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

Screenshot of Supercell game “Clash Royale.” Photo by throttlelwp44/ Flickr

Tencent’s Deal-Making Image Clouded by Supercell’s Slowdown

By Juro Osawa · Jun 13, 2018 7:00am PDT

Tencent’s 2016 megadeal to buy Supercell cemented the Chinese tech giant’s stature as a global powerhouse in the $100 billion-plus videogame industry. The roughly $8 billion transaction by a Tencent-led group of Chinese investors was a huge bet that the Finnish mobile game maker behind worldwide hit “Clash of Clans” would... Tencent’s 2016 megadeal to buy Supercell cemented the Chinese tech giant’s stature as...

Riders use scooters in San Francisco in April. Photo: Bloomberg

Scooter Mania Continues as ‘Skip’ Nabs $25 Million, ‘Bird’ Goes to China

By Amir Efrati, Cory Weinberg and Yunan Zhang · Jun 12, 2018 6:08pm PDT

Electric scooter startups are aggressively seeking to raise money, telling potential investors that restrictions cities have placed on their operations won't impede their long-term growth. So far, Silicon Valley venture capital firms are all in.Skip, a shared electric scooter operator that was founded by the co-creator of “Boosted... Electric scooter startups are aggressively seeking to raise money, telling potential investors...

Tenable CEO Amit Yoran testifying on Capitol Hill in April 2016, when he was president of RSA Security. Photo: AP

Security Firm Tenable Plans IPO in July

By Sarah Kuranda · Jun 12, 2018 4:24pm PDT · 1 comment

Tenable Network Security has filed confidentially for an initial public offering, according to two people with direct knowledge of the filing. Tenable is planning to go public in late July, the people said.The filing, made on Monday, would make Tenable the third major cybersecurity company to go public this year, on the heels of Carbon Black and... Tenable Network Security has filed confidentially for an initial public offering, according to...

The League of Legends World Championship videogame tournament at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2016. Photo: Bloomberg

Esports Audiences Surge, but Better Audience Data Needed for TV Deals

By Matt Pressberg · Jun 12, 2018 7:01am PDT

The League of Legends World Championship videogame tournament at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2016. Photo: Bloomberg

Esports Audiences Surge, but Better Audience Data Needed for TV Deals

By Matt Pressberg · Jun 12, 2018 7:01am PDT

On Tuesday afternoon, on the sidelines of the E3 games conference, a crowd of fans is expected to flock to a soccer stadium in Los Angeles to watch a group of professional gamers and celebrities competing against each other in Fortnite, the wildly popular online battle game. Many more will watch a livestream of the tournament on the internet.... On Tuesday afternoon, on the sidelines of the E3 games conference, a crowd of fans is expected to...

Elizabeth Moss of Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. Photo by AP

Why Hulu’s Heavy Losses Pose Question for Disney and Comcast

By Tom Dotan · Jun 11, 2018 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

What to do with Hulu?That’s one of the most strategic questions facing Disney and Comcast as they battle to win control of 21st Century Fox, a takeover contest likely to ramp up this week. Whichever wins will get control of the service, which has signed up more than 20 million subscribers and is now a serious competitor to Netflix, Amazon... What to do with Hulu?That’s one of the most strategic questions facing Disney and Comcast...

Illustration by Danielle Davis

The Media Deals That Could Follow AT&T Decision

By Jessica Toonkel · Jun 10, 2018 1:43pm PDT

The pace of deal making in the media sector is expected to accelerate this week, as a court decision on whether AT&T can buy Time Warner clarifies the regulatory environment. Media companies are desperate to get bigger so they can better compete with tech giants like Netflix, Facebook and Google. And tech firms, such as Apple, are also seen... The pace of deal making in the media sector is expected to accelerate this week, as a court...

The Information’s 411 — You’re So Vein

By Tom Dotan · Jun 8, 2018 4:02pm PDT

Tom interviews John Carreyrou about his new book Bad Blood, an expose of Elizabeth Holmes and her blood testing startup Theranos. Tom interviews John Carreyrou about his new book Bad Blood, an expose of Elizabeth Holmes and her...

Forrest Norrod.

Intel’s Manufacturing Glitch Opens Door for AMD

By Aaron Tilley · Jun 8, 2018 7:01am PDT · 3 comments

Forrest Norrod.

The Big Interview

Intel’s Manufacturing Glitch Opens Door for AMD

By Aaron Tilley · Jun 8, 2018 7:01am PDT · 3 comments

Advanced Micro Devices’ battle with chip giant Intel has often seemed like a gnat fighting an elephant, with AMD struggling in recent years to gain even a tenth of the market for the chips that power PCs and data center servers. Forrest Norrod, a senior executive who joined AMD four years ago, says the company suffered from “little... Advanced Micro Devices’ battle with chip giant Intel has often seemed like a gnat fighting...

A Tesla Model S sedan in Autopilot mode crashed into a fire department mechanic truck in South Jordan, Utah, last month. Photo: AP

When High-Tech Cars Crash, Software Clues Are Elusive

By Reed Albergotti · Jun 7, 2018 7:01am PDT

Many new cars on the roads nowadays have sophisticated safety features that allow cars to steer and accelerate on their own. But when the cars crash, only the automakers know how those safety features performed. Crash investigators are often left guessing.That’s because the information isn’t recorded in most cars’ event data... Many new cars on the roads nowadays have sophisticated safety features that allow cars to steer...

Harald Wester. Photo by Dennis van Tine/Sipa USA (Sipa via AP Images)

Q&A

Why Waymo’s Best Friend Doesn’t Always Agree With Waymo

By Amir Efrati · Jun 6, 2018 11:23am PDT

Fiat Chrysler stands out as the first automaker to agree to supply cars to self-driving car developers in Silicon Valley in its deal with Waymo. But in an interview with The Information, Fiat Chrysler chief technical officer Harald Wester made clear Fiat Chrysler disagrees with its partner on some key subjects, including whether Waymo will be... Fiat Chrysler stands out as the first automaker to agree to supply cars to self-driving car...

Houses under construction in Florida. Photo by Bloomberg

Amazon Considers Offering Home Insurance

By Priya Anand · Jun 6, 2018 7:00am PDT

Amazon.com has contemplated offering home insurance as an offshoot of its development work on robots and other connected devices for the home, according to a person familiar with the discussions. The idea is that robots and other smart devices can be used to monitor for threats such as fires and burglaries, making it possible to offer cheaper... Amazon.com has contemplated offering home insurance as an offshoot of its development work on...

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, appearing in one of the company's new ads.

Uber to Spend Up to $500 Million on Ad Campaign

By Priya Anand · Jun 5, 2018 3:18pm PDT · 4 comments

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, appearing in one of the company's new ads.

Uber to Spend Up to $500 Million on Ad Campaign

By Priya Anand · Jun 5, 2018 3:18pm PDT · 4 comments

Uber plans to spend up to $500 million on a global marketing effort this year, according to a person familiar with the matter. It marks Uber’s first large-scale brand campaign and is part of an effort to repair the company’s image after last year’s scandals.The branding campaign, which kicked off in the U.S. last month with... Uber plans to spend up to $500 million on a global marketing effort this year, according to a...

A Meituan food delivery courier in Beijing. Photo: AP

Meituan Aims for September IPO in Hong Kong

By Yunan Zhang · Jun 5, 2018 8:32am PDT

China’s Meituan, the world’s fourth most valuable startup last valued at $30 billion, is now drafting its application to go public in Hong Kong as early as this September, according to people briefed on the matter. Last week, the founder of the online services app, Chief Executive Wang Xing, flew to Hong Kong and met with bankers to... China’s Meituan, the world’s fourth most valuable startup last valued at $30 billion,...

Baidu's Raven H smart speaker on display at the Baidu World Technology Conference in Beijing in November 2017. Photo: Bloomberg

Inside Baidu’s Failed Bid to Build Its Own Alexa

By Yunan Zhang · Jun 5, 2018 7:00am PDT · 1 comment

When Chinese tech giant Baidu bought hardware startup Raven Tech early last year for about $90 million, executives hoped the maker of smart speakers would be a lynchpin of Baidu’s artificial intelligence strategy. Raven’s central role seemed to be cemented when its speaker received prominent billing at Baidu’s annual tech... When Chinese tech giant Baidu bought hardware startup Raven Tech early last year for about $90...

Photo by Julie Mikos

Jobs@TheInformation

Senior Event Coordinator – The Information

By The Information Staff · Jun 4, 2018 1:14pm PDT

The Information is a fast-growing media startup based in the heart of downtown San Francisco. Politico called us "a well respected, scoopy journalism outfit and a must-read for many global business elites." Fortune, Vanity Fair and Digiday have also recently featured our business as an innovator in media. We’re a must-read for... The Information is a fast-growing media startup based in the heart of downtown San Francisco....

Facebook's former messaging chief Dave Marcus at F8 last month. Photo by Bloomberg.

For Developers, Facebook’s Messenger Shows Signs of Life

By Sarah Kuranda · Jun 4, 2018 10:01am PDT · 3 comments

Facebook's former messaging chief Dave Marcus at F8 last month. Photo by Bloomberg.

For Developers, Facebook’s Messenger Shows Signs of Life

By Sarah Kuranda · Jun 4, 2018 10:01am PDT · 3 comments

Facebook’s early efforts to turn Messenger into a service that people can use for shopping or getting news or weather sputtered quickly. But two years on, the Messenger effort is showing signs of life.Several developers say they have been selling more bots and applications through Messenger in recent months. Trip-booking service... Facebook’s early efforts to turn Messenger into a service that people can use for shopping...

The Information Accelerator's Media Bootcamp in New York earlier this year. Photo by Karen Obrist.

Announcing The Information’s SF Media Business Bootcamp

By The Information Staff · Jun 4, 2018 9:05am PDT

The Information Accelerator is offering a one-day media business bootcamp for entrepreneurs and professionals who want to diversify their business models and get profitable.Date: Thursday, November 8, 2018Location: The Information, 100 Pine Street, San Francisco, CASpeakers: Jessica Lessin, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The... The Information Accelerator is offering a one-day media business bootcamp for entrepreneurs and...

Year Two: The Information Accelerator

By Jessica E. Lessin · Jun 4, 2018 9:03am PDT

A whole generation of news publications are dying. The conventional wisdom is that the internet wiped away print advertising and also commoditized information irrevocably.Yes, the Internet killed print ads, but I firmly believe we got the tech effect backwards. As the furor over fake news illustrates, tech—with all its commoditizing and... A whole generation of news publications are dying. The conventional wisdom is that the internet...

Snap stock details on display at the New York Stock Exchange last year. Photo by Bloomberg

Why Snap Should Tap Apple or Tencent for Cash

By Tom Dotan · Jun 4, 2018 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

Snap built a business on messages that disappear. But to keep the business going it needs to make sure its cash doesn’t. The company burned through $1.1 billion in the last five quarters, just on running its business (it spent more cash on acquisitions). At that rate, and with just $1.8 billion left, Snap will likely need to raise more... Snap built a business on messages that disappear. But to keep the business going it needs to make...

The Information’s 411 — Org Is the New Black

By Tom Dotan · Jun 1, 2018 1:22pm PDT

The Information’s 411 — Org Is the New Black

By Tom Dotan · Jun 1, 2018 1:22pm PDT

Priya grills Tom on the Netflix's org chart, how Netflix is managed and how it decentralizes decision-making across the company. Priya grills Tom on the Netflix's org chart, how Netflix is managed and how it decentralizes...