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

Photo by Bloomberg.

Samsung Goes Loopy On Payments

By Steve Nellis · Feb 19, 2015 12:06pm PST

In buying LoopPay, Samsung is hoping to counter Apple’s jump into mobile payments. Instead, Samsung may have just acquired a white elephant, mobile payment technology that could become obsolete almost immediately. LoopPay looked attractive to Samsung because its technology doesn’t require merchants to have the same specialized chip readers... In buying LoopPay, Samsung is hoping to counter Apple’s jump into mobile payments. Instead,...

IAC Chairman Barry Diller. Photo by Bloomberg.

As IAC’s Focus Narrows, Diller Era Enters Twilight

By Martin Peers · Feb 19, 2015 7:00am PST

Over more than two decades, Barry Diller has invested in everything from online travel to lending and search. But now, six years after spinning off most of those business into separate companies, the future of his flagship company IAC has narrowed to be almost entirely dependent on its online dating business, particularly Tinder. Given that Mr.... Over more than two decades, Barry Diller has invested in everything from online travel to lending...

Apus Group CEO Tao Li. Illustration by Matt Vascellaro.

Q&A

The Hottest Mobile App Startup in the World?

By Amir Efrati · Feb 18, 2015 10:01am PST · 6 comments

Few mobile app companies have seen faster or more mysterious growth than China-based Apus Group. The company’s “launcher” app for Android phones allows people to customize their phones and search for apps. It received a million users within the first week of its launch last July and had more than 80 million monthly active users as of... Few mobile app companies have seen faster or more mysterious growth than China-based Apus Group....

Alibaba founder Jack Ma. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Red-Hot Race for the Next Alibaba

By Jessica E. Lessin · Feb 18, 2015 7:01am PST · 2 comments

Alibaba founder Jack Ma. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Red-Hot Race for the Next Alibaba

By Jessica E. Lessin · Feb 18, 2015 7:01am PST · 2 comments

The race among investors to find the next Alibaba is looking a little frenzied. Investors have driven up the price of fast-growing mobile companies in India and China, hoping to find the next breakout company from Asia with global potential. The latest example: mobile shopping service Koudai, which late last year closed a roughly $500 million... The race among investors to find the next Alibaba is looking a little frenzied. Investors have...

Postmates CEO Bastian Lehmann. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Murky Economics of Food-Delivery Apps

By Steve Nellis · Feb 17, 2015 10:35am PST

Hundreds of millions of dollars are chasing the question of how to order food from a smartphone. Success will depend on which service can maximize revenue and profits through a combination of charging restaurants and diners. Different services are taking different approaches. Hundreds of millions of dollars are chasing the question of how to order food from a smartphone....

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun. Photo by Bloomberg.

Why Xiaomi Worries Google

By Amir Efrati · Feb 17, 2015 7:01am PST

Of all the Android smartphone manufacturers with global ambitions, Xiaomi stands out from the pack. Xiaomi’s founders say they run an “Internet company” that just happens to produce solid hardware at low prices. Thus the company is a new kind of potential rival to Google. Over the years, the search and mobile giant has been “frenemies” with many... Of all the Android smartphone manufacturers with global ambitions, Xiaomi stands out from the...

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo. Photo by Bloomberg.

Twitter Eyes Originals for Mobile Video

By Tom Dotan · Feb 16, 2015 7:00am PST

As far as social networks are concerned, the most contested digital battle at the moment may be the land grab over mobile video. And while Facebook and YouTube are arguably better positioned because they’re bigger, Twitter is scrambling not to be left behind. Twitter has been developing relationships with short-form video creators, hoping to... As far as social networks are concerned, the most contested digital battle at the moment may be...

Why There Will Never Be Another Google

By Jessica E. Lessin · Feb 13, 2015 10:39am PST · 2 comments

Why There Will Never Be Another Google

By Jessica E. Lessin · Feb 13, 2015 10:39am PST · 2 comments

The talent shortage in the technology industry has been creating headaches for years, driving up compensation and the time managers spend recruiting engineers and business leaders. But another consequence of the crunch is less discussed: its impact on the size and structure of companies. The difficulty of finding key people to fill certain jobs... The talent shortage in the technology industry has been creating headaches for years, driving up...

Google's Sundar Pichai, who oversees Android. Photo by Bloomberg.

Google’s Next Bid to Lower Mobile Data Costs: Zero Rating

By Amir Efrati · Feb 13, 2015 7:01am PST

Global Web companies like Google and Facebook know that most of their future growth will need to come from emerging markets. But as smartphones continue to bring more people online, data-plan costs and other hurdles are preventing those people from using mobile Web services. In response, Google engineers in recent months have talked to select... Global Web companies like Google and Facebook know that most of their future growth will need to...

AOL CEO Tim Armstrong. Photo by Bloomberg.

Glut of Ad-Buying Services Roils Industry

By Tom Dotan · Feb 12, 2015 10:01am PST · 3 comments

Any advertiser that wants to run a digital campaign faces a complex collection of ad-buying software and exchanges. That conflict has brought the industry to a stalemate, with a dividing line drawn between the tools built by the big tech companies and those sold by smaller ad tech firms. Whatever advantages of scale enjoyed by big tech firms,... Any advertiser that wants to run a digital campaign faces a complex collection of ad-buying...

Apple CEO Tim Cook this week in San Francisco. Photo by Bloomberg.

Why Tech Sector’s Debt Craze Won’t Last

By Martin Peers · Feb 12, 2015 7:01am PST

The view from the corporate treasury office in many tech companies recalls the Rime of the Ancient Mariner: Cash, cash everywhere and not a penny to spend. As big tech companies continue to leave cash overseas rather than pay taxes to bring it back, they’ve increasingly resorted to borrowing money. This trend, fueled by record-low interest... The view from the corporate treasury office in many tech companies recalls the Rime of the...

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

GrubHub CEO: What It Will Take to Win the Delivery Wars

By Steve Nellis · Feb 11, 2015 10:01am PST · 2 comments

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

Q&A

GrubHub CEO: What It Will Take to Win the Delivery Wars

By Steve Nellis · Feb 11, 2015 10:01am PST · 2 comments

Chicago-based GrubHub has become the biggest and best-known restaurant takeout app. But it’s under attack from above and below amid nearly $300 million in recent deals in the delivery space. On Tuesday, Yelp acquired GrubHub competitor Eat24 for $134 million. Last year, payments startup Square bought Caviar, which delivers from high-end... Chicago-based GrubHub has become the biggest and best-known restaurant takeout app. But it’s...

Square CEO Jack Dorsey. Photo by Bloomberg.

As Apple Payments Strategy Takes Shape, Google and Square Respond

By Amir Efrati and Jessica E. Lessin · Feb 11, 2015 7:01am PST · 3 comments

Apple rattled tech rivals like Google last year when it entered brick-and-mortar retail with Apple Pay, which lets people use their iPhone to pay for goods in stores. Now Google, which has long offered a similar product for Android phones that hasn’t become widely used, and Square, which helps small businesses accept credit card payments, are... Apple rattled tech rivals like Google last year when it entered brick-and-mortar retail with...

The Information Recommends

Most Valuable Tech Events

By The Information Staff · Feb 10, 2015 10:01am PST · 6 comments

There is no shortage of conferences and events in the technology and media industries, but the list of the hottest ones changes fast. To help you make the most out of your networking time, we’re starting a list of the most valuable events and conferences. To start, we’ve assembled a list of conferences recommended by subscribers from our... There is no shortage of conferences and events in the technology and media industries, but the...

Workday CEO Aneel Bhusri. Photo by Bloomberg.

Workday’s Rise Slows Amid Financial Software Push

By Steve Nellis · Feb 10, 2015 7:01am PST

In the subscription software sector, full of fast-growing companies with high-priced stocks like Salesforce.com and Xero, Workday long stood out. But the company is beginning to lose its luster. The nine-year-old company makes cloud-based human resources software and has started pushing into apps for corporate financials as well. Its growth has... In the subscription software sector, full of fast-growing companies with high-priced stocks like...

Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes. Photo by Bloomberg.

As Cable Mergers Loom, Time Warner Should Do This Deal

By Martin Peers · Feb 9, 2015 10:00am PST · 2 comments

Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes. Photo by Bloomberg.

As Cable Mergers Loom, Time Warner Should Do This Deal

By Martin Peers · Feb 9, 2015 10:00am PST · 2 comments

The rush among media companies to launch over-the-top video services suggests a recognition among old media that the gold mine of cable television is in decline. Less recognized is what that means for the future of the big public entertainment companies, each hugely dependent on cable channel profits. One answer is consolidation, which typically... The rush among media companies to launch over-the-top video services suggests a recognition among...

Art by Sam Lessin.

Modest Proposals

Leapfrogging the U.S.: Transportation in Sao Paulo

By Sam Lessin · Feb 9, 2015 7:01am PST · 3 comments

Sao Paulo, Brazil—This city, where I spent the last week, is massive—much bigger than New York. Traffic can be terrible, from the main thoroughfares to the winding and complicated back alleys even locals struggle to navigate. Cars are extremely expensive, and mass transportation is underdeveloped. So logically, transportation and delivery... Sao Paulo, Brazil—This city, where I spent the last week, is massive—much bigger than New York....

The Tech Sector May Not Be as Overheated as Some Think

By Jessica E. Lessin · Feb 6, 2015 10:14am PST · 1 comment

There’s no doubt that some tech companies are drawing valuations they won’t live up to. Risk is alive and well in the sector. But evidence is mounting that the private and public tech markets are more rational than some headlines make you think. This isn’t to say that we’re not nearing the peak of a cycle. Markets are cyclical, and there will be... There’s no doubt that some tech companies are drawing valuations they won’t live up to. Risk is...

Google CEO Larry Page. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Race to Prove an Effective Digital Ad

By Tom Dotan · Feb 6, 2015 7:01am PST · 2 comments

There is, right now, something of a settling in the online advertising landscape. With Pinterest unveiling its strategy for generating revenue through promoted pins, the owners of the most visited social networks, apps and sites are now public with their strategies for minting billions from digital ads. With the playing field set, the companies... There is, right now, something of a settling in the online advertising landscape. With Pinterest...

Google's Nick Fox in 2009. Photo by Kenneth Yeung.

At Google, Nick Fox Gets the Message

By Amir Efrati · Feb 5, 2015 1:52pm PST · 1 comment

Google's Nick Fox in 2009. Photo by Kenneth Yeung.

At Google, Nick Fox Gets the Message

By Amir Efrati · Feb 5, 2015 1:52pm PST · 1 comment

Nick Fox, the man in charge of Google’s still-unannounced mobile phone service, also has become head of Google’s communications products like Google Voice, Hangouts and Messenger, a signal that the company is getting more serious about building mobile messaging products. The young executive, who previously ran an AdWords unit, started running... Nick Fox, the man in charge of Google’s still-unannounced mobile phone service, also has become...