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

Taxis at a taxi stand outside a train station in Tokyo. Photo: Bloomberg

Under Pressure, Uber Tries New Approach in Japan

By Juro Osawa · May 29, 2018 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

Last week, 20 Uber executives from around the world flew to Tokyo for a two-day, secret meeting on one of the company’s top priorities: How to work with taxis to crack Japan’s transportation market. Uber is hoping to make a major push in Japan, a country where it desperately wants to succeed after ceding China to Didi Chuxing and... Last week, 20 Uber executives from around the world flew to Tokyo for a two-day, secret meeting...

Art by Sam Lessin

Modest Proposals

Instagram Is the Real Virtual Reality, Not Oculus

By Sam Lessin · May 28, 2018 7:02am PDT · 6 comments

An odd thing occurred to me while watching Facebook’s F8 developer conference earlier this month. Amid announcements about new form factors for Oculus and a slew of updates on camera effects and lenses, I realized Facebook’s play for virtual reality is Instagram, not Oculus.Instagram over time has developed three of the major... An odd thing occurred to me while watching Facebook’s F8 developer conference earlier this...

The Information’s 411 — Oracles and Bad Omens

By Tom Dotan · May 25, 2018 5:40pm PDT

Kevin talks about how Oracle uses the specter of software audits to sell its cloud services to customers. Martin explains why Comcast's all-cash bid to buy Fox doesn't make sense. Kevin talks about how Oracle uses the specter of software audits to sell its cloud services to...

Photo: Bloomberg

Apple to Expand Secure Wireless Chip Beyond Payments

By Aaron Tilley and Amir Efrati · May 25, 2018 4:32pm PDT · 2 comments

Photo: Bloomberg

Apple to Expand Secure Wireless Chip Beyond Payments

By Aaron Tilley and Amir Efrati · May 25, 2018 4:32pm PDT · 2 comments

Apple is making a significant change to a wireless chip in the iPhone that will allow users to more securely unlock doors enabled with the same technology, a person familiar with the matter said.The change to the near-field communication, or NFC, chip, which is expected to be announced next month, could pave the way for people to use iPhones for... Apple is making a significant change to a wireless chip in the iPhone that will allow users to...

A LimeBike shared electric scooter in San Francisco. Photo by Bloomberg

Subscriber Survey

Rein In Scooters, Say Subscribers

By Wendy Pollack and Mike Sullivan · May 25, 2018 10:30am PDT

Cities should impose caps on the number of electric scooters and e-bikes, a slim 54% majority of respondents to The Information’s monthly subscriber survey said. And nearly two-thirds of respondents agreed that e-scooters and e-bikes should only be able to park in designated parking areas, rather than anywhere on sidewalks.The sudden... Cities should impose caps on the number of electric scooters and e-bikes, a slim 54% majority of...

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Photo by Bloomberg

Airbnb’s Rival Gaining Ground

By Cory Weinberg · May 25, 2018 7:02am PDT · 2 comments

Airbnb only recently began to regard travel giant Booking Holdings as a threat. But internal projections from the two companies suggest that the two may be neck and neck in the race to rent rooms outside traditional hotels, The Information has learned.Airbnb internally projects it will sell 255 million to 265 million “room... Airbnb only recently began to regard travel giant Booking Holdings as a threat. But internal...

A Walmart store in New Jersey. Photo by Bloomberg

How Walmart Stacks Up Against Amazon

By Priya Anand · May 24, 2018 10:23am PDT · 5 comments

Walmart’s recent acquisition of a majority stake in Flipkart made one thing clear: The retail giant is serious about taking on Amazon worldwide.So how well matched are the two companies? On sheer scale of retail sales, Walmart is a much bigger company—$496 billion compared to Amazon’s $160 billion (excluding Amazon Web... Walmart’s recent acquisition of a majority stake in Flipkart made one thing clear: The...

Photo: Flickr/Allen

How to Win in Ride Hailing Without Any Money

By Shai Oster · May 24, 2018 7:00am PDT · 7 comments

Photo: Flickr/Allen

How to Win in Ride Hailing Without Any Money

By Shai Oster · May 24, 2018 7:00am PDT · 7 comments

Uber and its archrival Didi Chuxing lead the global ride-hailing business after burning billions of dollars to win market share. But the survival of a small Hong Kong upstart that has fended off the industry’s behemoths raises questions about their costly formula for success. Do you always need to deploy billions of dollars to recruit... Uber and its archrival Didi Chuxing lead the global ride-hailing business after burning billions...

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Photo by Bloomberg.

Uber Cuts Losses, Plans New Tender Offer to Employees

By Amir Efrati · May 23, 2018 1:35pm PDT

Uber’s new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is getting the company’s costs under control, the latest quarterly earnings show. But now he is about to embark on an investment binge aimed at shoring up Uber’s growth in ride-hailing and in newer businesses of food delivery and electric bikes.Uber reported a 40% drop in operating losses before... Uber’s new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is getting the company’s costs under control, the...

Illustration by Danielle Davis

Facing CFO Shortage, Silicon Valley Tries Training

By Alfred Lee · May 23, 2018 7:01am PDT

When a group of a dozen or more private technology executives gather at Andreessen Horowitz’s offices today, they will be taking notes instead of pitching. The topic at hand: “How to be a great CFO.”The pilot program, aimed at CFOs of small companies and finance professionals aspiring to the CFO role, is designed to address the... When a group of a dozen or more private technology executives gather at Andreessen...

Clockwise from top-left: Chris Cox, Chris Daniels, Adam Mosseri, Will Cathcart, Jay Parikh, Javier Olivan. Photos by Bloomberg, AP, Flickr/TechCrunch, Facebook

Meet the New Faces of Power at Facebook

By Sarah Kuranda · May 22, 2018 2:32pm PDT · 6 comments

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently ceded some power to his deputies in one of the biggest management reorgs in the company’s history. Some of these leaders, like Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, have high profiles. But several others, including WhatsApp’s new chief Chris Daniels and Vice President of Growth Javier Olivan,... Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently ceded some power to his deputies in one of the biggest...

Join Our Cryptocurrency Reporting Team!

By The Information Staff · May 22, 2018 10:40am PDT

Jobs@TheInformation

Join Our Cryptocurrency Reporting Team!

By The Information Staff · May 22, 2018 10:40am PDT

The Information is building a team of reporters to cover the business of cryptocurrencies. Almost 10 years since Satoshi’s original bitcoin whitepaper, the market cap of crypto is climbing and billions more are flowing into the ecosystem. News organizations are racing to cover the slew of announcements and news. Headlines about... The Information is building a team of reporters to cover the business of cryptocurrencies....

Oracle CEO Mark Hurd. Photo by Bloomberg

Oracle’s Aggressive Sales Tactics Are Backfiring With Customers

By Amir Efrati and Kevin McLaughlin · May 22, 2018 7:02am PDT · 3 comments

Oracle’s efforts to catch up to Amazon in the cloud market are running into obstacles—from Oracle customers upset with the company’s aggressive sales tactics.Several big Oracle customers, including oil and gas exploration company Halliburton, toy maker Mattel and electricity provider Edison Southern California, have recently... Oracle’s efforts to catch up to Amazon in the cloud market are running into...

Art by Mike Sullivan

On the Market: Veterans of Etsy, Chariot, Lyft

By The Information Staff · May 21, 2018 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

For our latest batch of Free Agents—high-profile executives who are in the job market, or might be soon—we profiled the former chief executives of Etsy and Chariot, a onetime top policy official at Lyft, and an Apple and Intel veteran who describes himself as retired “temporarily.”A couple became Free Agents after sudden... For our latest batch of Free Agents—high-profile executives who are in the job market, or...

People riding scooters in downtown San Francisco. Photo by Bloomberg

Lyft Explores Launching Scooter Service in San Francisco

By Cory Weinberg · May 20, 2018 8:01pm PDT

Lyft plans to seek permits to run an electric scooter service in San Francisco, The Information has learned. It is the clearest sign yet that the No. 2 ride-hailing firm plans to compete against its bigger rival Uber and a host of startups in the fast-growing market of electric scooters and bikes.A local consulting firm representing Lyft... Lyft plans to seek permits to run an electric scooter service in San Francisco, The Information...

The Information’s 411 — Social to the Left of Me, Media to the Right

By Tom Dotan · May 18, 2018 1:18pm PDT

The Information’s 411 — Social to the Left of Me, Media to the Right

By Tom Dotan · May 18, 2018 1:18pm PDT

Tom and Cory talk about how Evan Spiegel rammed through Snap's disastrous redesign and the state the company is in now. Also Cory dives into the role tech money is playing in the San Francisco mayoral race. Tom and Cory talk about how Evan Spiegel rammed through Snap's disastrous redesign and the...

Art: Mike Sullivan

To Thrive in Midwest, Investors Shouldn’t Copy Silicon Valley

By Lan Xuezhao · May 18, 2018 10:01am PDT · 3 comments

As a venture capitalist investing in applications of artificial intelligence for the future of work, especially the automation of offices, factories and farms, I try to regularly visit different places and work settings. Recently, I had the opportunity to return to the Midwest on a “Comeback Cities Tour” with Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio),... As a venture capitalist investing in applications of artificial intelligence for the future of...

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo by AP

How Evan Spiegel Fumbled Snap’s Redesign

By Tom Dotan · May 18, 2018 7:01am PDT · 5 comments

Last fall, on a flight back from China, Evan Spiegel decided to remake Snapchat.Inspired by apps he’d seen in that country, Mr. Spiegel wanted to create a new version separating users’ friends’ content from the professional media. Each category would be sorted by an algorithm rather than Snapchat’s existing chronological... Last fall, on a flight back from China, Evan Spiegel decided to remake Snapchat.Inspired by apps...

Mira Ricardel, shown during her Senate confirmation hearing last year, is leaving her post as head of the Bureau of Industry and Security to become deputy national security adviser. Photo by Bloomberg

The Obscure Agency That Brought Down ZTE Is in Middle of Trade Fight

By Matt Drange · May 17, 2018 11:52am PDT

Chinese officials are visiting Washington, D.C., this week, in a bid to rescue telecom giant ZTE after President Trump suggested he might walk back sweeping trade penalties against the company. The saga has put the spotlight on a little-known division of the Commerce Department that is expected to gain new authority to regulate technology... Chinese officials are visiting Washington, D.C., this week, in a bid to rescue telecom giant ZTE...

Ze Frank. Photo by Cody Glenn/Web Summit

Inside BuzzFeed’s Hollywood Adventure

By Beejoli Shah · May 17, 2018 7:01am PDT

Ze Frank. Photo by Cody Glenn/Web Summit

Inside BuzzFeed’s Hollywood Adventure

By Beejoli Shah · May 17, 2018 7:01am PDT

BuzzFeed set out to reinvent Hollywood. It turns out that Hollywood reinvented BuzzFeed.Five years after launching a film and TV business with an unconventional emphasis on audience data and fast program development, BuzzFeed Studios is changing tack. The company’s recent hiring of former MTV executive Lauren Dolgen to lead its studio... BuzzFeed set out to reinvent Hollywood. It turns out that Hollywood reinvented BuzzFeed.Five...