The Information

Max Beauchemin, a Preset founder. Photo by Preset

New Open Source Startups Emerge After Acquisition, IPO Flurry

By Kevin McLaughlin and Amir Efrati · Sep 3, 2019 10:01am PDT

After a flurry of mega-acquisitions and initial public offerings of open source companies, a new batch of entrepreneurs are trying their hands at startups based on free software projects.Former engineers from Uber and Airbnb who created tools that the companies later released as open source software—known as M3 and Apache Superset,... After a flurry of mega-acquisitions and initial public offerings of open source companies, a new...

Art by Josh Brill

Huawei Was Prepared for Anything—Except Losing Google

By Juro Osawa · Sep 3, 2019 7:01am PDT · 9 comments

Over the years, people inside Huawei at times worried the Chinese technology powerhouse, now the world’s second largest smartphone company, was too dependent on some U.S. technologies. To reduce its reliance on American-made chips inside its phones, for example, Huawei switched to alternatives that it made in-house. But when it came... Over the years, people inside Huawei at times worried the Chinese technology powerhouse, now the...

Actors from Starz's drama "Power" at a recent screening. Photo by AP

Comcast Plans to Drop Starz in Latest Sign of TV Upheaval

By Jessica Toonkel · Aug 30, 2019 10:29am PDT

As streaming services grow, cable services are getting pickier about the TV channels they’re willing to carry.In the latest sign of that trend, cable giant Comcast has told Lionsgate that it plans to drop Lionsgate’s premium channels Starz and Starz Encore from its main bundle of channels at the end of the year, according to people... As streaming services grow, cable services are getting pickier about the TV channels...

Sather Tower, on the UC Berkeley campus. Photo by AP.

Huawei Boosted Research Spending at Berkeley Before Sanctions, Documents Show

By Matt Drange · Aug 29, 2019 7:02am PDT · 1 comment

Sather Tower, on the UC Berkeley campus. Photo by AP.

Huawei Boosted Research Spending at Berkeley Before Sanctions, Documents Show

By Matt Drange · Aug 29, 2019 7:02am PDT · 1 comment

Huawei sharply increased its spending on research projects at the University of California, Berkeley last year and this year, immediately before the university cut ties with the Chinese telecom manufacturer amid U.S. government sanctions, according to documents obtained by The Information.The documents show that Berkeley accepted nearly $1.5... Huawei sharply increased its spending on research projects at the University of California,...

A WeWork location in New York City. Photo: Bloomberg

At Fast-Growing WeWork, an HR Department in Turmoil

By Cory Weinberg · Aug 27, 2019 7:01am PDT

WeWork sells prospective customers on the idea that its energetic workplace culture will rub off on tenants, keeping their employees happy and productive. But WeWork’s own employees have noticed an irony about the pitch: Executives in charge of keeping WeWork’s workforce humming haven’t stuck around.Nearly a dozen leaders and... WeWork sells prospective customers on the idea that its energetic workplace culture will rub off...

Apple CEO Tim Cook. Photo by Bloomberg

Apple Puts ‘Walkie Talkie’ iPhone Project on Hold

By Aaron Tilley · Aug 26, 2019 10:00am PDT · 5 comments

Apple has shelved a novel wireless technology project that would have allowed people with iPhones to reach nearby companions in areas without cellular coverage, such as on ski slopes or on hikes in remote areas, said two people familiar with the project.Although the reasons for suspending the effort couldn’t be learned, the departure of... Apple has shelved a novel wireless technology project that would have allowed people with iPhones...

A Waymo self-driving vehicle. Still photo from a Waymo video

Waymo’s Backseat Drivers: Confidential Data Reveals Self-Driving Taxi Hurdles

By Amir Efrati · Aug 26, 2019 7:00am PDT

One passenger in a Waymo self-driving car complained that the awkward end to his ride felt like he was getting dropped off by his dad. Others said their Waymo rides made them late to work. Another praised his car for coping admirably with “idiot drivers” of the human variety during his ride.The rider feedback is part of a trove of... One passenger in a Waymo self-driving car complained that the awkward end to his ride felt like...

A Waymo self-driving vehicle. Still photo from Waymo video

Waymo Riders Describe Experiences on the Road

By Amir Efrati · Aug 26, 2019 7:00am PDT

A Waymo self-driving vehicle. Still photo from Waymo video

Waymo Riders Describe Experiences on the Road

By Amir Efrati · Aug 26, 2019 7:00am PDT

The Information analyzed internal feedback about the performance of Alphabet’s Waymo self-driving taxis on public streets, covering more than 10,500 rides in July and part of August. The reports from riders using the service in suburban Phoenix and in the San Francisco Bay Area, portions of which we describe below, provide an unprecedented... The Information analyzed internal feedback about the performance of Alphabet’s Waymo...

Illustration by Josh Brill

Growing Pains: Facebook Pushes Instagram to Earn Its Keep

By Alex Heath · Aug 22, 2019 7:01am PDT · 8 comments

Inside a conference room at Facebook headquarters in January 2018, a discussion among senior executives—a group known within the company as the “M Team”—turned to Instagram, the photo-sharing app that Facebook acquired in 2012 for roughly $1 billion.Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, congratulated... Inside a conference room at Facebook headquarters in January 2018, a discussion among senior...

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Photo by Bloomberg

Apple’s Former Siri Boss Joins Microsoft AI Group

By Aaron Tilley · Aug 19, 2019 10:51am PDT

Bill Stasior, the longtime former Apple executive overseeing its Siri digital assistant, has joined Microsoft, continuing a reshuffling of artificial intelligence leadership at big tech companies. Starting this month, Stasior, whose move to Microsoft hasn’t been previously reported, will become a corporate vice president of... Bill Stasior, the longtime former Apple executive overseeing its Siri digital assistant, has...

Andy Jassy and Adrian Cockcroft of Amazon Web Services. Photos by Bloomberg; Linux Journal/Flickr

Big Customers Pressure AWS to Step Up Open Source Support

By Kevin McLaughlin and Amir Efrati · Aug 19, 2019 7:01am PDT · 4 comments

In some parts of the open source community—the loosely affiliated bands of developers who work on free software projects—Amazon Web Services is viewed as a mooch, a company that makes money from those projects without contributing enough to their advancement. It turns out executives at AWS, as the cloud computing unit of the internet... In some parts of the open source community—the loosely affiliated bands of developers who...

Apple CEO Tim Cook. Photo by Bloomberg

Developers Call Apple Privacy Changes Anti-Competitive

By Aaron Tilley · Aug 16, 2019 12:54pm PDT

Apple CEO Tim Cook. Photo by Bloomberg

Developers Call Apple Privacy Changes Anti-Competitive

By Aaron Tilley · Aug 16, 2019 12:54pm PDT

Apple has said upcoming changes to its iPhone operating system will better protect the privacy of users. But a group of app developers recently told Apple some of those changes will hurt their businesses, while accusing the company of anti-competitive behavior in the way it subjects its own software to the new rules.In an email to Apple CEO Tim... Apple has said upcoming changes to its iPhone operating system will better protect the privacy of...

JD.com headquarters in Beijing. Photo by Bloomberg.

JD.com Joint Venture in Talks to Raise $500 Million in U.S. IPO

By Yunan Zhang and Shai Oster · Aug 16, 2019 7:02am PDT

Chinese online retailer JD.com is in talks with bankers to list shares of its online supermarket joint venture in the U.S. next May, looking to capitalize on the growth of China’s e-commerce sector, which is a bright spot in the country’s otherwise weakening economy.Dada-JD Daojia, a joint venture controlled by JD.com and 10% owned... Chinese online retailer JD.com is in talks with bankers to list shares of its online supermarket...

Axios co-founder Mike Allen. Photo by Bloomberg

Axios Joins Media Push Into Software With Newsletter Product

By Jessica Toonkel · Aug 15, 2019 11:13am PDT · 2 comments

Digital media publisher Axios is planning to enter a new business that includes selling software for helping companies create newsletters for their employees. The move comes at a moment when more media businesses are seeking to diversify their revenue through software sales.Axios wants to sell the software, which it is beta testing, to... Digital media publisher Axios is planning to enter a new business that includes selling software...

Bungalow CEO Andrew Collins, left, and Keith Rabois, now general partner at Founders Fund, in 2018. Photo: Bloomberg

Housing Startup Eyes Valuation Over $100 Million With New Round

By Cory Weinberg · Aug 15, 2019 10:01am PDT · 1 comment

A host of startups have sought to build residential housing’s answer to office giant WeWork: a modern property manager that offers flexible leases and a friendly atmosphere for residents. One of the tech industry’s most prominent investment firms is backing a newer entrant to the field, even as the concept as a whole has struggled to... A host of startups have sought to build residential housing’s answer to office giant...

Toptal CEO, Taso Du Val. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Flickr

At Booming Toptal, No Stock for Employees or Investors

By Ross Matican and Amir Efrati · Aug 15, 2019 7:01am PDT · 4 comments

Toptal CEO, Taso Du Val. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Flickr

At Booming Toptal, No Stock for Employees or Investors

By Ross Matican and Amir Efrati · Aug 15, 2019 7:01am PDT · 4 comments

Toptal, a service that connects companies with freelance software engineers, is a Silicon Valley success story. Founded in 2010, it soon attracted funding from well-known investors including Andreessen Horowitz and hired scores of employees who were promised stock if things went well and the company raised more money.And things did go well. So... Toptal, a service that connects companies with freelance software engineers, is a Silicon Valley...

Ben Kaufman, BuzzFeed CMO. Photo by Bloomberg.

BuzzFeed Chief Marketing Officer to Step Down

By Jessica Toonkel and Beejoli Shah · Aug 14, 2019 3:41pm PDT

BuzzFeed Chief Marketing Officer and commerce leader Ben Kaufman is stepping down from his position at the end of the year, a move that comes at a delicate time for the digital media company as it seeks to boost revenue and return to profit. Like many of its peers, BuzzFeed has been looking for new sources of revenue, after relying too... BuzzFeed Chief Marketing Officer and commerce leader Ben Kaufman is stepping down from his...

Postmates CEO Bastian Lehmann. Photo by Bloomberg

Postmates Ad Spending Surges Ahead of IPO

By Priya Anand · Aug 14, 2019 7:00am PDT

When Postmates raised $300 million last September—roughly five months before the company filed confidential paperwork with regulators to go public—the meal delivery startup’s CEO Bastian Lehmann pledged to use the money to grow faster. Sure enough, Postmates hit the gas pedal on advertising, one of its primary tools for... When Postmates raised $300 million last September—roughly five months before the company...

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. Photos by Bloomberg

Apple, Spotify Discuss Siri Truce, as Antitrust Battle Looms

By Aaron Tilley and Jessica Toonkel · Aug 13, 2019 10:09am PDT

An issue that has long vexed many iPhone users—the inability to play music from Spotify using Siri, Apple’s voice assistant—may soon be a thing of the past.Spotify, the world’s most popular streaming service, is currently discussing a plan with Apple to let iPhone users tell Siri to play songs, playlists and albums with... An issue that has long vexed many iPhone users—the inability to play music from Spotify...

Disney's Kevin Mayer. Photo by AP.

Disney Stumbles in Ad Sales Shift

By Tom Dotan and Jessica Toonkel · Aug 13, 2019 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

Disney's Kevin Mayer. Photo by AP.

Disney Stumbles in Ad Sales Shift

By Tom Dotan and Jessica Toonkel · Aug 13, 2019 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

Two years ago, Walt Disney Co. decided to unify the ad sales operations of most of its TV networks and websites. The idea was to make it easier for advertisers to buy spots across all Disney properties.But the transition didn’t go smoothly, as Disney struggled to integrate new technology. The episode, which hasn’t previously been... Two years ago, Walt Disney Co. decided to unify the ad sales operations of most of its TV...