google’s cloud service.The highly regarded artificial...

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. Photo by AP.

SoftBank Money Comes at High Cost

By Alfred Lee · Oct 5, 2017 7:00am PDT · 5 comments

As SoftBank has been spraying money at tech companies in recent months, it has been negotiating unusually tough terms that sharply improve its chances of earning a big return, according to a review of previously undisclosed deal terms. In some cases, the terms allow SoftBank to assert control over many matters at the companies.For instance,... As SoftBank has been spraying money at tech companies in recent months, it has been negotiating...

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Photo by Bloomberg.

Uber Tender Gives Employees Chance to Realize Profits

By Serena Saitto, Alfred Lee and Amir Efrati · Oct 4, 2017 3:16pm PDT · 1 comment

Uber is expected to sign an agreement with SoftBank later Wednesday paving the way for the start of a tender offer for Uber shares that could be worth $8.5 billion.The offer is a big deal for Uber investors, including some of its 16,000 employees. While private tech firms often run tender offers to give employees and other shareholders an... Uber is expected to sign an agreement with SoftBank later Wednesday paving the way for the start...

Stars of Hulu's "Handmaid's Tale." Photo by AP.

Numbers Show Skinny Bundles Underwhelm

By Tom Dotan · Oct 4, 2017 10:01am PDT · 5 comments

Hulu plans to begin a major marketing push for its $40-a-month streaming cable competitor Hulu Live, a senior Hulu executive said in an interview, as it brings the service out of a test phase. But exclusive new data on subscriber numbers for streaming services suggests Hulu may struggle to sign up many people.Comparable “skinny... Hulu plans to begin a major marketing push for its $40-a-month streaming cable competitor Hulu...

Art: Matt Vascellaro

Cornell Tech’s Balancing Act Between Industry and Academia

By Cory Weinberg · Oct 4, 2017 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

Art: Matt Vascellaro

The Big Interview

Cornell Tech’s Balancing Act Between Industry and Academia

By Cory Weinberg · Oct 4, 2017 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

Daniel Huttenlocher is one of Amazon.com’s 10 board directors and dean of Cornell University’s nascent, tech-focused graduate school in New York City—roles that give him a unique vantage point on technology companies’ influence. On one hand, he says companies like Amazon deserve the benefit of the doubt from critics who... Daniel Huttenlocher is one of Amazon.com’s 10 board directors and dean of Cornell...

A Social Bicycles "Jump" e-bike in front of the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. Photo: Social Bicycles

Bike-Sharing Startups Explore Going Electric

By Yunan Zhang and Cory Weinberg · Oct 3, 2017 10:00am PDT · 1 comment

Bike-sharing startups have captured billions of dollars in venture capital, blanketing China and growing quickly in the U.S. and Europe. Now, the biggest players in China and a few U.S. upstarts are eyeing expansions into electric bicycles, which could help attract more customers who might want help riding longer distances or pedaling uphill. ... Bike-sharing startups have captured billions of dollars in venture capital, blanketing China and...

Waymo CEO John Krafcik unveiling the Chrysler Pacifica outfitted with Waymo technology at the auto show in Detroit in January. Photo by AP.

Waymo’s Foes: Left Turns and the Mean Streets of Phoenix

By Amir Efrati · Oct 3, 2017 7:00am PDT · 2 comments

Alphabet’s Waymo is gearing up to launch a self-driving ride-sharing service this fall, but major problems with the technology persist, interviews with people directly involved reveal. That initially may limit the capabilities of the service, expected to operate around Chandler, a suburb of Phoenix.Among the issues: The cars can’t... Alphabet’s Waymo is gearing up to launch a self-driving ride-sharing service this fall, but...

Note: Numbers are estimates. Sources: Company Charter. Legal Filings, The Information research

Uber Voting Change Proposal Could Face More Hurdles

By Alfred Lee · Oct 2, 2017 1:31pm PDT · 2 comments

Uber’s board is expected to consider a proposal to eliminate supervoting shares at its meeting Tuesday, a highly unusual move that is aimed at drastically shrinking the voting power of ex-CEO Travis Kalanick and early investor Benchmark Capital. But such a rearrangement can’t simply be done with a board vote.Several groups of early... Uber’s board is expected to consider a proposal to eliminate supervoting shares at its...

Interactive by Peter Schulz

The People Who Matter at Waymo

By Amir Efrati · Oct 2, 2017 7:01am PDT · 4 comments

Interactive by Peter Schulz

The People Who Matter at Waymo

By Amir Efrati · Oct 2, 2017 7:01am PDT · 4 comments

Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving car unit, is preparing to launch the first commercial ride-sharing service powered by self-driving vehicles with no human “safety” drivers as soon as this fall, according to two people briefed about the plan. (See this article about Waymo’s recent Phoenix experience.) Yet as it takes this... Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving car unit, is preparing to launch the first commercial...

The Weekly Digest

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Sep 30, 2017 8:01am PDT

Good Morning!Now that Ikea has bought TaskRabbit, the next acquisition with such obvious industrial logic has to be Netflix buying Eaze. Good Morning!Now that Ikea has bought TaskRabbit, the next acquisition with such obvious...

The Information’s 411 — Masa’s Comeback

By Tom Dotan · Sep 29, 2017 1:30pm PDT

Priya talks about why some Echo developers are upset with Amazon. Juro explains how SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son's financial wizardry and charm has made him the most powerful investor in tech. Priya talks about why some Echo developers are upset with Amazon. Juro explains how SoftBank CEO...

Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison. Photo by Bloomberg.

Women Sue Oracle Alleging Pay Discrimination

By Serena Saitto · Sep 29, 2017 11:50am PDT · 4 comments

Three women have sued Oracle for allegedly paying women less than men in similar jobs, highlighting how the fight for gender equality extends to older tech companies as well as newer firms like Google.The suit, which hasn’t previously been reported, was filed on Aug. 28 in a California state court. The plaintiffs plan to seek class-action... Three women have sued Oracle for allegedly paying women less than men in similar jobs,...

Art by Matt Vascellaro

Silicon Valley, Ignore China at Your Peril

By Jessica E. Lessin · Sep 29, 2017 7:02am PDT · 2 comments

Art by Matt Vascellaro

Silicon Valley, Ignore China at Your Peril

By Jessica E. Lessin · Sep 29, 2017 7:02am PDT · 2 comments

What a difference a year makes. When I was last in China, everyone was buzzing about VR/AR and Didi vs. Uber. Now, it’s the bike-rental wars between Ofo and Mobike (they’re a bigger deal than you think, but don’t hold your breath for a merger) and pop-up convenience stores. Yes, Bodega is alive and well in China. Startups like... What a difference a year makes. When I was last in China, everyone was buzzing about VR/AR and...

Alibaba Vice Chairman Joe Tsai talking with The Information's Jessica Lessin in Hong Kong on Thursday. Photo by Brent Pottinger.

Hong Kong Summit

Alibaba’s Tsai Sees a ‘Very Hot War’ in India

By Juro Osawa, Yunan Zhang and Shai Oster · Sep 28, 2017 4:28pm PDT

Alibaba and Amazon.com are part of a “very hot war” in India and it's far too early to call a winner there, Alibaba Vice Chairman Joe Tsai said in an interview. Speaking at The Information’s Hong Kong subscriber summit on Thursday, Mr. Tsai also expressed his optimism about the long-term prospects of U.S.-China relations.... Alibaba and Amazon.com are part of a “very hot war” in India and it's far too...

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

The Big Interview

Nutanix Takes on Microsoft, VMware in Cloud

By Kevin McLaughlin · Sep 28, 2017 10:01am PDT

Dheeraj Pandey, CEO and chairman of Nutanix, always wanted to build a big company. That’s why he turned down acquisition offers from Cisco Systems and the former Hewlett-Packard in the years prior to Nutanix’s initial public offering 12 months ago. It isn’t known how much Cisco and H-P offered, and while Mr. Pandey... Dheeraj Pandey, CEO and chairman of Nutanix, always wanted to build a big company. That’s...

Testing out new Echos announced by Amazon on Wednesday. Photo by Bloomberg.

Poor Reviews Are No Joke for Some Alexa Developers

By Priya Anand · Sep 28, 2017 7:01am PDT

This has to be an app developer’s worst nightmare: An app designed to tell “knock knock jokes” on the Alexa voice-activated assistant has a glitch that causes the jokes to end prematurely. After a user asks “who’s there?” Alexa responds “goodbye” instead of giving the punchline. That’s what... This has to be an app developer’s worst nightmare: An app designed to tell “knock...

Sinovation founder Kai-Fu Lee. Photo by Bloomberg.

How China-U.S. Tech Ties Have Evolved

By Shai Oster · Sep 27, 2017 11:59am PDT

Sinovation founder Kai-Fu Lee. Photo by Bloomberg.

How China-U.S. Tech Ties Have Evolved

By Shai Oster · Sep 27, 2017 11:59am PDT

Tucked inside a condo around the corner from a Palo Alto supermarket is the North American office of Sinovation Ventures. One of the most active investors in Chinese startups, Sinovation is also building a portfolio of companies in the U.S. The U.S. team is led by Chris Evdemon, a Greek-born, U.K.-educated venture capitalist who cut his teeth in... Tucked inside a condo around the corner from a Palo Alto supermarket is the North American office...