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

Charting by The Information; Data via company earnings, ComScore, eMarketer, Flurry

Mobile Revenue by the Minute

By Tom Dotan and Peter Schulz · Mar 17, 2015 10:00am PDT

As the online ad race turns to mobile, companies are under pressure to make money from each minute people spend on their apps. So, The Information calculated how much money leading tech companies are making per minute spent within their apps. (It’s in the micropennies but useful nonetheless.) What it shows is that while Twitter occupies a tiny... As the online ad race turns to mobile, companies are under pressure to make money from each...

Lending Club CEO Renaud Laplanche. Photo by Bloomberg.

Public Markets Cool on Online Lenders

By Tom Dotan · Mar 17, 2015 7:00am PDT

Lending Club’s successful IPO last December was supposed to be the breakout moment for the fast-growing online lending sector. Instead the period since the debut has turned into a lull that highlights how these businesses are more closely tied to macroeconomic activity than other rising tech companies. And it suggests that those investors who... Lending Club’s successful IPO last December was supposed to be the breakout moment for the...

Art by Myk Klemme.

Announcing Research Topics and Other Updates

By Myk C. Klemme · Mar 16, 2015 12:36pm PDT · 1 comment

We wake up everyday focused on finding new ways to get you the information you need to get ahead. Today, we launched Research Topics—a tool to help you research companies, people and technologies via The Information articles and data. Our goal for this feature is to reveal non-apparent connections among data to inform you in new ways. You can... We wake up everyday focused on finding new ways to get you the information you need to get ahead....

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. Photo by Bloomberg.

Mobile Ad World Braces for Facebook’s Move Into Measurement

By Amir Efrati · Mar 16, 2015 7:00am PDT

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. Photo by Bloomberg.

Mobile Ad World Braces for Facebook’s Move Into Measurement

By Amir Efrati · Mar 16, 2015 7:00am PDT

Facebook next week is expected to announce a tool to help mobile app developers measure whether an ad caused people to download an app, a move designed to help entrench Facebook’s tech across the online ad industry. Several people briefed about the technology told The Information about the service, which is expected to be announced at Facebook’... Facebook next week is expected to announce a tool to help mobile app developers measure whether...

What We Can Learn from Israel

By Jessica E. Lessin · Mar 13, 2015 10:31am PDT

Hello from Jerusalem. It’s just a few days before the elections here, and I was fortunate to spend the last week in the country with a group of U.S. entrepreneurs meeting Israeli entrepreneurs, political leaders and The Information subscribers from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Ramallah. It’s been an amazing trip. We met President Reuven Rivlin, who... Hello from Jerusalem. It’s just a few days before the elections here, and I was fortunate to...

Apple CEO Tim Cook. Photo by Bloomberg.

Behind Apple’s Openness is Desire for Data Center Help

By Steve Nellis and Amir Efrati · Mar 13, 2015 7:00am PDT

Apple may be unrivaled in making consumer hardware, but in cloud-based services, it’s an also-ran that has been forced to outsource certain functions while struggling to retain talent. This week’s decision to join a Facebook-backed industry group dedicated to sharing data-center hardware designs is aimed at making Apple more competitive in the... Apple may be unrivaled in making consumer hardware, but in cloud-based services, it’s an also-ran...

Photo by Bloomberg.

Wi-Fi’s Threat To Cellular May Be Overstated

By Martin Peers · Mar 12, 2015 10:00am PDT · 3 comments

One of the subtle jokes in Woody Allen’s 1972 pre-mobile phone era film “Play It Again, Sam” concerns a character’s habit of calling his office to pass on the various phone numbers at which he can be reached through the day. Its a joke that might become relevant again as Wi-Fi based wireless services, requiring people to plan ahead for Wi-Fi... One of the subtle jokes in Woody Allen’s 1972 pre-mobile phone era film “Play It Again, Sam”...

JK Shin, CEO of Samsung's mobile division, at Mobile World Congress last week. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Smartphone Giveth and the Smartphone Taketh Away

By Amir Efrati · Mar 12, 2015 7:00am PDT · 3 comments

JK Shin, CEO of Samsung's mobile division, at Mobile World Congress last week. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Smartphone Giveth and the Smartphone Taketh Away

By Amir Efrati · Mar 12, 2015 7:00am PDT · 3 comments

Falling prices of smartphones are causing a shakeup in the hardware part of the industry, opening the door to upstart phone brands, component makers and in some cases to also-rans in the mobile chip world, like Intel. Falling prices of smartphones are causing a shakeup in the hardware part of the industry, opening...

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

Q&A

Are There Any Good Deals Left in Digital Publishing?

By Tom Dotan · Mar 11, 2015 10:01am PDT · 1 comment

The key for a media company trying to reinvent itself during this digital era is to have a strategy. And, preferably, one that works. The problem is, nobody really knows which ones do. But there are no lack of glittering lures. Companies like BuzzFeed and Vice have raised big money at enormous valuations by selling themselves as quasi-ad... The key for a media company trying to reinvent itself during this digital era is to have a...

Jay Parikh, vice president of engineering at Facebook. Photo by Steve Nellis.

Why Cisco’s Biggest Threat May Be Facebook

By Steve Nellis · Mar 11, 2015 7:01am PDT

Hewlett-Packard and Dell are poised to open a new front in their battle with Cisco Systems over networking gear, thanks to the rise of open-source hardware. And H-P and Dell will likely field some powerful weapons from an unlikely source: Facebook. On Tuesday, Facebook announced it would make available to an open-source group its internal design... Hewlett-Packard and Dell are poised to open a new front in their battle with Cisco Systems over...

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday. Photo by Bloomberg.

There Are No More Secrets

By Amir Efrati · Mar 10, 2015 10:01am PDT · 3 comments

There are very few big secrets in Silicon Valley. The major software platform companies of today—Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon.com—partner and compete with each other in various configurations. When they expand into new businesses, they do so with the same partners. As a result, people who work for one of the companies increasingly know... There are very few big secrets in Silicon Valley. The major software platform companies of today...

Snapchat’s Tough Road To Becoming a Music Service

By Tom Dotan · Mar 10, 2015 7:01am PDT

Snapchat’s Tough Road To Becoming a Music Service

By Tom Dotan · Mar 10, 2015 7:01am PDT

The music labels have had a frustrating relationship with social media over the years. The most-followed accounts on Twitter or Facebook belong to musicians such as Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake, but the music industry has never managed to turn that reach into the meaningful revenue it so desperately needs. But music companies live in hope.... The music labels have had a frustrating relationship with social media over the years. The...

Tech’s Advertising Efficiency Gap

By Martin Peers · Mar 9, 2015 10:00am PDT

If there’s one industry outside of tech that should be happy about Apple’s release of its smartwatch, it’s Madison Avenue. That’s because the new product launch will force Apple to spend a little more money on marketing. As the accompanying chart shows, Apple spent just 0.67 percent of its revenues on advertising in its fiscal 2014 year, the... If there’s one industry outside of tech that should be happy about Apple’s release of its...

Art by Sam Lessin.

Modest Proposals

Why Tech Comp is Broken and Ideas To Fix It

By Sam Lessin · Mar 9, 2015 7:00am PDT · 9 comments

A handful of trends are causing the historical Silicon Valley model of compensation to fail employers and employees. I am not entirely sure how to fix it. But I believe that at least part of the solution will be a move away from equity compensation and toward a heavier reliance on cash bonuses. As is widely understood, traditional startups... A handful of trends are causing the historical Silicon Valley model of compensation to fail...

The Apple Watch Upgrade Issue

By Jessica E. Lessin · Mar 6, 2015 10:54am PST

After Monday’s expected Apple Watch event, plenty of people will be talking about whether to buy the highly anticipated gadget now or wait for future models. One important consideration often overlooked in such discussions: how quickly shoppers will tire of the one they buy. Imagine the iPhone you used four years ago. Then imagine using it... After Monday’s expected Apple Watch event, plenty of people will be talking about whether to buy...

Apple's coming smartwatch. Photo by Bloomberg.

Apple’s Smartwatch Faces Hurdles With Health Sensors

By Steve Nellis · Mar 6, 2015 7:00am PST

Apple's coming smartwatch. Photo by Bloomberg.

Apple’s Smartwatch Faces Hurdles With Health Sensors

By Steve Nellis · Mar 6, 2015 7:00am PST

When Apple first unveiled its smartwatch last fall, it hinted that the device could help track people’s health with special built-in sensors. But a variety of technical challenges will likely limit what health measurements can be offered on the watch, to be launched formally on Monday. The biggest hurdle may be that the wrist isn’t the best... When Apple first unveiled its smartwatch last fall, it hinted that the device could help track...

Google's No. 2 executive, Sundar Pichai, in Barcelona Monday. Photo by Bloomberg.

Apple’s Party and the Things I Learned at Mobile World Congress

By Amir Efrati · Mar 5, 2015 10:01am PST

BARCELONA—Mobile World Congress makes headlines for announcements by companies like Google, Samsung Electronics and others, but the real action is always behind the scenes. Wireless carriers from developing countries were busy finalizing deals for a new revenue source—extracting money from developers who are seeking to reach the carriers’... BARCELONA—Mobile World Congress makes headlines for announcements by companies like Google,...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo by Bloomberg.

Twitter vs. Facebook: Wall Street Is Paying More for Less

By Martin Peers · Mar 5, 2015 7:01am PST · 2 comments

Here’s a quick quiz. Which social media network should be valued more highly: a) the one that is used by almost everyone daily or b) the one that a minority of people, other than journalists, use? If you answered A, you may be in a position to make some money trading stocks. I’m talking about the current stunning valuation gap between Facebook... Here’s a quick quiz. Which social media network should be valued more highly: a) the one that is...

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

Q&A

What’s the Big Deal About Wi-Fi?

By Amir Efrati · Mar 4, 2015 10:01am PST · 1 comment

Wi-Fi is a hot topic these days, which is somewhat ironic. For years, we’ve been trumpeting how cellular can keep us connected everywhere. Now, companies ranging from Google to Comcast want to build wireless services that rely partially on technologies that are tethered to one spot. This could be a boon for companies like Cisco Systems or... Wi-Fi is a hot topic these days, which is somewhat ironic. For years, we’ve been trumpeting how...

MailOnline North America CEO Jon Steinberg. Photo by Bloomberg.

Technical Glitches Cost Media Firms in Lost Video Ads

By Tom Dotan · Mar 4, 2015 7:01am PST

MailOnline North America CEO Jon Steinberg. Photo by Bloomberg.

Technical Glitches Cost Media Firms in Lost Video Ads

By Tom Dotan · Mar 4, 2015 7:01am PST

For many media firms, the allure of video content is the promise of high revenue video ads. But as the amount of video expands, websites are running up against a costly problem: Technical glitches are causing videos to run without the ads meant to accompany them. The result can be the loss of significant ad revenue, several media executives... For many media firms, the allure of video content is the promise of high revenue video ads. But...