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 — Camera as a Platform

By Tom Dotan · Jul 29, 2016 3:46pm PDT

Jessica explains why Yahoo can't be turned around, even within Verizon and under Tim Armstrong. Cory talks about why some media companies are disillusioned with live video on Facebook. Tom explains why Snapchat's camera section is its future. Jessica explains why Yahoo can't be turned around, even within Verizon and under Tim...

Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman. Photo by Bloomberg.

Private Equity Ponders Hewlett Packard Enterprise Buyout

By Kevin McLaughlin · Jul 29, 2016 10:07am PDT

Several private equity firms including KKR, Apollo Global Management and Carlyle Group are sniffing around Hewlett Packard Enterprise, contemplating a buyout of the firm, said a person who has had talks with representatives of the firms. Such a deal would be worth more than $40 billion.A buyout would allow HPE, currently the world’s... Several private equity firms including KKR, Apollo Global Management and Carlyle Group are...

Meet The Information Reporters—and What to Ask Them

By Jessica E. Lessin · Jul 29, 2016 7:00am PDT

People often ask me what makes The Information stories different from articles in other publications. The answer is simple: our reporters. They are smart, hungry and make hundreds of phone calls a week. And they’re not afraid of our model, which requires them to come up with new stories no one else is writing. This week, I wanted to help... People often ask me what makes The Information stories different from articles in other...

Top Comments of the Week

By The Information Staff · Jul 28, 2016 2:24pm PDT

Top Comments of the Week

By The Information Staff · Jul 28, 2016 2:24pm 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.

Photos by Bloomberg.

How Clinton and Trump Compare on Tech Issues

By Steve Nellis · Jul 28, 2016 12:14pm PDT · 2 comments

When America goes to the polls on Nov. 8, there’s a lot at stake for tech. Whether it’s how to balance issues of data privacy with national security, immigration or the use of contractors, the outcome of the presidential contest could have a big impact on tech firms.To aid you in quickly assessing where the candidates stand on key... When America goes to the polls on Nov. 8, there’s a lot at stake for tech. Whether...

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Flawed Logic Behind Oracle’s NetSuite Deal

By Steve Nellis · Jul 28, 2016 11:19am PDT

Oracle Corp.’s $9.3 billion bid for cloud financial software provider NetSuite should help boost Oracle’s lagging cloud business. But Oracle is paying a high price, particularly as NetSuite is too small to really move the needle for Oracle. Another big issue: NetSuite plays in a software category—financial management... Oracle Corp.’s $9.3 billion bid for cloud financial software provider NetSuite should help...

Snapchat's Chief Technology Officer Bobby Murphy. Picture by Bloomberg.

Snapchat’s Camera Shows its Future

By Tom Dotan · Jul 28, 2016 7:01am PDT · 2 comments

One of the best ways to understand Snapchat, people at the company like to say, is to think of it as three apps bolted together: messaging, stories (and by extension Discover), and one for the camera. And while messaging and stories have dominated its past, it’s the camera app that will determine Snapchat’s future.As Snapchat eyes... One of the best ways to understand Snapchat, people at the company like to say, is to think of it...

Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman. Photo by Bloomberg.

K.C. Choi Leaves Hewlett Packard Enterprise

By Kevin McLaughlin · Jul 27, 2016 2:22pm PDT

Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman. Photo by Bloomberg.

K.C. Choi Leaves Hewlett Packard Enterprise

By Kevin McLaughlin · Jul 27, 2016 2:22pm PDT

Veteran Hewlett Packard technologist K.C. Choi has left the company, a person close to Hewlett Packard Enterprise said. His departure could complicate CEO Meg Whitman’s hopes of promoting a new computing architecture that is central to the revival of the company formed in the break-up of H-P last year.UPDATE: Mr. Choi has joined storage... Veteran Hewlett Packard technologist K.C. Choi has left the company, a person close to Hewlett...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg talking about Facebook's plans for live video at its F8 developer conference in April. Photo by AP.

Media Companies Struggle To Figure Out Facebook Live

By Cory Weinberg · Jul 27, 2016 7:00am PDT · 3 comments

Fox Sports’ web series @TheBuzzer, blending highlight clips with hijinks like the Cinco de Mayo taco-eating contest, seemed like an ideal format for Facebook Live. It offered a social twist by soliciting instant feedback from viewers. But things got weird, with the Facebook users asking hosts to do increasingly bizarre things like stuff... Fox Sports’ web series @TheBuzzer, blending highlight clips with hijinks like the Cinco de...

Art by Tom Dotan.

Yahoo Deal Shows Relative Value of Advisers

By Martin Peers · Jul 26, 2016 11:59am PDT · 3 comments

If Yahoo’s auction holds any lessons for other tech companies considering selling themselves, it may be this: When it comes to advisers, less is more.A stunning 15 investment banks and law firms were involved with Yahoo’s $4.8 billion sale to Verizon, according to the companies. In contrast, Microsoft’s $26.2 billion purchase... If Yahoo’s auction holds any lessons for other tech companies considering selling...

People trying out Oculus Rift headsets at a demonstration in Tokyo last month. Photo by Bloomberg.

Oculus Gets a Dose of Reality

By Cory Weinberg and Reed Albergotti · Jul 26, 2016 7:01am PDT · 5 comments

Earlier this month Survios released a virtual reality video game, “Raw Data,” that puts users in the shoes of sword-wielding, gun-toting heroes. It shot straight to top of the charts on the video game distribution site Steam. But “Raw Data” isn’t available on the most talked-about virtual reality headset,... Earlier this month Survios released a virtual reality video game, “Raw Data,” that...

SoftBank Group Chairman Masayoshi Son announcing SoftBank's purchase of ARM Holdings this month. Photo by Bloomberg.

Who’s Next in Tech’s Merger Wave

By Alfred Lee and Steve Nellis · Jul 25, 2016 10:01am PDT

SoftBank Group Chairman Masayoshi Son announcing SoftBank's purchase of ARM Holdings this month. Photo by Bloomberg.

Who’s Next in Tech’s Merger Wave

By Alfred Lee and Steve Nellis · Jul 25, 2016 10:01am PDT

As the recent sales of LinkedIn, ARM Holdings, Dollar Shave Club and Yahoo suggest, acquisitions are once again in vogue for bigger companies looking for growth. And venture capitalists are increasingly recommending to founders that they consider selling.At the same time, mutual fund investors in private tech firms are signaling higher... As the recent sales of LinkedIn, ARM Holdings, Dollar Shave Club and Yahoo suggest, acquisitions...

AOL CEO Tim Armstrong. Photo by Bloomberg.

Why Armstrong Really Wanted Yahoo

By Jessica E. Lessin and Tom Dotan · Jul 25, 2016 4:37am PDT · 2 comments

To understand why Tim Armstrong just convinced Verizon to spend $4.83 billion to buy Yahoo's main business, you have to go back to April 2007. Mr. Armstrong, then running North America advertising for Google, drove Google’s purchase of display ad firm DoubleClick, launching the search giant into banner advertising. By every measure it... To understand why Tim Armstrong just convinced Verizon to spend $4.83 billion to buy Yahoo's...

The Weekly Digest

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Jul 23, 2016 8:00am PDT

Good Morning!Our long national nightmare is almost over: The sale of Yahoo is reportedly imminent. It looks like the one-time internet icon will soon be Tim Armstrong’s problem. In her weekly column, Jessica advised bidders to back out before it’s too late. Good Morning!Our long national nightmare is almost over: The sale of Yahoo is reportedly...

The Information’s 411 — Package Deal

By Tom Dotan · Jul 22, 2016 3:04pm PDT

Amir talks about the three brothers at Apple helping to build the software in its self-driving car. Zara explains why WeChat is different—and can do more—than any app Americans are familiar with. Amir talks about the three brothers at Apple helping to build the software in its self-driving...

Photo by Bloomberg.

Why Yahoo is a Bad Deal at Any Price

By Jessica E. Lessin · Jul 22, 2016 7:01am PDT · 6 comments

Photo by Bloomberg.

Why Yahoo is a Bad Deal at Any Price

By Jessica E. Lessin · Jul 22, 2016 7:01am PDT · 6 comments

As I watch the sideshow that is the sale of Yahoo, I have one piece of advice for the bidders that sent offers to the Yahoo board this week: Back out. There are three reasons to buy a company, at any price. The first is that you basically have an easy way to make more than you paid, including the opportunity cost of the capital and the effort... As I watch the sideshow that is the sale of Yahoo, I have one piece of advice for the bidders...

Brian Sumner, a software engineer inside Apple's Titan car unit, speaks about his work during the MesosCon convention last year. Photo by Harrison Roberts.

At Apple, the Sumner Boys Help Build a Car

By Amir Efrati · Jul 21, 2016 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

In early 2011, when software engineer Brian Sumner joined Apple to work on Siri, a voice assistant for the iPhone that was still under wraps, the team was struggling to recruit engineers. So after his first months there went well, Mr. Sumner suggested to Siri’s leaders that they hire his brother, Kevin, another infrastructure engineer.... In early 2011, when software engineer Brian Sumner joined Apple to work on Siri, a voice...

Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg. Photo by Bloomberg.

Jeffrey Katzenberg’s Next Venture

By Tom Dotan and Jessica E. Lessin · Jul 20, 2016 10:05am PDT

Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg is contemplating a new venture to produce high-quality short videos. The veteran movie executive has been trying to recruit people, according to two media executives who have either talked to Mr. Katzenberg about the project or have heard from people who have been pitched.Mr. Katzenberg reached a deal... Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg is contemplating a new venture to produce...

Symphony Communication Services CEO David Gurle. Photo by Bloomberg.

Symphony Moves to Google’s Cloud

By Steve Nellis · Jul 20, 2016 7:31am PDT

Symphony Communication Services, the bank-backed messaging startup taking on Bloomberg LP, is moving most of its cloud computing business to Google from Amazon Web Services, Symphony CEO David Gurle told The Information in an interview.The deal is a symbolic win for Google, which is running a distant third behind Amazon Web Services and... Symphony Communication Services, the bank-backed messaging startup taking on Bloomberg LP, is...

Chinese commuters using WeChat on the Beijing subway. Photo by Hao Xia.

China’s WeChat Way of Life

By Zara Zhang · Jul 20, 2016 7:01am PDT · 5 comments

Chinese commuters using WeChat on the Beijing subway. Photo by Hao Xia.

China’s WeChat Way of Life

By Zara Zhang · Jul 20, 2016 7:01am PDT · 5 comments

When I was in China last month, I went out to eat with several friends. When it came time to pay the bill, I started calculating who owed what. Laughing at me, my Chinese friends whipped out WeChat Wallet, which has a button called “Go Dutch.” Once you put in the amount of the bill and the number of people involved, WeChat generates... When I was in China last month, I went out to eat with several friends. When it came time to pay...