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

Local Motors' Olli shuttle. Photo by Local Motors.

The Great Self-Driving Shuttle Race

By Amir Efrati · Nov 30, 2016 7:00am PST · 1 comment

It’s likely to be several years before you can buy a self-driving car. But a crop of startups is already selling self-driving shuttle buses that are being used in university campuses and corporate parks and could also work at airports, factories and theme parks.These companies, such as Navya and Local Motors, together have raised more than... It’s likely to be several years before you can buy a self-driving car. But a crop of...

Guo Wei. Art by Matt Vascellaro.

The New Wave of Chinese Investors in Silicon Valley

By Yunan Zhang · Nov 29, 2016 11:59am PST · 4 comments

Guo Wei, 29, arrives for a meeting at a Union Square coffee shop in San Francisco dressed in an unassuming plain T-shirt, loose sweatpants and a backpack. The only nod to the fact that he’s a minor celebrity in tech circles back home in China is a pair of dark sunglasses.Yet, he’s among a new wave of young upstart Chinese investors... Guo Wei, 29, arrives for a meeting at a Union Square coffee shop in San Francisco dressed in an...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo by Bloomberg.

On Facebook and Fake News

By Jessica E. Lessin · Nov 29, 2016 10:17am PST

The Information's CEO and founder Jessica Lessin wrote about the Facebook-Fake News debate in the op-ed page of The New York Times today.We finally got a grudging mea culpa from Mark Zuckerberg: an admission that fake news is a significant problem that his social network must help solve. The Information's CEO and founder Jessica Lessin wrote about the Facebook-Fake News debate...

Source: SuperData

Sony’s PlayStation is an Early Winner in VR Market

By Reed Albergotti and Peter Schulz · Nov 29, 2016 7:02am PST · 7 comments

Source: SuperData

Sony’s PlayStation is an Early Winner in VR Market

By Reed Albergotti and Peter Schulz · Nov 29, 2016 7:02am PST · 7 comments

There’s been a big surprise in the virtual reality wars right before the holiday selling season: Sony’s month-old PlayStation VR headset is exploding on the market, suggesting that rival devices from HTC and Oculus must either cut their prices or end up as only bit players.According to new estimates, the PlayStation VR will sell... There’s been a big surprise in the virtual reality wars right before the holiday selling...

Breitbart Executive Chairman Steve Bannon. Photo by AP.

How Silicon Valley Passed on Conservative Media

By Tom Dotan · Nov 28, 2016 10:00am PST · 3 comments

Earlier this year, Jon Klein was pitching his media company TAPP around a case study that one of its channels from a Christian radio host, Steve Arterburn, was generating $1 million in revenue a year. He argued it was proof that they could create other successful channels around faith and inspiration. But venture capitalists weren’t... Earlier this year, Jon Klein was pitching his media company TAPP around a case study that one of...

Google Cloud chief Diane Greene. Photo by Bloomberg.

Google Reorganizing Cloud Sales Team

By Kevin McLaughlin · Nov 28, 2016 7:02am PST · 2 comments

Google is reorganizing its Google Cloud division to combine its sales teams for Google Apps—now called G Suite—and its cloud hosting services, said two people with knowledge of the move. Google Cloud chief Diane Greene is hoping that unifying the structure will reduce costs and help the company close big deals faster to better... Google is reorganizing its Google Cloud division to combine its sales teams for Google...

The Weekly Digest

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Nov 26, 2016 8:01am PST

Good morning!We hope you managed to escape family arguments about fake news early enough to line up outside Target to score some fake deals. Good morning!We hope you managed to escape family arguments about fake news early enough to line...

The Information’s 411 — The Underground Is No Longer The Underground

By Tom Dotan · Nov 25, 2016 12:42pm PST · 1 comment

The Information’s 411 — The Underground Is No Longer The Underground

By Tom Dotan · Nov 25, 2016 12:42pm PST · 1 comment

Sam and Tom get into a heated debate about whether easy distribution has created a monoculture of information and ideas. Cory explains Airbnb's new trips service and how the company is going to expand in China. Sam and Tom get into a heated debate about whether easy distribution has created a monoculture of...

The New Social Media Divide

By Jessica E. Lessin · Nov 25, 2016 7:02am PST · 6 comments

Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving with friends and family. I’ve found the past few weeks a good time to reflect on how I consume information and, more broadly, how I spend my time. So far, one thing has become clear: I’m using Twitter and Facebook less. In the past month, I’ve found myself going to Twitter and Facebook News... Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving with friends and family. I’ve found the past few weeks a...

A DJI "Inspire" drone. Photo by Bloomberg.

To Head Off Slowdown, Drone Leader DJI Targets Businesses

By Amir Efrati · Nov 23, 2016 10:01am PST · 4 comments

Known as the “Apple of drones,” DJI is flying high this year after mostly clearing the skies of its hardware competitors in the consumer market. But CEO Frank Wang isn’t winding down. He’s pitting teams of DJI engineers and salespeople against each other, with financial consequences for some of the winners and losers,... Known as the “Apple of drones,” DJI is flying high this year after mostly clearing...

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Photo by Bloomberg.

Airbnb Plots Big China Push

By Cory Weinberg · Nov 23, 2016 7:01am PST

Airbnb plans to expand its small Beijing office tenfold to 300 employees over the next two years after years of tiptoeing into the country. The on-the-ground expansion would bolster recent momentum, as Airbnb says by the end of next month it will have doubled its listings year over year in China to 100,000.China accounts for just 3% of total... Airbnb plans to expand its small Beijing office tenfold to 300 employees over the next two years...

Xiaomi Chairman and CEO Lei Jun. Photo by Bloomberg.

Time to Rethink Xiaomi’s Value

By Shai Oster · Nov 22, 2016 10:01am PST · 2 comments

Xiaomi Chairman and CEO Lei Jun. Photo by Bloomberg.

Time to Rethink Xiaomi’s Value

By Shai Oster · Nov 22, 2016 10:01am PST · 2 comments

With uncertainty clouding global tech and the funding into China startups decelerating after a record run, it’s a good time to take a second look at some of the highest flyers.None flew as high as Xiaomi, the smartphone-maker funded by the charismatic serial entrepreneur Lei Jun that peddles high-end phones at budget prices in online-only... With uncertainty clouding global tech and the funding into China startups decelerating after a...

Source: SEC Filings

Facebook Ad Revenue (Finally) Tops Media Giants

By Tom Dotan · Nov 22, 2016 7:01am PST · 4 comments

For tech and media companies that make money off advertising in the U.S., there’s Google and there’s everybody else. But an interesting secondary story is emerging in the battle royale between traditional and digital. Despite all the hype around digital ad growth, Facebook still lagged Comcast and Disney in overall advertising... For tech and media companies that make money off advertising in the U.S., there’s Google...

Graphic by Sam Lessin.

Modest Proposals

The Rise of Information Imperialism

By Sam Lessin · Nov 21, 2016 10:01am PST · 6 comments

It recently dawned on me that we are in an age of information imperialism. Small communities of people used to have their own private stores of knowledge that were distinct to their local communities. That local knowledge defined and bonded them. The internet broadly has opened all of those local pockets and connected everyone and their... It recently dawned on me that we are in an age of information imperialism. Small communities of...

Chris Lehane leads Airbnb’s global policy and communications. Art by Matt Vascellaro.

Q&A

Airbnb’s Political Fighter Backed into a Corner

By Cory Weinberg · Nov 21, 2016 7:01am PST · 5 comments

Anyone who has followed Chris Lehane’s career of brass-knuckle political fights shouldn’t be surprised to learn he spent plenty of time in the boxing ring growing up. Mr. Lehane, a former Bill Clinton adviser who now leads Airbnb’s global policy and communications, said if he was a tourist trying out his company’s new... Anyone who has followed Chris Lehane’s career of brass-knuckle political fights...

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Nov 19, 2016 8:02am PST

The Weekly Digest

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Nov 19, 2016 8:02am PST

Good Morning!Taking a cue from Snap, we’re considering distributing this digest via a vending machine in Big Sur for 24 hours. Get in line now. Good Morning!Taking a cue from Snap, we’re considering distributing this digest via a...

The Information’s 411 — A Totally New Ballgame

By Tom Dotan · Nov 18, 2016 1:42pm PST

Kevin talks about how Amazon is courting developers for the Echo. Amir and Tom debate the Facebook fake news controversy and discuss Lyft's plans to deliver packages. Kevin talks about how Amazon is courting developers for the Echo. Amir and Tom debate the...

HBO CEO Richard Plepler. Photo by Bloomberg.

Amazon Near Deal to Offer HBO Now Through Channels

By Tom Dotan · Nov 18, 2016 12:06pm PST

Amazon.com is near a deal to offer HBO’s streaming service HBO Now through its powerful video subscription selling service, Amazon Channels, according to people familiar with the discussions. A deal would make it easy for Amazon Prime subscribers to sign up for HBO Now and view HBO Now programs through Amazon Prime Video.While HBO Now is... Amazon.com is near a deal to offer HBO’s streaming service HBO Now through its powerful...

A Snap billboard in San Francisco. Photo by Tom Dotan.

What’s Special about Snap’s Spectacles

By Jessica E. Lessin · Nov 18, 2016 7:02am PST · 6 comments

Snap’s video-recording sunglasses are out in the wild, and websites are chiming in with reviews. Quirky as always, Snap isn’t selling the spectacles through retail stores or online. The company is relying instead on dropping vending machines full of the toy in random locations like Big Sur, California, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. I got my... Snap’s video-recording sunglasses are out in the wild, and websites are chiming in with...

AWS Chief Andrew Jassy. Photo by AP.

AWS Planning New Deep Learning for Cloud Service

By Kevin McLaughlin · Nov 17, 2016 1:46pm PST · 4 comments

AWS Chief Andrew Jassy. Photo by AP.

AWS Planning New Deep Learning for Cloud Service

By Kevin McLaughlin · Nov 17, 2016 1:46pm PST · 4 comments

Amazon Web Services is working on a new cloud service focused on a branch of artificial intelligence called deep learning, said a person with knowledge of the Amazon unit’s plans. The service aims to be an alternative to Google’s wildly popular open source deep learning tools, called TensorFlow, and thereby shore up a rare weak spot... Amazon Web Services is working on a new cloud service focused on a branch of artificial...