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.

Asked and Answered

Our Views on the Apple Watch, a Facebook Video Service and More

By The Information Staff · Jan 27, 2015 12:21pm PST

This month we asked you to ask us questions about the technology industry. And ask you did. You asked us to handicap the Apple Watch launch, which company will be next to suffer the same fate as Fab.com and about trends in public ad tech stocks, among others. Here are responses to a bunch we thought would be broadly interesting to subscribers.... This month we asked you to ask us questions about the technology industry. And ask you did. You...

DST founder Yuri Milner. Photo by Bloomberg.

How Outsider Yuri Milner Built an Inside Track

By Jessica E. Lessin · Jan 27, 2015 7:01am PST

In early December, the founders of several fast-growing Asian startups drove up a steep hill to a stately mansion in Los Altos Hills, California. For hours, they dined in a lavish room with round banquet tables and mingled with executives from JD.com, Huawei, Google, Airbnb, Box and their host—Yuri Milner. Years after the Russian... In early December, the founders of several fast-growing Asian startups drove up a steep hill to a...

Art by Sam Lessin.

Modest Proposals

Labor Economics and How Uber is Going to Disrupt Starbucks

By Sam Lessin · Jan 26, 2015 11:23am PST · 5 comments

The other morning I woke up, bought a coffee at a fancy coffee shop, hopped in an Uber and went to a SoulCycle class. I started thinking about how in just a few moments, I had bought services from people representing three very different and rapidly changing models of employment—the coffee shop’s hourly scheduled employee, a contract Uber driver... The other morning I woke up, bought a coffee at a fancy coffee shop, hopped in an Uber and went...

Warner Bros. executive Ron Sanders at CES in 2013 when UltraViolet was announced. Photo by AP.

As UltraViolet Fades, Studios Ponder Options

By Martin Peers · Jan 26, 2015 7:01am PST

Warner Bros. executive Ron Sanders at CES in 2013 when UltraViolet was announced. Photo by AP.

As UltraViolet Fades, Studios Ponder Options

By Martin Peers · Jan 26, 2015 7:01am PST

In hindsight, it was probably an impossible task: Getting major Hollywood studios, technology companies and retailers to agree on a way to sell movies that consumers could watch on lots of devices. And three years after just such an initiative launched, a reaction to the dominance of Apple’s iTunes, its time may be running out. Known as... In hindsight, it was probably an impossible task: Getting major Hollywood studios, technology...

The crowd at last night's subscriber event. Photo by Sam Lessin.

The Information Events

Is Google Playing Fair with Android Developers?

By Amir Efrati, Steve Nellis and Martin Peers · Jan 23, 2015 12:27pm PST

Two very different views about Android are emerging among mobile leaders, and they have big ramifications for the technology industry. On one hand, some see Android as an open platform that lets app makers take advantage of more of a phone’s capabilities than on the iPhone. Others see it as under the thumb of Google, whose power needs to be... Two very different views about Android are emerging among mobile leaders, and they have big...

Why YouTube is a Bigger Deal Than I Thought

By Jessica E. Lessin · Jan 23, 2015 7:03am PST · 3 comments

Rest assured. This is not a “Gee, YouTube is going to be big” column. That would be nearly a decade late. But I recently realized that, despite appreciating the sheer volume of videos watched on YouTube, I’ve missed something big about the site’s potential to disrupt the media business. One of the most impressive things about YouTube isn’t just... Rest assured. This is not a “Gee, YouTube is going to be big” column. That would be nearly a...

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman. Photo by Bloomberg.

Viacom Ponders Rollup of Comedy Sites

By Tom Dotan and Martin Peers · Jan 22, 2015 1:46pm PST

Through its ownership of Comedy Central, Viacom has a lock on the television funny space. Now the company is contemplating whether to extend that presence in the digital realm. The New York-based media company is considering whether to buy a trio of Web video comedy sites that started looking for buyers late last year—CollegeHumor, The Onion and... Through its ownership of Comedy Central, Viacom has a lock on the television funny space. Now the...

Amazon chief Jeff Bezos; photo by Bloomberg

Why Tech Companies Should Consider Tracking Stocks

By Martin Peers · Jan 22, 2015 7:01am PST

Amazon chief Jeff Bezos; photo by Bloomberg

Why Tech Companies Should Consider Tracking Stocks

By Martin Peers · Jan 22, 2015 7:01am PST

When investing in big successful, founder-controlled companies like Google and Amazon.com, investors have to take the good with the bad—the hugely profitable core business along with the whimsical, money-losing efforts to find new opportunities. But given that stocks of both have underperformed the market in the past 12 months, it’s clear that... When investing in big successful, founder-controlled companies like Google and Amazon.com,...

Google CEO Larry Page. Photo by Bloomberg.

Google’s Next Telecom Move: Becoming a Wireless Carrier

By Amir Efrati · Jan 21, 2015 12:40pm PST · 1 comment

Google is preparing to sell mobile phone plans directly to customers and manage their calls and mobile data over a cellular network, according to three people with knowledge of the plans. The new service is expected run on Sprint and T-Mobile’s networks, two people familiar with the product say. Google is expected to reach deals to buy... Google is preparing to sell mobile phone plans directly to customers and manage their calls and...

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

Determining the Message Behind Medium

By Tom Dotan · Jan 21, 2015 7:01am PST

In March 2013, Evan Hansen left his job as the editor of Conde Nast’s Wired.com to join Medium, the blogging platform started by Twitter founders Ev Williams and Biz Stone. In doing so, he left a relatively large media outlet with an established voice to join a high-profile startup many people have a difficult time defining. Nearly two years... In March 2013, Evan Hansen left his job as the editor of Conde Nast’s Wired.com to join Medium,...

Apus Group CEO Tao Li. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

An Android App Bubble or Something Else?

By Amir Efrati · Jan 20, 2015 12:51pm PST · 2 comments

Fast-growing caller-ID app TrueCaller, which is starting to attract attention in Silicon Valley, has joined a wave of so-called utility apps that have hooked themselves into hundreds of millions of smartphones by focusing on mundane features like saving battery life, offering wallpaper options or screening for spam calls. New high-fliers seem to... Fast-growing caller-ID app TrueCaller, which is starting to attract attention in Silicon Valley,...

True Software founders Nami Zarringhalam, left, and Alan Mamedi. Credit: True Software

Saved by a Call, True Software Builds Global Phonebook

By Amir Efrati · Jan 20, 2015 7:01am PST

True Software founders Nami Zarringhalam, left, and Alan Mamedi. Credit: True Software

Company to Watch

Saved by a Call, True Software Builds Global Phonebook

By Amir Efrati · Jan 20, 2015 7:01am PST

Truecaller, a caller-ID app that is among the fastest-growing apps in the world, typifies the reality that most tech startups sit on a razor’s edge; the difference between survival and death might be one phone call. For founders Alan Mamedi and Nami Zarringhalam, the fateful call came in April 2013. After raising about $2 million in the prior... Truecaller, a caller-ID app that is among the fastest-growing apps in the world, typifies the...

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Photo by Associated Press.

Google Nears Major Investment in SpaceX to Bolster Satellites

By Jessica E. Lessin · Jan 19, 2015 8:36am PST · 1 comment

Google is close to investing in rocket maker SpaceX, according to several people familiar with the talks, creating a formidable alliance in Silicon Valley’s accelerating Internet space race. The purpose of a deal, which is still in the works, is to support the development of SpaceX satellites that could beam low-cost Internet around the globe... Google is close to investing in rocket maker SpaceX, according to several people familiar with...

Terry Myerson, head of Microsoft's operating systems group. Photo by Bloomberg.

Microsoft’s Latest Mobile Game Plan is Apps over OS

By Steve Nellis and Amir Efrati · Jan 19, 2015 7:00am PST

Microsoft on Wednesday will unveil the latest strategy to expand its share of the mobile computing market: leveraging its strength in PCs to lift sales of Windows Phone. In previewing its Windows 10 operating system, Microsoft will show a single code base inside the software that will allow an app to run well on phones, tablets and PCs, as... Microsoft on Wednesday will unveil the latest strategy to expand its share of the mobile...

A Key Difference in How Chinese and U.S. Tech Cos. Approach Deals

By Jessica E. Lessin · Jan 16, 2015 10:30am PST · 4 comments

Here’s a riddle. Why do the biggest Chinese tech companies prefer to invest in companies strategic to their businesses while U.S. tech leaders prefer to acquire such companies outright? Tencent and Alibaba, for example, have bought partial stakes in everything from on-demand cab companies to peer-to-peer lenders to games. Mobile phone maker... Here’s a riddle. Why do the biggest Chinese tech companies prefer to invest in companies...

photo by Bloomberg

Tough Road for Online Video Vendors

By Martin Peers · Jan 16, 2015 7:01am PST

photo by Bloomberg

Tough Road for Online Video Vendors

By Martin Peers · Jan 16, 2015 7:01am PST

Online video consumption is exploding. But for technology vendors jockeying to help media companies distribute online video, it’s a brutal market right now. Sending digital video requires many steps, including making sure the video runs on multiple software and hardware systems, tagging the video so it can be searched, inserting ads and more. ... Online video consumption is exploding. But for technology vendors jockeying to help media...

Photo by Bloomberg

More Tech Firms Prove Online Ads Drive Offline Sales

By Amir Efrati · Jan 15, 2015 12:11pm PST · 1 comment

The online ad industry is inching closer toward a longstanding goal: helping retailers determine how online ads drive sales at their physical stores. Retailers such as Neiman Marcus and Williams Sonoma are increasingly using data about their customers to track their “path to purchase” from Web to store, thanks to new ad tech startups and... The online ad industry is inching closer toward a longstanding goal: helping retailers determine...

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo. Photo by Bloomberg.

Twitter’s Uphill Struggle To Become A Media Firm

By Tom Dotan · Jan 15, 2015 7:01am PST · 2 comments

As Twitter looks to turn a corner after several quarters of sluggish user growth and executive shakeups, the company is resolved to become a media platform. But even what counts as its biggest hit with media partners isn’t yet a significant money maker. Twitter has succeeded at getting media companies and sports leagues to embrace its platform,... As Twitter looks to turn a corner after several quarters of sluggish user growth and executive...

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

Q&A

Inside Adobe’s ‘Burn the Boats’ Bet

By Jessica E. Lessin · Jan 14, 2015 10:01am PST · 6 comments

Plenty of companies talk about changing their business models to adapt to new technologies, but few actually pull it off. Netflix shifted from DVDs to streaming, and Apple survived the transition from the personal computer business to mobile. A possible new success story: Adobe Systems. In 2013, amid lagging sales, CEO Shantanu Narayen... Plenty of companies talk about changing their business models to adapt to new technologies, but...

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Bandwidth Problem That Deserves More Attention

By Martin Peers · Jan 14, 2015 7:01am PST · 4 comments

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Bandwidth Problem That Deserves More Attention

By Martin Peers · Jan 14, 2015 7:01am PST · 4 comments

This past Sunday night I sat down with my wife and daughter to watch a movie on Amazon Prime. What could have been a fun experience turned into a chore, however, as the film stopped repeatedly to buffer, for some stretches, every few seconds. This was the second time in a few weeks we’d had this experience, the last time being when we bought a... This past Sunday night I sat down with my wife and daughter to watch a movie on Amazon Prime....