The Information

A Waymo van in Phoenix. Photo by Waymo

Waymo’s Cars Play It Safer After Incidents and ‘Driver Fatigue’

By Amir Efrati · Nov 27, 2018 7:01am PST · 2 comments

Waymo has only weeks to meet its self-imposed deadline to launch a public taxi service using fully automated cars by the end of 2018. And right now, that deadline looks tough for the company to meet.The Information has learned that within the past month or so, due to concerns about safety, the Alphabet company put so-called “safety... Waymo has only weeks to meet its self-imposed deadline to launch a public taxi service using...

A Pony.ai car. Photo by AP

China’s Autonomous Driving Startups Join the Billion-Dollar Club

By Yunan Zhang · Nov 23, 2018 7:01am PST

In the race to develop autonomous cars, Silicon Valley companies like Alphabet’s Waymo are far ahead. But a wave of Chinese startups are raising of hundreds of millions of dollars to try to catch up. And these companies, including Pony.ai, Roadstar.ai, WeRide.ai and Momenta, have an edge: Their U.S. competitors may be shut out of the... In the race to develop autonomous cars, Silicon Valley companies like Alphabet’s Waymo are...

An Amazon Web Services event in San Francisco last year. Photo by Bloomberg

AWS to Expand Security Offerings With Threat-Hunting Tool

By Kevin McLaughlin, Sarah Kuranda and Amir Efrati · Nov 21, 2018 3:53pm PST

Amazon’s cloud unit is working on two new services to help customers identify security threats, as the company steps up its use of artificial intelligence to protect customers’ applications and data, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter and two people briefed on the cloud unit’s plans. Both of the new... Amazon’s cloud unit is working on two new services to help customers identify security...

Apple's TV streaming box. Photo by Bloomberg

Apple Considered New Connected TV ‘Dongle’

By Aaron Tilley and Jessica Toonkel · Nov 21, 2018 12:24pm PST

Apple's TV streaming box. Photo by Bloomberg

Apple Considered New Connected TV ‘Dongle’

By Aaron Tilley and Jessica Toonkel · Nov 21, 2018 12:24pm PST

To get more viewers for its upcoming TV streaming service, Apple has contemplated going downmarket on its TV hardware. The tech giant has had internal discussions about introducing a low-priced streaming “dongle” that people could plug into the back of their TV sets, similar to Amazon’s Fire Stick or Google’s Chromecast,... To get more viewers for its upcoming TV streaming service, Apple has contemplated going...

Apple's HomePod features the company's Siri virtual assistant. Photo by Bloomberg

Apple Acquires AI Device Startup Silk Labs

By Aaron Tilley · Nov 20, 2018 4:30pm PST · 1 comment

Apple has quietly acquired a startup, Silk Labs, that specializes in making artificial intelligence software lightweight enough to fit onto consumer hardware like cameras, another sign of its growing ambitions around AI and smart home devices. The acquisition, which hasn’t been reported before, occurred earlier this year, according to a... Apple has quietly acquired a startup, Silk Labs, that specializes in making artificial...

Amazon Web Services CEO Andy Jassy at a company event last year. Photo by Bloomberg

AWS Developing New Services Amid Open-Source Tensions

By Kevin McLaughlin · Nov 19, 2018 10:53am PST

Companies that manage open-source software have a message for cloud computing providers like Amazon: pay up, share your code or stop using our technology for free. The tension stems from the fact that cloud providers like Amazon Web Services are increasingly relying on open-source software—which is generally available to use free of... Companies that manage open-source software have a message for cloud computing providers like...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Snap’s Spiegel Flies High Above Wall Street Worries

By Tom Dotan · Nov 19, 2018 7:01am PST · 3 comments

Until a few months ago, Snap’s board meetings could be tense affairs. Benchmark partner Mitch Lasky, a Snap director until August, on occasion would challenge CEO Evan Spiegel about the company’s failure to meet Wall Street expectations for user growth and profits. Mr. Spiegel, who spends most board meetings looking at his phone and... Until a few months ago, Snap’s board meetings could be tense affairs. Benchmark partner...

New Instagram Bug Raises Security Questions

By Sarah Kuranda and Reed Albergotti · Nov 16, 2018 3:32pm PST

New Instagram Bug Raises Security Questions

By Sarah Kuranda and Reed Albergotti · Nov 16, 2018 3:32pm PST

Instagram notified some users of a new security flaw that could have inadvertently exposed their passwords to public view, raising questions among security researchers about the effectiveness of Instagram’s security measures.The security flaw was tied, ironically, to a tool Instagram introduced in April to let users see how much of their... Instagram notified some users of a new security flaw that could have inadvertently exposed their...

Vacation rental startups are snapping up apartment leases in places like Austin, Texas, above. Photo: Bloomberg

Biggest Vacation Home Operator Moving Into City Market

By Cory Weinberg · Nov 13, 2018 11:41am PST

Vacasa became the largest vacation rental management company in North America this year, operating homes in beach and mountain towns. Now, backed by more than $200 million from tech investors on the road to a potential public offering, Vacasa wants to move into the big city.Vacasa see an opportunity in managing tourist lodgings in city apartment... Vacasa became the largest vacation rental management company in North America this year,...

Cameras inside a Walmart store in Levittown, N.Y., where it is testing automation technologies. Photo by Jon Victor

Inside Walmart’s Secret ‘Kepler’ Store for Testing Tech

By Priya Anand, Kevin McLaughlin and Jon Victor · Nov 9, 2018 10:01am PST

At first glance, the small Walmart store in the New York suburb of Levittown seems unexceptional, but hovering above the aisles of water bottles, pet food and cookies are clues to an important technology experiment the giant retailer is conducting. A halo of cameras hangs above shelves throughout the store, the sheer number of... At first glance, the small Walmart store in the New York suburb of Levittown seems unexceptional,...

WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey. Photo by Bloomberg

Looking to Combat Disney, AT&T’s WarnerMedia Holds Content Talks With NBCU

By Jessica Toonkel · Nov 9, 2018 7:01am PST

AT&T’s WarnerMedia has approached Comcast’s NBCUniversal to discuss ways of working together, including about licensing films or TV shows for WarnerMedia’s planned new streaming service, according to two people familiar with the discussions. The approach signals that AT&T wants to strengthen its hand in competing with... AT&T’s WarnerMedia has approached Comcast’s NBCUniversal to discuss ways of...

SoftBank in Talks to Invest in Alibaba-Backed Bike Sharing Startup Hellobike

By Yunan Zhang and Juro Osawa · Nov 7, 2018 3:11am PST

SoftBank in Talks to Invest in Alibaba-Backed Bike Sharing Startup Hellobike

By Yunan Zhang and Juro Osawa · Nov 7, 2018 3:11am PST

SoftBank is in talks to invest in Chinese bicycle-rental startup Hellobike, at a time when the market is going through a potential shakeup, people familiar with the matter said. The talks are ongoing and the companies haven’t reached an agreement yet, the people said. It is unclear how big an investment would be and at what valuation.... SoftBank is in talks to invest in Chinese bicycle-rental startup Hellobike, at a time when the...

Monashees co-founder Eric Acher. Photo by Bloomberg

Brazilian VC Fundraising Shows Global Shift

By Juro Osawa · Nov 6, 2018 10:01am PST

Monashees, Brazil’s largest venture capital firm, has raised a new $150 million fund from major U.S. and Asian institutional investors as well as Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger, people familiar with the matter said. The second-biggest VC fund ever to be raised in Latin America reflects a rapidly shifting landscape in the region’s... Monashees, Brazil’s largest venture capital firm, has raised a new $150 million fund from...

Elon Musk at a 2015 event. Photo by Bloomberg

What Makes Tesla’s Autopilot Different

By Amir Efrati · Nov 5, 2018 7:00am PST

As Elon Musk works to prove that he can make Tesla profitable and his Autopilot feature safe, it’s worth understanding the difference in how Tesla is developing self-driving car technology versus other companies.These differences relate in part to a potential advantage that Tesla has over other self-driving car developers: It has sold... As Elon Musk works to prove that he can make Tesla profitable and his Autopilot feature safe,...

MPAA president Charles Rivkin. Photo by Bloomberg

Facing Budget Shortfall, Movie Lobby Group Eyes Tech Firms

By Jessica Toonkel and Wayne Ma · Nov 2, 2018 10:01am PDT

Disney’s acquisition of the 20th Century Fox movie studio is causing upheaval throughout Hollywood by combining two of the six major film studios. A casualty is the film industry’s 96-year-old Washington lobbying group, the Motion Picture Association of America, which is losing one-sixth of its membership. And that is crystallizing a... Disney’s acquisition of the 20th Century Fox movie studio is causing upheaval throughout...

President Donald Trump, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at a White House event last year. Photo by Bloomberg

Amazon Memo Lists Trump Dos and Don’ts

By Priya Anand · Nov 2, 2018 7:01am PDT · 3 comments

President Donald Trump, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at a White House event last year. Photo by Bloomberg

Amazon Memo Lists Trump Dos and Don’ts

By Priya Anand · Nov 2, 2018 7:01am PDT · 3 comments

President Donald Trump has attacked Amazon or its CEO Jeff Bezos on Twitter almost two dozen times over the past three years, often inaccurately accusing Amazon of using the Washington Post, which Mr. Bezos personally owns, as a lobbying arm. Invariably, Amazon’s official response to the attacks: crickets. It turns out Amazon has a... President Donald Trump has attacked Amazon or its CEO Jeff Bezos on Twitter almost two dozen...

Primary school students in China doing homework
Photo: AP

Tencent-Backed Startup’s Valuation Tops $2.8 Billion in China’s Online Education War

By Yunan Zhang · Nov 2, 2018 3:01am PDT · 1 comment

Tencent is investing a further $250 million in online education startup Yuanfudao at a valuation of $2.8 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.As online education services have become more widely accepted in China, local internet giants and other global tech investors are all doubling down on the sector’s leading players.... Tencent is investing a further $250 million in online education startup Yuanfudao at a valuation...

Kuaishou's app on a smartphone. Photo by Bloomberg

China’s Video App Kuaishou Targets a $25 Billion Valuation

By Yunan Zhang · Oct 31, 2018 8:37am PDT · 1 comment

Kuaishou, a Chinese live-streaming app backed by Tencent, Baidu and Sequoia, is in talks to raise money at a valuation of as much as $25 billion, according to people familiar with the discussions. That would be up from $18 billion in an earlier fundraising round.The fundraising is the latest shot in a multibillion-dollar arms race among Chinese... Kuaishou, a Chinese live-streaming app backed by Tencent, Baidu and Sequoia, is in talks to raise...

Art by Mike Sullivan

‘Gun-Shy’: How Federal Prosecutors Forgot Silicon Valley

By Matt Drange · Oct 30, 2018 10:01am PDT · 3 comments

The tech industry has become known for risk-takers and rule breakers. But for nearly 20 years, it hasn’t had a prosecutor willing to take it on.The number of white-collar cases prosecuted by the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California has plunged from a peak of 354 in 1995 to 72 in fiscal 2018. And the prosecutor’s... The tech industry has become known for risk-takers and rule breakers. But for nearly 20 years, it...

Apple's store in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China. Photo by Bloomberg

Apple’s Iconic Stores Struggle in China

By Wayne Ma · Oct 29, 2018 7:02am PDT · 3 comments

Apple's store in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China. Photo by Bloomberg

Apple’s Iconic Stores Struggle in China

By Wayne Ma · Oct 29, 2018 7:02am PDT · 3 comments

Eight years ago, Tim Cook, then Apple's chief operating officer, was so bullish on the performance of the company’s stores in China he told analysts its four retail locations in the country—one of which sat beneath a glittering 40-foot tall shaft of glass in Shanghai’s ritzy Pudong district—were generating more... Eight years ago, Tim Cook, then Apple's chief operating officer, was so bullish on the...