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

The Information’s 411 — Funny Money

By Tom Dotan · Aug 19, 2016 3:42pm PDT

Jessica, Reed and Tom talk about why journalists are not the ones responsible for invasions of privacy, despite what Peter Thiel claims. They also discuss Snapchat's acquisition of Vurb and the role of eye-tracking technology in VR. Plus: the tech angles to the Ryan Lochte saga. Jessica, Reed and Tom talk about why journalists are not the ones responsible for invasions of...

Peter Thiel speaking at the RNC. Photo by Bloomberg.

A Letter to Peter Thiel

By Jessica E. Lessin · Aug 19, 2016 7:02am PDT · 8 comments

Dear Peter, I’m the only journalist I am aware of who has been openly sympathetic toward your campaign against Gawker. I’ve taken quite a bit of heat for it. But I still believe that you, like everyone else, have a right to support lawsuits against media organizations you believe have violated the law. A world where the uber-rich can... Dear Peter, I’m the only journalist I am aware of who has been openly sympathetic toward...

An artist's rendering of SMI's eye-tracking technology in AR glasses. Image courtesy of SMI.

Eye-Tracking Companies Set Sights on VR

By Reed Albergotti · Aug 18, 2016 10:46am PDT · 1 comment

When William Torch, a neurologist in Reno, Nevada, founded Eye-Com in 1998 with $15 million in government grants, he hoped to help people with disabilities control technology without their hands. Eye-Com no longer exists, but almost 20 years later, Mr. Torch’s technology may have found its market: virtual reality. Eye-Com’s... When William Torch, a neurologist in Reno, Nevada, founded Eye-Com in 1998 with $15 million in...

WeWork CEO Adam Neumann. Photo by Bloomberg.

In Shift, WeWork Pushes for Longer Leases

By Alfred Lee and Cory Weinberg · Aug 18, 2016 7:02am PDT · 2 comments

WeWork CEO Adam Neumann. Photo by Bloomberg.

In Shift, WeWork Pushes for Longer Leases

By Alfred Lee and Cory Weinberg · Aug 18, 2016 7:02am PDT · 2 comments

WeWork, which built its business on luring freelancers and startups with no-strings-attached office space, may now be looking to protect itself against drops in demand by going after bigger tenants that commit to longer stays. The company has begun pushing to lock some companies into year-long rental agreements rather than month-to-month.The New... WeWork, which built its business on luring freelancers and startups with no-strings-attached...

Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster. Photo by Web Summit via Flickr.

Confidential Data Question Cyanogen’s User Figures

By Amir Efrati · Aug 17, 2016 7:01am PDT · 4 comments

Newly revealed internal data from Cyanogen, a closely-watched startup trying to make an alternative version of Android, undercut the company’s longstanding pronouncement that there are tens of millions of users of a smartphone operating system it distributes.Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster said as of mid-2014 that the company tracked more than... Newly revealed internal data from Cyanogen, a closely-watched startup trying to make an...

*Figure as of December 2015. Source: Information Research. Chart by Tom Dotan

Network Streaming Apps Fight for Slice

By Tom Dotan · Aug 16, 2016 10:01am PDT · 5 comments

More than a year after HBO kicked off a race among big media companies to go direct to consumers online, many of the new services are hovering around the million-subscriber mark. That suggests these services are far from a solution for media companies grappling with cord-cutting.At the high end, wrestling service WWE had 1.5 million subscribers... More than a year after HBO kicked off a race among big media companies to go direct to consumers...

Diane Greene of Google. Photo by Associated Press.

Google’s Greene Recruits Outsiders for Cloud Army

By Kevin McLaughlin · Aug 16, 2016 7:01am PDT

It has been nearly nine months since Google hired veteran Silicon Valley executive Diane Greene to run its cloud business. Aside from a few customer wins, the announcement of new cloud data centers, and the introduction of new machine learning tools for developers, this time has passed without much fanfare. But behind the scenes, Ms. Greene has... It has been nearly nine months since Google hired veteran Silicon Valley executive Diane Greene...

Vurb founder Bobby Lo at TechCrunch Disrupt. Photo by TechCrunch.

Snapchat to Buy Vurb for More Than $100 Million

By Jessica E. Lessin and Tom Dotan · Aug 15, 2016 1:55pm PDT · 2 comments

Vurb founder Bobby Lo at TechCrunch Disrupt. Photo by TechCrunch.

Snapchat to Buy Vurb for More Than $100 Million

By Jessica E. Lessin and Tom Dotan · Aug 15, 2016 1:55pm PDT · 2 comments

Snapchat is tiptoeing into search.The company is acquiring recommendation app Vurb for around $110 million plus additional team retention payouts totaling nearly as much, according to a person familiar with the deal. Snapchat is tiptoeing into search.The company is acquiring recommendation app Vurb for around...

Tesla Lost its Maps Leader

By Amir Efrati · Aug 15, 2016 1:20pm PDT · 1 comment

Bill Chen, who was leading maps and navigation engineering efforts at Tesla Motors, has left the company after nearly two years. Tesla and Mr. Chen confirmed his departure but declined further comment.Mapping practitioners who have worked with Mr. Chen view the move as a negative sign for Tesla’s autonomous vehicle effort, which is already... Bill Chen, who was leading maps and navigation engineering efforts at Tesla Motors, has left the...

Art by Sam Lessin.

Modest Proposals

Olympic Coverage: The Best of Times and the Worst of Times

By Sam Lessin · Aug 15, 2016 10:16am PDT · 10 comments

I have been very impressed with the access that NBC is providing to the Olympics. It feels like, finally, the decades-old dream of access to all the events, whenever I want, on whatever terms I want, has been delivered. It has been a pleasure to get to see some great, highly popular sports like gymnastics, swimming, and the big track and field... I have been very impressed with the access that NBC is providing to the Olympics. It feels like,...

A Unity Technologies booth at a 2013 game developers conference. Photo by Bloomberg.

U.S. Private Tech Shares Hit Chinese Social Media

By Alfred Lee and Yunan Zhang · Aug 15, 2016 7:01am PDT · 2 comments

Unity Technologies, maker of Pokemon Go’s game engine, raised a series C round last month, around the time Pokemon Go had started a sensation among gamers. Within weeks, pitches for Unity shares available on the secondary market started moving across China’s most popular messaging app. A WeChat group of more than 100 people... Unity Technologies, maker of Pokemon Go’s game engine, raised a series C round last month,...

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Aug 13, 2016 8:00am PDT

The Weekly Digest

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Aug 13, 2016 8:00am PDT

Good Morning!We may be deep into vacation time for many people but the news keeps coming. Here are our stories from this week. Good Morning!We may be deep into vacation time for many people but the news keeps coming. Here...

The Information’s 411 — Happy Ecosystem

By Tom Dotan · Aug 12, 2016 2:33pm PDT

Amir dives deep on LeEco to explain how the Chinese company works and what its plans are. Kevin makes his first appearance on the show to talk about Meg Whitman and the future of HPE. Amir dives deep on LeEco to explain how the Chinese company works and what its plans are. Kevin...

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Photo by Bloomberg.

Senior AWS Executive to Depart

By Kevin McLaughlin and Steve Nellis · Aug 12, 2016 1:52pm PDT · 1 comment

Adam Selipsky, the head of sales and marketing at AWS and a lieutenant to CEO Andy Jassy, is leaving the company, according to four people familiar with the matter.Mr. Selipsky is one of the longest-serving members of the executive team at the $7.8 billion cloud computing business. He joined in 2005, before AWS was generating revenue, and is one... Adam Selipsky, the head of sales and marketing at AWS and a lieutenant to CEO Andy Jassy, is...

Lyft co-founder and CEO Logan Green. Photo by Bloomberg.

Lyft Rebuffs Acquisition Approach from GM

By Amir Efrati · Aug 12, 2016 12:32pm PDT · 2 comments

General Motors in recent weeks told Lyft it was interested in acquiring the company, according to a person briefed on the situation. After soliciting other potential strategic acquirers, Lyft rebuffed GM’s approach and decided to raise a new funding round instead, according to two people.GM mentioned a price it was willing to pay but that... General Motors in recent weeks told Lyft it was interested in acquiring the company, according to...

Jet.com CEO Marc Lore. Photo by AP.

How Walmart Can Play Amazon’s Game

By Steve Nellis · Aug 12, 2016 7:02am PDT · 8 comments

Jet.com CEO Marc Lore. Photo by AP.

How Walmart Can Play Amazon’s Game

By Steve Nellis · Aug 12, 2016 7:02am PDT · 8 comments

It’s Steve here, filling in for Jessica who’s on vacation. Walmart’s $3.3 billion purchase of Jet.com has prompted debate about whether the deal is a sign that Jet failed or not. A more interesting question is the impact Jet CEO Marc Lore will have on Walmart.com, which he’s taking over. Specifically, can Mr. Lore change... It’s Steve here, filling in for Jessica who’s on vacation. Walmart’s $3.3...

Top Comments of the Week

By The Information Staff · Aug 11, 2016 10:49am PDT

Here are excerpts of this week’s top comments as selected by our reporters and editors. Here are excerpts of this week’s top comments as selected by our reporters and editors.

Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia. Photo by Flickr/LeWeb

Airbnb’s Growth Plans Hinge on Homeowners

By Cory Weinberg · Aug 11, 2016 7:02am PDT · 2 comments

Airbnb built an accommodation juggernaut by turning homeowners into temporary innkeepers. Now, as it plots its next phase of growth, the company is seeking new ways to wedge Airbnb more tightly into the lives of its amateur hosts. That’s what is driving its so-called “Magical Trips” program likely to be rolled out in November,... Airbnb built an accommodation juggernaut by turning homeowners into temporary innkeepers. Now, as...

Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman. Photo by Bloomberg.

Can HPE Spend Its Way to Growth?

By Kevin McLaughlin · Aug 10, 2016 10:01am PDT

Next month will mark five years since Meg Whitman joined Hewlett Packard. In that time she has streamlined the once-iconic Silicon Valley giant, including last year’s separation of the enterprise businesses from the consumer products operations. Now the question is what comes next, for both Ms. Whitman and the company she still runs,... Next month will mark five years since Meg Whitman joined Hewlett Packard. In that time she has...

Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann. Photo by Bloomberg.

Pinterest Traffic To Publishers Drops

By Tom Dotan · Aug 10, 2016 7:01am PDT · 5 comments

Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann. Photo by Bloomberg.

Pinterest Traffic To Publishers Drops

By Tom Dotan · Aug 10, 2016 7:01am PDT · 5 comments

Publishers that depend on Pinterest as a meaningful source of traffic, such as MarthaStewart.com, have seen a notable drop-off in recent months, according to publishing executives and new data. It's the latest reminder of the hazards for publishers of relying too much on social platforms for traffic.The traffic drop follows a change to... Publishers that depend on Pinterest as a meaningful source of traffic, such as MarthaStewart.com,...