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

Snapchat's Chief Technology Officer Bobby Murphy. Picture by Bloomberg.

Snapchat’s Camera Shows its Future

By Tom Dotan · Jul 28, 2016 7:01am PDT · 2 comments

One of the best ways to understand Snapchat, people at the company like to say, is to think of it as three apps bolted together: messaging, stories (and by extension Discover), and one for the camera. And while messaging and stories have dominated its past, it’s the camera app that will determine Snapchat’s future.As Snapchat eyes... One of the best ways to understand Snapchat, people at the company like to say, is to think of it...

Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman. Photo by Bloomberg.

K.C. Choi Leaves Hewlett Packard Enterprise

By Kevin McLaughlin · Jul 27, 2016 2:22pm PDT

Veteran Hewlett Packard technologist K.C. Choi has left the company, a person close to Hewlett Packard Enterprise said. His departure could complicate CEO Meg Whitman’s hopes of promoting a new computing architecture that is central to the revival of the company formed in the break-up of H-P last year.UPDATE: Mr. Choi has joined storage... Veteran Hewlett Packard technologist K.C. Choi has left the company, a person close to Hewlett...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg talking about Facebook's plans for live video at its F8 developer conference in April. Photo by AP.

Media Companies Struggle To Figure Out Facebook Live

By Cory Weinberg · Jul 27, 2016 7:00am PDT · 3 comments

Fox Sports’ web series @TheBuzzer, blending highlight clips with hijinks like the Cinco de Mayo taco-eating contest, seemed like an ideal format for Facebook Live. It offered a social twist by soliciting instant feedback from viewers. But things got weird, with the Facebook users asking hosts to do increasingly bizarre things like stuff... Fox Sports’ web series @TheBuzzer, blending highlight clips with hijinks like the Cinco de...

Art by Tom Dotan.

Yahoo Deal Shows Relative Value of Advisers

By Martin Peers · Jul 26, 2016 11:59am PDT · 3 comments

Art by Tom Dotan.

Yahoo Deal Shows Relative Value of Advisers

By Martin Peers · Jul 26, 2016 11:59am PDT · 3 comments

If Yahoo’s auction holds any lessons for other tech companies considering selling themselves, it may be this: When it comes to advisers, less is more.A stunning 15 investment banks and law firms were involved with Yahoo’s $4.8 billion sale to Verizon, according to the companies. In contrast, Microsoft’s $26.2 billion purchase... If Yahoo’s auction holds any lessons for other tech companies considering selling...

People trying out Oculus Rift headsets at a demonstration in Tokyo last month. Photo by Bloomberg.

Oculus Gets a Dose of Reality

By Cory Weinberg and Reed Albergotti · Jul 26, 2016 7:01am PDT · 5 comments

Earlier this month Survios released a virtual reality video game, “Raw Data,” that puts users in the shoes of sword-wielding, gun-toting heroes. It shot straight to top of the charts on the video game distribution site Steam. But “Raw Data” isn’t available on the most talked-about virtual reality headset,... Earlier this month Survios released a virtual reality video game, “Raw Data,” that...

SoftBank Group Chairman Masayoshi Son announcing SoftBank's purchase of ARM Holdings this month. Photo by Bloomberg.

Who’s Next in Tech’s Merger Wave

By Alfred Lee and Steve Nellis · Jul 25, 2016 10:01am PDT

As the recent sales of LinkedIn, ARM Holdings, Dollar Shave Club and Yahoo suggest, acquisitions are once again in vogue for bigger companies looking for growth. And venture capitalists are increasingly recommending to founders that they consider selling.At the same time, mutual fund investors in private tech firms are signaling higher... As the recent sales of LinkedIn, ARM Holdings, Dollar Shave Club and Yahoo suggest, acquisitions...

AOL CEO Tim Armstrong. Photo by Bloomberg.

Why Armstrong Really Wanted Yahoo

By Jessica E. Lessin and Tom Dotan · Jul 25, 2016 4:37am PDT · 2 comments

To understand why Tim Armstrong just convinced Verizon to spend $4.83 billion to buy Yahoo's main business, you have to go back to April 2007. Mr. Armstrong, then running North America advertising for Google, drove Google’s purchase of display ad firm DoubleClick, launching the search giant into banner advertising. By every measure it... To understand why Tim Armstrong just convinced Verizon to spend $4.83 billion to buy Yahoo's...

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Jul 23, 2016 8:00am PDT

The Weekly Digest

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Jul 23, 2016 8:00am PDT

Good Morning!Our long national nightmare is almost over: The sale of Yahoo is reportedly imminent. It looks like the one-time internet icon will soon be Tim Armstrong’s problem. In her weekly column, Jessica advised bidders to back out before it’s too late. Good Morning!Our long national nightmare is almost over: The sale of Yahoo is reportedly...

The Information’s 411 — Package Deal

By Tom Dotan · Jul 22, 2016 3:04pm PDT

Amir talks about the three brothers at Apple helping to build the software in its self-driving car. Zara explains why WeChat is different—and can do more—than any app Americans are familiar with. Amir talks about the three brothers at Apple helping to build the software in its self-driving...

Photo by Bloomberg.

Why Yahoo is a Bad Deal at Any Price

By Jessica E. Lessin · Jul 22, 2016 7:01am PDT · 6 comments

As I watch the sideshow that is the sale of Yahoo, I have one piece of advice for the bidders that sent offers to the Yahoo board this week: Back out. There are three reasons to buy a company, at any price. The first is that you basically have an easy way to make more than you paid, including the opportunity cost of the capital and the effort... As I watch the sideshow that is the sale of Yahoo, I have one piece of advice for the bidders...

Brian Sumner, a software engineer inside Apple's Titan car unit, speaks about his work during the MesosCon convention last year. Photo by Harrison Roberts.

At Apple, the Sumner Boys Help Build a Car

By Amir Efrati · Jul 21, 2016 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

In early 2011, when software engineer Brian Sumner joined Apple to work on Siri, a voice assistant for the iPhone that was still under wraps, the team was struggling to recruit engineers. So after his first months there went well, Mr. Sumner suggested to Siri’s leaders that they hire his brother, Kevin, another infrastructure engineer.... In early 2011, when software engineer Brian Sumner joined Apple to work on Siri, a voice...

Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg. Photo by Bloomberg.

Jeffrey Katzenberg’s Next Venture

By Tom Dotan and Jessica E. Lessin · Jul 20, 2016 10:05am PDT

Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg. Photo by Bloomberg.

Jeffrey Katzenberg’s Next Venture

By Tom Dotan and Jessica E. Lessin · Jul 20, 2016 10:05am PDT

Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg is contemplating a new venture to produce high-quality short videos. The veteran movie executive has been trying to recruit people, according to two media executives who have either talked to Mr. Katzenberg about the project or have heard from people who have been pitched.Mr. Katzenberg reached a deal... Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg is contemplating a new venture to produce...

Symphony Communication Services CEO David Gurle. Photo by Bloomberg.

Symphony Moves to Google’s Cloud

By Steve Nellis · Jul 20, 2016 7:31am PDT

Symphony Communication Services, the bank-backed messaging startup taking on Bloomberg LP, is moving most of its cloud computing business to Google from Amazon Web Services, Symphony CEO David Gurle told The Information in an interview.The deal is a symbolic win for Google, which is running a distant third behind Amazon Web Services and... Symphony Communication Services, the bank-backed messaging startup taking on Bloomberg LP, is...

Chinese commuters using WeChat on the Beijing subway. Photo by Hao Xia.

China’s WeChat Way of Life

By Zara Zhang · Jul 20, 2016 7:01am PDT · 5 comments

When I was in China last month, I went out to eat with several friends. When it came time to pay the bill, I started calculating who owed what. Laughing at me, my Chinese friends whipped out WeChat Wallet, which has a button called “Go Dutch.” Once you put in the amount of the bill and the number of people involved, WeChat generates... When I was in China last month, I went out to eat with several friends. When it came time to pay...

A scene from Starz's "Outlander" series. Photo by Starz.

Amazon a Surprise Force in Internet TV

By Tom Dotan · Jul 19, 2016 10:00am PDT · 2 comments

Late last year Amazon.com added a new aisle in its store: selling subscriptions to online streaming services like Starz and Showtime as an add-on to a Prime membership. The new offering has proved surprisingly popular, new figures show, demonstrating Amazon’s potential to become a powerhouse in subscription TV.For instance, Amazon has sold... Late last year Amazon.com added a new aisle in its store: selling subscriptions to online...

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

Chinese Startups to Watch

By Yunan Zhang and Zara Zhang · Jul 19, 2016 7:02am PDT · 2 comments

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

Chinese Startups to Watch

By Yunan Zhang and Zara Zhang · Jul 19, 2016 7:02am PDT · 2 comments

There are two tech markets that consistently generate billion-dollar tech companies: the U.S. and China. And the Chinese juggernauts often take longer to make themselves known than American firms. (Didi Chuxing, for instance, the on-demand ride company now valued at more than $25 billion, was underestimated and misunderstood for years in the... There are two tech markets that consistently generate billion-dollar tech companies: the U.S. and...

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative principals Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg. Photo by Bloomberg.

Zuckerberg Philanthropy May Target Housing

By Cory Weinberg · Jul 18, 2016 10:01am PDT · 2 comments

The philanthropic organization started by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan is exploring ways to help alleviate the Bay Area’s most vexing problem: the high cost of housing.Representatives from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative LLC have met with several housing experts affiliated with local governments, real estate groups and academia in... The philanthropic organization started by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan is exploring ways to...

Art by Sam Lessin.

Modest Proposals

How to Profit from Political Correctness

By Sam Lessin · Jul 18, 2016 7:01am PDT · 4 comments

I have had trouble using third-party keyboards. Some offer some nice bells and whistles, but iOS and Android invest so much in their native keyboards that beating them at their own game is hard. That said, there is one keyboard idea that would be quite a good business—if anyone wants to build it. And that is a keyboard that checks your... I have had trouble using third-party keyboards. Some offer some nice bells and whistles, but iOS...

The Weekly Digest

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Jul 16, 2016 8:02am PDT

Good Morning!We’re hoping you’re not spending too much time trying to evolve your Eevee. After all, there was a lot going on outside the Pokemon GO craze this week. Good Morning!We’re hoping you’re not spending too much time trying to evolve your...

The Information’s 411 — False Prophets

By Tom Dotan · Jul 15, 2016 1:18pm PDT

The Information’s 411 — False Prophets

By Tom Dotan · Jul 15, 2016 1:18pm PDT

Jessica explains why she's not sold on the augmented reality in Pokemon GO, or smartphones generally. Cory and Yunan delve into the headwinds for WeWork both in the US and in China. And Alfred lays out the trends in private tech financing. Jessica explains why she's not sold on the augmented reality in Pokemon GO, or smartphones...