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.

Q&A

Why TV Companies Need To Become Tech Companies

By Martin Peers · Nov 26, 2014 10:15am PST

Three thousand miles separate Silicon Valley from the headquarters of the major TV companies. But it may as well be three million miles, such are the differences in history, business model and outlook between the tech companies behind YouTube and Netflix, on one hand, and TV networks on the other. One company that doesn't quite fit in... Three thousand miles separate Silicon Valley from the headquarters of the major TV companies. But...

Big Media’s Sports Rights Gamble

By Martin Peers · Nov 26, 2014 7:00am PST · 1 comment

Major entertainment companies have made some enormous bets on live sports as a guaranteed audience draw in coming years. Just how big? Around $50 billion for some of the biggest companies. That number—nearly six times what Netflix has committed to pay for content in coming years—is broadly how much ESPN’s majority owner Walt... Major entertainment companies have made some enormous bets on live sports as a guaranteed...

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff at the company's Dreamforce in October. Photo by Bloomberg.

Salesforce’s Slowing Growth Spotlights Cost of M&A

By Steve Nellis · Nov 25, 2014 10:40am PST · 2 comments

Salesforce.com’s shares have been slipping since the company’s Nov. 19 forecast of a smaller-than-expected 21 percent revenue increase from $5.37 billion to $6.5 billion for the next full year. Many companies would be pleased with that rate of top-line growth, but for investors in the world’s biggest maker of cloud-based sales... Salesforce.com’s shares have been slipping since the company’s Nov. 19 forecast of a...

Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, with colleagues earlier this year. Photo by Max Morse.

All Eyes on Apple as Google Search Deal Expires Next Year

By Amir Efrati · Nov 25, 2014 7:01am PST · 4 comments

Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, with colleagues earlier this year. Photo by Max Morse.

All Eyes on Apple as Google Search Deal Expires Next Year

By Amir Efrati · Nov 25, 2014 7:01am PST · 4 comments

Mozilla’s decision last week to replace Google with Yahoo as the default search engine for the Firefox browser in the U.S. was a nice little score for Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer. But among companies still wringing billions of dollars a year from search ads, all eyes are on the upcoming expiration of the only search distribution deal that... Mozilla’s decision last week to replace Google with Yahoo as the default search engine for...

Steve Jobs announcing iCloud in 2011. Photo by Bloomberg.

What’s Holding Back iCloud

By Jessica E. Lessin · Nov 24, 2014 10:39am PST · 2 comments

In June 2011, Steve Jobs took the stage before Apple developers to announce a project close to his heart. It was iCloud, a system for syncing files across Apple devices. Mr. Jobs was particularly excited about the potential to sync photos, one of the most widely used media types, say people who work at Apple. Yet today, the photo vision,... In June 2011, Steve Jobs took the stage before Apple developers to announce a project close to...

Art by Sam Lessin.

Modest Proposals

When Tech Companies Enter Zero-Sum Markets

By Sam Lessin · Nov 24, 2014 7:00am PST · 1 comment

We are accustomed to talking about technology companies as having infinite or near-infinite addressable markets. Productivity is almost by definition an infinite market; people have an uncapped appetite to do more with less. Communication is largely the same story; there is no clear end to how much people want to talk. Technology companies... We are accustomed to talking about technology companies as having infinite or near-infinite...

In Uber Saga, No Calls for ‘Adult Supervision’

By Jessica E. Lessin · Nov 21, 2014 10:04am PST

Travis Kalanick is having a bad week. Critics including late night comedian Seth Meyers and Sen. Al Franken have called him “thuggish,” “arrogant” and “tone deaf” for his handling of the revelation that Uber executive Emil Michael, at a private-ish dinner, proposed spying on journalists. But it is worth... Travis Kalanick is having a bad week. Critics including late night comedian Seth Meyers and Sen....

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts in San Francisco this month. Photo by Associated Press.

How Comcast Could Compete with Google and Facebook

By Martin Peers · Nov 21, 2014 7:01am PST · 1 comment

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts in San Francisco this month. Photo by Associated Press.

How Comcast Could Compete with Google and Facebook

By Martin Peers · Nov 21, 2014 7:01am PST · 1 comment

As big as Comcast will become if it is allowed to buy Time Warner Cable, it still won’t have the national scale that digital competitors like Facebook, Google and Netflix have—and that Comcast chief Brian Roberts has hinted he would like. But one way for Comcast to extend its reach further in the U.S., by licensing to other cable... As big as Comcast will become if it is allowed to buy Time Warner Cable, it still won’t...

The Unicorns That Weren’t

By Amir Efrati · Nov 20, 2014 11:49am PST · 5 comments

It’s been a headline-grabbing year for Internet M&A, with large-cap companies such as Apple, Facebook and Amazon.com making their biggest acquisitions in a long time, or ever. There have also been some multibillion-dollar consolidations (Zillow-Trulia, Priceline-OpenTable) as well as several high-profile spin-off announcements that... It’s been a headline-grabbing year for Internet M&A, with large-cap companies such as...

Goji developer Josh Williams. Photo by Tim Van Damme.

New iOS Apps Take Page from Android Playbook

By Eric Newcomer · Nov 20, 2014 7:01am PST

For years, Android has been the home of mobile feature customization, while Apple has tightly controlled iOS. But in iOS 8, Apple has loosened its restraints, giving developers more opportunities build apps that let people input information from the home screen, send elaborate communications from their keyboard or track their favorite articles... For years, Android has been the home of mobile feature customization, while Apple has tightly...

Illustration by Matt Vascellaro.

Q&A

PayPal Plots Its Future

By Steve Nellis · Nov 19, 2014 11:22am PST

You probably didn’t realize you’re tapping PayPal’s technology every time you take an Uber ride, rent a room on Airbnb or Venmo a friend after a round of beers. And Hill Ferguson, PayPal’s chief product officer, doesn’t have a problem with that. As PayPal gears up to become an independent public company by spinning... You probably didn’t realize you’re tapping PayPal’s technology every time you...

Google co-founder Sergey Brin pushed for an anti-censorship stance in China. Credit: Steve Jurvetson

Google’s China App Store Talks Heat Up

By Amir Efrati · Nov 19, 2014 7:01am PST · 3 comments

Google co-founder Sergey Brin pushed for an anti-censorship stance in China. Credit: Steve Jurvetson

Google’s China App Store Talks Heat Up

By Amir Efrati · Nov 19, 2014 7:01am PST · 3 comments

Google intends to launch a version of its Google Play app store in China, hoping to exercise greater influence over a market that accounts for roughly half the people who use its Android mobile operating system, say several people with knowledge of the company’s plans. In recent months, the company has indicated its intention to reverse a... Google intends to launch a version of its Google Play app store in China, hoping to exercise...

Nest CEO Tony Fadell. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Race to Cash In on the Connected Home

By Steve Nellis · Nov 18, 2014 10:56am PST · 1 comment

Expectations that the smart home will become one of the next big technology markets are running high. But who will pay what amount for Internet-connected thermostats, security systems and services—and to whom—isn’t yet clear. It’s a big question—some $300 billion big, according to Gartner Research, which estimates... Expectations that the smart home will become one of the next big technology markets are running...

Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos. Photo by Associated Press.

Netflix’s Profit Puzzle

By Martin Peers · Nov 18, 2014 7:01am PST

When it comes to online streaming businesses, Netflix has become the gold standard. But what is often overlooked is that Netflix has yet to show that its streaming service will generate gold in the form of robust profits. That’s an issue not only for shareholders who now value Netflix at $23 billion—in the range of mid-sized... When it comes to online streaming businesses, Netflix has become the gold standard. But what is...

Art by Sam Lessin.

Modest Proposals

Uber As Gatekeeper to the Physical World

By Sam Lessin · Nov 17, 2014 8:06am PST · 1 comment

Uber and Spotify this morning announced a new feature that will allow Uber customers to listen to their playlists while riding in Uber cars. At first blush, it may sound like a media stunt conveniently timed to Spotify’s need for some non-Taylor Swift news. But I feel a hint of something much more important and exciting going on. Could it... Uber and Spotify this morning announced a new feature that will allow Uber customers to listen to...

Qi Lu, executive vice president of Microsoft's applications and services group. Photo by Bloomberg.

Inside Microsoft Office’s Plans to Compete with Google Apps

By Steve Nellis · Nov 17, 2014 7:01am PST

Qi Lu, executive vice president of Microsoft's applications and services group. Photo by Bloomberg.

Inside Microsoft Office’s Plans to Compete with Google Apps

By Steve Nellis · Nov 17, 2014 7:01am PST

Microsoft is waging a charm offensive to convince developers to integrate their products with Office 365, its cloud-based productivity apps, a sign that it is stepping up competition with Google Apps. A compelling signal of how much is at stake: Microsoft has been striking alliances with companies it considers competitors. Since October,... Microsoft is waging a charm offensive to convince developers to integrate their products with...

Why Investors Should Bet on Disruptors, Not Innovators

By Jessica E. Lessin · Nov 14, 2014 9:13am PST · 3 comments

There’s a feeling in Silicon Valley that the latest breed of big startups—companies like Uber, Dropbox and Airbnb—are “all grown up,” meaning they’ve had their run up in valuations and investors seeking big returns must look elsewhere. But there’s also a feeling that the next big wave is proving hard to... There’s a feeling in Silicon Valley that the latest breed of big startups—companies...

John Pleasants, executive vice president of Samsung Media Solutions Center .

Samsung Preps New Mobile Video Service

By Jessica E. Lessin · Nov 13, 2014 11:07am PST

Samsung Electronics is rebooting its mobile video strategy in a test of whether short-form video content can drive mobile revenues just as games have. The South Korean company has earmarked several tens of millions of dollars to invest in short-form video for a new mobile product, according to people Samsung talked to about the effort.... Samsung Electronics is rebooting its mobile video strategy in a test of whether short-form video...

Alan Eustace oversees Google’s search organization.

Google Search Diaspora Shows Demand for Big Data Handlers

By Amir Efrati · Nov 13, 2014 7:00am PST · 2 comments

Google has hired and trained the world’s best search engineers. And so it is no surprise that some continue to trickle to fast-growing startups like Pinterest and Airbnb as well as Twitter, Facebook and even Wal-Mart Stores. This has accelerated in recent years as the company’s own search efforts have gone through some turmoil, with... Google has hired and trained the world’s best search engineers. And so it is no surprise...

Matthew Vascellaro

Hiring the Leader Tech Startups Live or Die By

By Eric Newcomer · Nov 12, 2014 11:23am PST · 1 comment

Matthew Vascellaro

Q&A

Hiring the Leader Tech Startups Live or Die By

By Eric Newcomer · Nov 12, 2014 11:23am PST · 1 comment

Startup founders may get the most public adulation, but a company’s head of engineering can play an equally pivotal role in shaping top technology companies. It can be the most highly paid position at a company, CEO included. When startups like Uber, Dropbox and Twitter needed a vice president of engineering, they tapped Riviera Partners,... Startup founders may get the most public adulation, but a company’s head of engineering can...