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

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

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 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

Senior Event Coordinator – The Information

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

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 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 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 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

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...

Citibike bicycles, which are operated by Motivate. Photo by Bloomberg.

Lyft Nears Acquisition of Motivate, U.S. Bike-Share Leader

By Amir Efrati and Cory Weinberg · Jun 1, 2018 8:48am PDT · 4 comments

Lyft has agreed to buy Motivate, which runs some of the biggest U.S. bike-share programs, according to two people briefed about the deal. The acquisition, which is likely to be worth $250 million or more, will quickly insert Lyft into the small but fast-growing U.S. bike-sharing market.The two companies have agreed on the terms of the deal,... Lyft has agreed to buy Motivate, which runs some of the biggest U.S. bike-share programs,...

Art: Scotty Reifsynder

‘Pay to Pitch’ Makes a Comeback

By Alfred Lee · Jun 1, 2018 7:02am PDT · 4 comments

Keiretsu Forum doesn’t have the name recognition of Y Combinator or Andreessen Horowitz. But by some measures, the lesser-known organization has become the world’s most active startup investing group. Keiretsu said it invested in 207 startups last year, which is more than any angel investor group or venture capital firm, according to... Keiretsu Forum doesn’t have the name recognition of Y Combinator or Andreessen Horowitz....

Photo: AP

U.S. Chipmakers See Opening as Trade Friction Grows

By Aaron Tilley and Matt Drange · May 31, 2018 7:02am PDT

Photo: AP

U.S. Chipmakers See Opening as Trade Friction Grows

By Aaron Tilley and Matt Drange · May 31, 2018 7:02am PDT

Earlier this month, Thomas Caulfield, the new CEO of chip manufacturer GlobalFoundries, went to Washington, D.C., to make his pitch that the U.S. federal government needs to do more to support domestic chip manufacturing.GlobalFoundries already has received funding and incentives of hundreds of millions of dollars from New York state for the... Earlier this month, Thomas Caulfield, the new CEO of chip manufacturer GlobalFoundries, went to...

DeRay McKesson. Photo by AP

BuzzFeed News Plans Interview Program for Facebook Watch

By Beejoli Shah · May 30, 2018 6:08pm PDT

BuzzFeed News plans to launch a new video interview show in the next two months, to stream on Facebook Watch. The weekly show is being described as a millennial-focused “Charlie Rose”–style program, with 20-minute episodes featuring an interview a week with a premiere celebrity, politician or other newsmaker.Plans for the... BuzzFeed News plans to launch a new video interview show in the next two months, to stream on...

Photos by Bloomberg, AP, Netflix. Source: The Information

How Netflix’s Management Structure Is Rewriting the Hollywood Script

By Tom Dotan · May 30, 2018 7:00am PDT

Of all the factors that explain Netflix’s success in upending the media industry, the least understood may be just how little it operates like a traditional media company.At most studios and TV networks, decisions about whether to make a show or a movie can be made only by a handful of people atop the company, namely the president, a... Of all the factors that explain Netflix’s success in upending the media industry, the least...

Photo by Erin Beach

Subscriber Summit

Announcing the Autonomous Vehicle Summit Breakouts

By The Information Staff · May 29, 2018 1:29pm PDT

We're so excited to see everyone on June 14 in San Francisco at our Autonomous Vehicles Summit, focused on the latest developments in the field. An important part of each Summit is the breakout session: your opportunity to hear from the innovators in the industry and to ask them all your burning questions. If you're registered for... We're so excited to see everyone on June 14 in San Francisco at our Autonomous Vehicles...

From left to right: Yvette Martinez Rea, Jack Etienne, Justin Dellario, Rick Fox, Stratton Sclavos, Bobby Kotick, Ann Hand. Photos by Bloomberg, AP

The People With Power in Esports

By Matt Pressberg · May 29, 2018 11:01am PDT · 3 comments

From left to right: Yvette Martinez Rea, Jack Etienne, Justin Dellario, Rick Fox, Stratton Sclavos, Bobby Kotick, Ann Hand. Photos by Bloomberg, AP

The People With Power in Esports

By Matt Pressberg · May 29, 2018 11:01am PDT · 3 comments

Esports is having a big league moment. Professional video gaming is drawing investment dollars from some of the biggest names in traditional sports, like the National Basketball Association and baseball’s New York Yankees. Game developers are also increasingly focusing on the sports side of their business. Activision Blizzard, for example,... Esports is having a big league moment. Professional video gaming is drawing investment dollars...