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

Art: Mike Sullivan

Which Digital Media Firms Are Best Positioned for Tough 2018

By Tom Dotan · Dec 26, 2017 7:00am PST · 6 comments

It was a year of upheaval in the media industry. The Murdochs decided to sell most of their Fox entertainment properties to Disney, in a very public acknowledgement that Fox lacked the scale to compete effectively. Meanwhile, Mashable was sold at a fire sale price to Ziff Davis, and companies like BuzzFeed and Vice missed their ambitious revenue... It was a year of upheaval in the media industry. The Murdochs decided to sell most of their Fox...

The Weekly Digest

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Dec 23, 2017 8:02am PST

Happy Holidays!We are shocked that Apple admitted it deliberately slows older iPhones. What’s next? Will Facebook admit it doesn’t actually care about you? Happy Holidays!We are shocked that Apple admitted it deliberately slows older iPhones....

The Information’s 411 — Why Are They Mad at Tech?

By Tom Dotan · Dec 22, 2017 1:45pm PST

Live from the Pianofight theater in downtown San Francisco, Tom talks to the editorial team at The Information about the biggest stories of the year: sexual harassment, Uber, and political scrutiny. Plus Cory interviews Airbnb's head of policy Chris Lehane. Live from the Pianofight theater in downtown San Francisco, Tom talks to the editorial team at...

Google Cloud chief Diane Greene and her deputy, Diane Bryant. Photos by Bloomberg.

Why Google Will Replace Its Cloud Chief Diane Greene

By Kevin McLaughlin · Dec 22, 2017 7:02am PST · 4 comments

Google Cloud chief Diane Greene and her deputy, Diane Bryant. Photos by Bloomberg.

2018 Predictions

Why Google Will Replace Its Cloud Chief Diane Greene

By Kevin McLaughlin · Dec 22, 2017 7:02am PST · 4 comments

Google Cloud CEO Diane Greene is one of the most respected executives in enterprise technology, in large part because she co-founded VMware. But Ms. Greene hasn’t managed to move the needle on Google Cloud’s business since joining two years ago. That’s why in 2018, I’m betting that Ms. Greene will give power to former... Google Cloud CEO Diane Greene is one of the most respected executives in enterprise technology,...

Illustration by Mike Sullivan

Google Ramps Up Mobile Chipmaking With Talent From Apple

By Aaron Tilley · Dec 21, 2017 9:47am PST · 4 comments

Google has hired John Bruno, a well-regarded chip designer from Apple who had worked on the company’s series of iPhone chips since 2012. The hiring is part of a brewing effort by Google to design its own chipsets for consumer devices like the Pixel phone.Mr. Bruno follows a number of other experienced chip engineers who have defected to... Google has hired John Bruno, a well-regarded chip designer from Apple who had worked on the...

Didi President Jean Liu. Photo by Bloomberg.

China’s Didi in Talks to Buy Brazil’s 99, Threatening Uber

By Yunan Zhang · Dec 21, 2017 5:27am PST · 1 comment

Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing is in talks to buy a majority stake in Brazilian ride hailing app 99, according to a person familiar with the talks. If the deal is completed, it would threaten Uber, which now dominates the Brazilian market.It could also accelerate a broader reorganization in the global ride-sharing sector pursued by Didi... Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing is in talks to buy a majority stake in Brazilian ride...

A Pinterest-branded banner on the New York Stock Exchange earlier this year. Photo by Bloomberg.

Pinterest, After Just Missing 2017 Revenue Target, Plans Sales Ramp-Up

By Amir Efrati, Alfred Lee and Serena Saitto · Dec 20, 2017 3:39pm PST

Pinterest is likely to slightly fall short of its revenue projection for 2017, says a person briefed on the numbers. The company is expected to wait until 2019 to go public, giving it more time to accelerate growth and justify its $12.3 billion valuation, say people familiar with the situation. Pinterest, which people use to bookmark and search... Pinterest is likely to slightly fall short of its revenue projection for 2017, says a person...

An artists' rendering of the roof deck at Treehouse's first Los Angeles apartment building. Image by Treehouse.

Startups Take On More Risk to Popularize ‘Co-Living’

By Cory Weinberg · Dec 20, 2017 10:02am PST · 2 comments

An artists' rendering of the roof deck at Treehouse's first Los Angeles apartment building. Image by Treehouse.

Startups Take On More Risk to Popularize ‘Co-Living’

By Cory Weinberg · Dec 20, 2017 10:02am PST · 2 comments

Venture capitalists have been slow to warm to startups wanting to rent out shared living spaces like college dorms. Now, new coliving companies have emerged with a different approach to the business—one they say promises a higher return but carries much more risk.The new approach, pursued by startups like Starcity and Treehouse, involves... Venture capitalists have been slow to warm to startups wanting to rent out shared living spaces...

Illustration by Michael Cina

The Information’s Person of 2018: Masayoshi Son

By Shai Oster and Juro Osawa · Dec 20, 2017 7:02am PST · 2 comments

Last year, we chose Snap CEO Evan Spiegel as our person of 2017. We anticipated, correctly, that the public-market debut of Snap would bring much more attention to the young company and its co-founder. This year, we’ve chosen SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son to be the person of 2018—the person we think will have a greater news... Last year, we chose Snap CEO Evan Spiegel as our person of 2017. We anticipated, correctly, that...

Photo: Bloomberg

Google’s Hardware Push Complicates Ties With China

By Yunan Zhang and Shai Oster · Dec 19, 2017 10:02am PST

Google is accelerating hardware production in China, rapidly building a team of engineers to oversee the contractors manufacturing Pixel smartphones, Google Home speakers and other products. The moves are raising the stakes for Google’s strained relationship with the government in Beijing, which welcomes the manufacturing expansion but... Google is accelerating hardware production in China, rapidly building a team of engineers to...

The Capitol building in Washington D.C. Photo by Bloomberg.

Tech’s Winners and Losers Under Tax Changes

By Alfred Lee · Dec 19, 2017 7:02am PST

Contrary to the popular media narrative, the tech companies that are the clearest winners of upcoming tax changes are not the giants like Apple and Microsoft that have stockpiled profits overseas. The tech firms that will benefit the most are companies that make most of their sales in the United States, like Etsy and Grubhub.That’s because... Contrary to the popular media narrative, the tech companies that are the clearest winners of...

Art by Sam Lessin.

Blockchains and the Right to Be Forgotten

By Sam Lessin · Dec 18, 2017 10:01am PST · 6 comments

Art by Sam Lessin.

Modest Proposals

Blockchains and the Right to Be Forgotten

By Sam Lessin · Dec 18, 2017 10:01am PST · 6 comments

In the internet of 2017, when something goes terribly wrong, the service provider hosting the content or code can usually turn it off. But the rise of blockchains means that won’t be the case for much longer.One of the most interesting things about blockchains and the global computer superstructure being constructed on top of them is that... In the internet of 2017, when something goes terribly wrong, the service provider hosting the...

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

Now Available: Veterans of Airbnb, Amazon, Uber

By The Information Staff · Dec 18, 2017 7:01am PST

Our latest installment of Free Agents include two veteran tech CEOs looking for new opportunities, as well as several mid-career executives with experience across the gamut of tech. The list features the former COO of Stitch Fix, a former engineering lead at Airbnb and a former international head at Uber. There’s also a former Quora ad... Our latest installment of Free Agents include two veteran tech CEOs looking for new...

The Weekly Digest

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Dec 16, 2017 8:00am PST

Good Morning!Facebook admits that social media is depressing. Imagine how Snap and Twitter feel. Good Morning!Facebook admits that social media is depressing. Imagine how Snap and Twitter feel.

OfferUp CEO Nick Huzar. Photo by Bloomberg.

Sequoia, SoftBank Passed On OfferUp Investment

By Serena Saitto · Dec 15, 2017 5:38pm PST

Would-be Craigslist competitor OfferUp has been trying to raise about $100 million in financing for at least five months, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation. It’s been tough going, a sign of how quickly tech startups can lose popularity among investors.Prominent tech investors, including Sequoia Capital and... Would-be Craigslist competitor OfferUp has been trying to raise about $100 million in financing...

The Information’s 411 — Nextdoor’s New Money

By Tom Dotan · Dec 15, 2017 4:52pm PST

The Information’s 411 — Nextdoor’s New Money

By Tom Dotan · Dec 15, 2017 4:52pm PST

Cory and Serena talk about Steve Cohen's fintech investments and Nextdoor's latest fundraising. Martin breaks down the Disney acquisition of Fox. Cory and Serena talk about Steve Cohen's fintech investments and Nextdoor's latest...

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel and People VP Jason Halbert. Art by Mike Sullivan

Employee Complaints About Snap Personnel Chief Led to Outside Inquiry

By Tom Dotan · Dec 15, 2017 2:43pm PST · 1 comment

There might not be a more unique, or controversial, human resources chief than Snap’s Jason Halbert, a decorated ex-military officer who served two tours in Afghanistan.Mr. Halbert, who came to Snap with no experience in corporate human resources but is close to CEO Evan Spiegel, is infamous for regaling the staff with military stories... There might not be a more unique, or controversial, human resources chief than Snap’s Jason...

Image by CryptoKitties.

What a Cryptocurrency Game Says About Ethereum’s Potential

By Amanda Gutterman · Dec 15, 2017 7:02am PST · 1 comment

Did the blockchain revolution just start with a cat meme?Millions of dollars worth of ether, the cryptocurrency of the Ethereum blockchain, have poured into CryptoKitties, a game by Axiom Zen that enables users to trade digital cartoon cats. Did the blockchain revolution just start with a cat meme?Millions of dollars worth of ether, the...

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. Photo: Bloomberg

New Hurdle for SoftBank’s Uber Investment: Regulatory Review

By Juro Osawa, Shai Oster and Serena Saitto · Dec 14, 2017 10:52am PST · 1 comment

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son’s global buying spree is running into a potentially significant roadblock: the U.S. government.The fate of Mr. Son’s most ambitious moves, including the financing of his $100 billion Vision Fund and SoftBank’s proposed investment in Uber, hinges in part on the approval of the Committee on Foreign... SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son’s global buying spree is running into a potentially...

Rupert Murdoch with his son Lachlan at the Allen & Co conference in Sun Valley in July. Photo by Bloomberg.

What the Disney-Fox Deal Means for Digital Media

By Martin Peers · Dec 14, 2017 9:35am PST · 13 comments

Rupert Murdoch with his son Lachlan at the Allen & Co conference in Sun Valley in July. Photo by Bloomberg.

What the Disney-Fox Deal Means for Digital Media

By Martin Peers · Dec 14, 2017 9:35am PST · 13 comments

Walt Disney is spending $52.4 billion to buy most of 21st Century Fox in hopes of competing more effectively with Netflix, Amazon.com and Apple in digital entertainment. The deal will send ripples through Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Here is our analysis of the potential ramifications. Walt Disney is spending $52.4 billion to buy most of 21st Century Fox in hopes of competing more...