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

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Recent Editions

Sarah Bond, Head of Global Gaming Partnerships and Development, at an Xbox briefing last year. Photo by AP

Microsoft’s Game Plan, Day One of WTF: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Sep 9, 2020 5:32pm PDT

Microsoft on Wednesday revealed prices for its new Xbox game consoles going on sale in November. What was interesting, though, was a new plan in which gamers can get the consoles with no money down. Instead, in a model borrowed from the cellphone industry, they will pay over two years—getting both the console and access to... Microsoft on Wednesday revealed prices for its new Xbox game consoles going on sale in November....

Apple CEO Tim Cook appearing by videoconference before the House Judiciary Committee in July. Photo by Bloomberg

Apple’s Epic Response: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Sep 8, 2020 5:31pm PDT

The legal fight between Apple and Epic Games chugged onward Tuesday, as Apple countersued the developer of “Fortnite” and asked a judge for financial damages. While Apple’s countersuit didn’t contain any big surprises, it did include what might be Apple’s clearest defense yet against anyone who argues it is behaving... The legal fight between Apple and Epic Games chugged onward Tuesday, as Apple countersued the...

Masayoshi Son

SoftBank’s Latest Gambit: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Sep 4, 2020 5:31pm PDT

With its high-priced Vision Fund investments, SoftBank drove up the value on private tech startups over the past few years. More recently, it has been doing the same with the price of public tech giants through massive option purchases on tech stocks.That’s according to a couple of reports on Friday, in the Financial Times and the Wall... With its high-priced Vision Fund investments, SoftBank drove up the value on private tech...

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo by Bloomberg

Facebook’s Misinformation Game Plan: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Sep 3, 2020 5:01pm PDT

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo by Bloomberg

Facebook’s Misinformation Game Plan: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Sep 3, 2020 5:01pm PDT

Facebook got big headlines today for its decision to ban political ads in the final week of the presidential race, its latest move aimed at battling misinformation ahead of the November election. The impact the ban will have is debatable. A less flashy update to Facebook’s Messenger app, also announced today, will likely have a more... Facebook got big headlines today for its decision to ban political ads in the final week of the...

Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. Photo by Bloomberg.

Airbnb’s SPAC Rejection: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Sep 2, 2020 5:32pm PDT

Merging with a special purpose acquisition company—those fast-proliferating publicly traded firms that have cash and whose mission in life is to acquire a business—has emerged as an appealing route for private tech firms looking to go public. But Airbnb’s rejection of an approach from hedge fund manager Bill Ackman’s... Merging with a special purpose acquisition company—those fast-proliferating publicly traded...

Apple CEO Tim Cook holds the iPhone 11 Pro after an event unveiling it last September. Photo by Bloomberg

What Apple’s 5G Push Means: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Sep 1, 2020 5:01pm PDT

Apple’s plans to launch four new phones with 5G capability this fall, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday, makes one thing clear: 5G will soon get taken seriously by consumers.The major phone carriers have had 5G networks up and running for at least several months now. But with only Android phones offering 5G capability, and... Apple’s plans to launch four new phones with 5G capability this fall, according to a...

Bloomberg

Beijing Throws TikTok a Curveball, the Zoom Boom

By Martin Peers · Aug 31, 2020 5:33pm PDT

The Chinese government’s decision to require export controls for certain types of artificial intelligence technology, making official approval necessary for a sale of any part of TikTok to a U.S. company, is a reminder of how it can complicate life even for successful Chinese tech giants.The decision throws the timeline of a TikTok sale... The Chinese government’s decision to require export controls for certain types of...

Photo by Bloomberg

A TikTok Deal Gets Closer, Facebook Bashes Apple

By Martin Peers · Aug 28, 2020 4:05pm PDT

Photo by Bloomberg

A TikTok Deal Gets Closer, Facebook Bashes Apple

By Martin Peers · Aug 28, 2020 4:05pm PDT

TikTok appears to be inching closer to a deal to be acquired by groups led by either Microsoft or Oracle, along with minority investors. Once that’s done, the hard part will start.If the deal only involves the TikTok service in North America, Australia and New Zealand, as Microsoft said earlier this month, figuring out how those assets and... TikTok appears to be inching closer to a deal to be acquired by groups led by either Microsoft or...

A Walmart store in Lakewood, California. Photo by Bloomberg

TikTok and the Cloud Wars, Amazon’s Store Habit

By Martin Peers · Aug 27, 2020 5:36pm PDT

The jockeying for ownership of TikTok seems to be turning into a subplot in the cloud wars. The unlikely cast of suitors—and almost-suitors—include database giant Oracle, Google (which reportedly considered and decided against a bid) and, of course, Microsoft. These are the same companies that have been waging a bare-knuckled battle... The jockeying for ownership of TikTok seems to be turning into a subplot in the cloud wars. The...

Tim Cook, Masayoshi Son and Brian Chesky. Photos: Bloomberg

Facebook’s Apple Problem, SoftBank’s TikTok Interest, Airbnb’s Price Tag

By Martin Peers · Aug 26, 2020 6:46pm PDT

Late summer seems to ring in a fight between Apple and Facebook ahead of the iPhone maker’s fall update to its mobile operating system. Driving both to the mat this time: a change in iOS 14 that will ask users if they want their information shared with other apps for advertising purposes. Analysts expect most consumers to say no. The... Late summer seems to ring in a fight between Apple and Facebook ahead of the iPhone maker’s...

A view of San Francisco in July, 2020. Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen is encouraging founders to set up companies in the San Francisco area. Photo: Bloomberg

Andreessen’s Call, a Best Buy Bonanza, Palantir’s Big Reveal

By Martin Peers · Aug 25, 2020 6:11pm PDT

Y Combinator, which trains and invests in startup founders, has been intent on expanding the geographic diversity of the companies it includes in its twice-yearly accelerator program. But this summer’s group of participants was particularly far flung. One co-founder who spoke to Kate for her story on Michael Seibel, CEO of YC’s... Y Combinator, which trains and invests in startup founders, has been intent on expanding the...

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg testifying remotely at a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing in July. Photo by Bloomberg

Zuckerberg Talks TikTok in D.C.: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Aug 24, 2020 5:55pm PDT

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg testifying remotely at a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing in July. Photo by Bloomberg

Zuckerberg Talks TikTok in D.C.: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Aug 24, 2020 5:55pm PDT

For some time, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has raised red flags about the threat he believes Chinese tech services like TikTok pose to free speech. What, then, was Zuckerberg after when he brought up his concerns about Chinese internet companies and TikTok in meetings last year with President Trump and lawmakers?What he didn’t ask for was... For some time, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has raised red flags about the threat he believes...

Palantir CEO Alexander Karp. Photo by Bloomberg

Palantir’s Direct Listing Lockup: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Aug 21, 2020 6:01pm PDT · 1 comment

One of the big appeals of direct listings, when companies go public simply by listing their existing shares rather than by selling new shares, is that they allow investors and employees to sell their shares immediately. Palantir, which plans to lock up about 80% of its investors’ shares despite having a direct listing, just undercut that... One of the big appeals of direct listings, when companies go public simply by listing their...

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Photo by Bloomberg

Microsoft’s TikTok Risk: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Aug 20, 2020 5:31pm PDT

One of the unexplored questions about Microsoft’s interest in TikTok is why it wants to do a deal that would plunge the company into one of the most controversial political debates of the past few years: how to deal with hate speech and other contentious content. This is a briar patch Microsoft has mercifully avoided up until... One of the unexplored questions about Microsoft’s interest in TikTok is why it wants to do...

Apple CEO Tim Cook

Apple’s $2 Trillion Day: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Aug 19, 2020 5:32pm PDT · 1 comment

For a few hours today, Apple’s market capitalization was above $2 trillion, symbolizing just how powerful the iPhone maker has become. (The stock ended up losing ground, shrinking the market cap a tad below $2 trillion by the close). By comparison, Amazon and Microsoft are both worth around $1.6 trillion. Apple’s valuation,... For a few hours today, Apple’s market capitalization was above $2 trillion, symbolizing...

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. Photo by Bloomberg

An Oracle-TikTok Deal Might Not Be Crazy: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Aug 18, 2020 5:01pm PDT · 1 comment

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. Photo by Bloomberg

An Oracle-TikTok Deal Might Not Be Crazy: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Aug 18, 2020 5:01pm PDT · 1 comment

Oracle’s reported interest in bidding for TikTok might not be as crazy as it sounds. There is a case to be made that the deal could be as much of a fit for Oracle as it would for Microsoft. While Oracle is best-known for its database software and business applications, it also sells a range of products that help marketers organize... Oracle’s reported interest in bidding for TikTok might not be as crazy as it sounds. There...

Robinhood co-CEO Vlad Tenev. Photo by Bloomberg

Robinhood’s Big Funding Streak: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Aug 17, 2020 5:31pm PDT

Online trading startup Robinhood said Monday it had raised $200 million, a month after raising $320 million, which in turn was two months after it raised $280 million. With the latest funding round, Robinhood’s valuation has risen to $11.2 billion from $8.6 billion last month.If nothing else, the company’s astonishing ability to... Online trading startup Robinhood said Monday it had raised $200 million, a month after raising...

An Uber driver. Photo by Bloomberg

Uber and Lyft Face Pivotal Week: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Aug 14, 2020 5:17pm PDT · 2 comments

The coming week is pivotal for Uber and Lyft. That’s when they are likely to hear the results of their request to postpone a judge’s ruling that they immediately reclassify their drivers in California as employees, rather than independent contractors, until an appeals court can hear the case.If the appeals court says the ruling must... The coming week is pivotal for Uber and Lyft. That’s when they are likely to hear the...

A screen shot of Epic's video spoofing Apple's 1984 ad about Big Brother

Apple’s App Battle Royale: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Aug 13, 2020 5:46pm PDT

It is fitting that the next mobile app store battle royale is happening over a piece of software that is part of a genre called battle royale games. On Thursday, the company behind the hit game Fortnite, Epic Games, announced it was permanently discounting—by as much as 20%—its prices on virtual currency in the game. To do so on... It is fitting that the next mobile app store battle royale is happening over a piece of software...

Pinterest CEO Chris Silbermann. Photo by Bloomberg

Pinterest’s Culture Challenge: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Aug 12, 2020 6:16pm PDT

Pinterest CEO Chris Silbermann. Photo by Bloomberg

Pinterest’s Culture Challenge: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Aug 12, 2020 6:16pm PDT

The subject of gender discrimination in Silicon Valley is back in the news after former Pinterest COO Francoise Brougher published a post on Medium about her experiences dealing with sexism at the company. The detailed post is a little reminiscent of Susan Fowler’s Uber missive of a few years ago—and it may have as much of an impact... The subject of gender discrimination in Silicon Valley is back in the news after former Pinterest...