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

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

2015 Predictions

Why I’m Betting on a Yahoo-CNN Marriage

By Tom Dotan · Dec 29, 2014 7:01am PST · 5 comments

Next year will mark the 15th anniversary of the AOL-Time Warner merger, a deal infamous for destroying shareholder value. But 15 years is also a long time and enough for many of the lessons from the debacle to be overwhelmed by a genuine belief that this time will be different. And as it becomes more likely that some tech company will shack up... Next year will mark the 15th anniversary of the AOL-Time Warner merger, a deal infamous for...

Why Uber and Google Will Become Big Rivals

By Jessica E. Lessin · Dec 26, 2014 9:23am PST · 3 comments

Anyone who has been in Silicon Valley long enough knows all big tech companies eventually encroach upon each other’s turf. And I think 2015 will be the year we see the early signs of a new tech battle for the ages: Uber vs. Google. Both companies would have you believe they are more friend than foe. After all, Google senior vice president... Anyone who has been in Silicon Valley long enough knows all big tech companies eventually...

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

2015 Predictions

TV Networks Will Emerge From Dark on Streaming

By Martin Peers · Dec 26, 2014 7:40am PST

After years of keeping their heads firmly planted in the sand, in 2015, media executives are likely to respond more forcefully to the growth of the digital streaming market, fueled by new data clarifying just how big that market is. Until now, a lack of precise information on how viewership habits are changing has forced TV executives to dance... After years of keeping their heads firmly planted in the sand, in 2015, media executives are...

Art: Matt Vascellaro

Facebook’s Path to China

By Amir Efrati · Dec 24, 2014 7:01am PST

Art: Matt Vascellaro

Facebook’s Path to China

By Amir Efrati · Dec 24, 2014 7:01am PST

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg intends to develop a consumer business in China. In 2015, we’ll learn more about how he might do so. For political reasons, the core Facebook service has been blocked by the Chinese government for the past six years or so, and that doesn’t seem likely to end in the near term. But current and former... Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg intends to develop a consumer business in China. In 2015,...

Workers install a billboard for GitHub. Photo by Bloomberg.

How to Make Money from Free Software

By Steve Nellis · Dec 23, 2014 11:11am PST

For years, open-source software was a backwater in venture investing because of the belief that it’s hard to make money from free code. Red Hat, the North Carolina-based firm that sells support contracts to companies like IBM for server software, is an oft-cited success story. Yet its entire $12.8 billion market capitalization pales in... For years, open-source software was a backwater in venture investing because of the belief that...

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

2015 Predictions

The Best VR Startups in 2015 Will Go Pro

By Pius Uzamere · Dec 23, 2014 7:00am PST · 6 comments

What comes to mind when you hear "virtual reality?" For most people, the idea of strapping on a headset that transports the wearer into an alternate reality conjures up amazing possibilities for gamers and movie buffs. Those people are not wrong: VR will eventually change the way we experience entertainment. But in a way, those... What comes to mind when you hear "virtual reality?" For most people, the idea of...

Art by Sam Lessin.

Modest Proposals

Technology, Taxi Medallions and the Ancien Régime

By Sam Lessin · Dec 22, 2014 10:00am PST · 1 comment

It is common to talk about the ways that technology is disrupting governments, and everything else for that matter. But there is one timely topic that illustrates how technology could help governments more efficiently capture value for themselves. Specifically, taxi medallions, which give their owners the right to operate taxicabs. Taking New... It is common to talk about the ways that technology is disrupting governments, and everything...

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

Tech’s Next Battleground: The NBA

By Karan Lodha · Dec 22, 2014 7:00am PST · 5 comments

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

2015 Predictions

Tech’s Next Battleground: The NBA

By Karan Lodha · Dec 22, 2014 7:00am PST · 5 comments

Technology has been revolutionizing how sports teams evaluate their players and make decisions in crucial situations. But 2015 will be the year that hardware takes center stage in the battle for the wallets of NBA owners and their customers. Tech giants like Apple, Samsung and Microsoft will vie for their share of the pie. Why the NBA? Yes,... Technology has been revolutionizing how sports teams evaluate their players and make decisions in...

Uber Maps, Mobile APIs and More Next Big Things

By Jessica E. Lessin · Dec 19, 2014 11:23am PST · 3 comments

A few months ago I predicted a few Next Big Things based on rumblings from industry insiders. With the new year approaching, I thought it was time for another batch. Mobile Maps 2.0: Mobile maps have been the killer app of the smartphone era, proving why it’s useful to have a computer in your pocket. Now, I think we’re... A few months ago I predicted a few Next Big Things based on rumblings from industry...

Vessel CEO Jason Kilar. Photo by Bloomberg.

New Video Upstarts Take a Crack At Windows

By Tom Dotan and Martin Peers · Dec 19, 2014 7:01am PST

The short-form online video movement, with its homespun stars, low-budget productions and ceaseless flood of new content, has tried hard to stand apart from the traditional media industry. So it feels almost unsettling to see online video startups now adopting a very old-school media model. The latest example: New-era studios looking to make... The short-form online video movement, with its homespun stars, low-budget productions and...

TubeMogul employees at their Nasdaq IPO in July. Photo by Nasdaq.

Better Business Models Shift Mood on Ad Tech

By Amir Efrati · Dec 18, 2014 2:29pm PST · 1 comment

Ad tech has had a rough year, with a range of public stocks getting hammered. But the emergence of more efficient business models now appears to be helping some companies stand out, creating a split in the market. Companies that have long competed for individual contracts to help advertisers with campaigns, like Millennial Media, Tremor, YuMe... Ad tech has had a rough year, with a range of public stocks getting hammered. But the emergence...

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Cloud Over the Wireless Spectrum Auction

By Martin Peers · Dec 18, 2014 7:01am PST · 1 comment

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Cloud Over the Wireless Spectrum Auction

By Martin Peers · Dec 18, 2014 7:01am PST · 1 comment

There’s a spending spree under way among the country’s wireless juggernauts for valuable spectrum. But can the bidders—the biggest of which are thought to be AT&T and Verizon—grow revenues enough to justify these investments? The total value of winning bids has reached $44.3 billion, according to the Federal... There’s a spending spree under way among the country’s wireless juggernauts for...

Art by Matt Vascellaro.

Q&A

Sizing Up the Private Tech Markets

By Jessica E. Lessin · Dec 17, 2014 10:59am PST

For the well-connected in Silicon Valley, there is no shortage of ways to participate in the private tech company land rush. There’s also no shortage of prognosticating on which companies will remain standing when the funding environment turns. Justin Fishner-Wolfson, founder of investment firm 137 Ventures, has an interesting... For the well-connected in Silicon Valley, there is no shortage of ways to participate in the...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo by Bloomberg.

When Will Mobile Ad Rates Max Out?

By Tom Dotan · Dec 17, 2014 7:00am PST

Whether it’s a blessing or a curse depends on whom you ask, but the inarguable fact for app makers remains: The cost of getting a person to download an app continues to go up. It’s a trend that has meant big business for Facebook, Twitter and other social networks that are central to mobile ad campaigns and have been cashing in on... Whether it’s a blessing or a curse depends on whom you ask, but the inarguable fact for app...

Google CEO Larry Page. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Hole in Google’s Mobile Strategy, Part Two

By Amir Efrati · Dec 16, 2014 12:46pm PST · 1 comment

Google’s supremacy in mobile ads has slipped. While the online advertising giant still takes in more money from mobile ads than any other company, selling some $15 billion this year by some estimates, its share of mobile graphical and video ads is falling. Rival Facebook has pulled ahead and now captures around three times as much revenue... Google’s supremacy in mobile ads has slipped. While the online advertising giant still...

Rob Bearden, CEO of Hortonworks. Photo by Hortonworks.

Hortonworks’ Public Debut Hides Big Questions for Big Data

By Steve Nellis · Dec 16, 2014 7:01am PST · 3 comments

Rob Bearden, CEO of Hortonworks. Photo by Hortonworks.

Hortonworks’ Public Debut Hides Big Questions for Big Data

By Steve Nellis · Dec 16, 2014 7:01am PST · 3 comments

It would be easy to look at investors’ early enthusiasm for the newly public big data darling Hortonworks and conclude that the opportunity to cash in on the much-hyped Hadoop software platform has arrived. The Palo Alto-based company became the first developer of a commercial version of the open-source data-storage technology to go public... It would be easy to look at investors’ early enthusiasm for the newly public big data...

Art by Sam Lessin.

Modest Proposals

How Digital Photography Is Altering Our Memory

By Sam Lessin · Dec 15, 2014 10:18am PST · 9 comments

Last week, I ran through all the digital photos I have taken since 2001 to help with a slideshow for a friend’s wedding. It quickly became apparent how changes in technology, specifically sharing services, have dramatically shifted the types of photos that we take, and therefore changed how we shape the memories they capture. Since I... Last week, I ran through all the digital photos I have taken since 2001 to help with a slideshow...

The Information’s Final Free Agents of the Year

By Amir Efrati, Tom Dotan and Steve Nellis · Dec 15, 2014 7:00am PST · 1 comment

The fifth installment of The Information’s Free Agents, a group of prominent tech and media professionals between full-time roles, includes executives previously responsible for the images of tech giants like Intel and Facebook.Two of our free agents built some of the most storied franchises in U.S. television history, while one then... The fifth installment of The Information’s Free Agents, a group of prominent tech and media...

When Shareholders Fight

By Jessica E. Lessin · Dec 12, 2014 11:21am PST

Back in 2012, five software developers who helped found a company that made technology to monitor health care fraud sued the venture capitalists who had invested in their company. They argued their ownership stakes had been diluted by the VCs, who held preferred stock and had padded their own wallets through a merger. The court allowed the case... Back in 2012, five software developers who helped found a company that made technology to monitor...

James Murdoch, co-chief operating officer of 21st Century Fox in October. Photo by Bloomberg.

TV Networks Divided on Streaming

By Martin Peers · Dec 12, 2014 7:00am PST

James Murdoch, co-chief operating officer of 21st Century Fox in October. Photo by Bloomberg.

TV Networks Divided on Streaming

By Martin Peers · Dec 12, 2014 7:00am PST

The major TV companies are making progress in their slow and painful march toward video streaming. But they appear divided about how far to go, given a desire to protect the existing $100 billion pay-TV ecosystem. Judging by comments from various 21st Century Fox executives in recent weeks, including on Tuesday by co-COO James Murdoch at the... The major TV companies are making progress in their slow and painful march toward video...