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Huawei's consumer electronics chief Richard Yu. Photo by Bloomberg

Huawei and Google Were Working On New Smart Speaker Before Trump’s Ban

By Juro Osawa · Jul 29, 2019 10:01am PDT · 1 comment

China’s Huawei and Google were working together on a new Huawei-branded smart speaker right before President Donald Trump restricted Huawei’s access to U.S. tech suppliers, say people familiar with the situation. The collaboration, which was suspended in May, shows that the companies were even closer than previously understood.Before... China’s Huawei and Google were working together on a new Huawei-branded smart speaker right...

Scale CEO Alexandr Wang. Photo by Erin Beach

Supplier to Self-Driving Car Makers Nears Financing at $1 Billion Valuation

By Zoë Bernard and Amir Efrati · Jul 25, 2019 11:18am PDT

Driverless cars may be years away from being practical, but a key independent supplier of software to the self-driving vehicle industry, Scale, is having a breakout moment with investors as its business booms. The company is nearing the completion of a new round of financing led by Founders Fund, the venture firm co-founded by... Driverless cars may be years away from being practical, but a key independent supplier of...

Amazon Studios Chief Jennifer Salke. Photo by AP

Inside Amazon’s Struggles to Make its Mark in Hollywood

By Beejoli Shah and Tom Dotan · Jul 25, 2019 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

Earlier this year, two senior executives in Amazon’s TV business, Vernon Sanders and Albert Cheng, gathered the division’s top television staffers and delivered some difficult news: Amazon Studios had committed most of its budget for 2019, and no new projects could start unless existing projects were delayed or canceled, according to... Earlier this year, two senior executives in Amazon’s TV business, Vernon Sanders and Albert...

Lumi Labs co-founder Marissa Mayer in January. Photo by Bloomberg

Marissa Mayer’s Lumi Labs Working on Contacts App

By Aaron Tilley and Jessica E. Lessin · Jul 24, 2019 7:01am PDT · 2 comments

Lumi Labs co-founder Marissa Mayer in January. Photo by Bloomberg

Marissa Mayer’s Lumi Labs Working on Contacts App

By Aaron Tilley and Jessica E. Lessin · Jul 24, 2019 7:01am PDT · 2 comments

Marissa Mayer, the former Yahoo CEO and early Google employee, has joined a wave of new entrepreneurs seeking to reinvent basic software tools aimed at making people more productive. Ms. Mayer’s new startup, Lumi Labs, is building a suite of such “productivity” apps, starting with software for managing contacts, which is... Marissa Mayer, the former Yahoo CEO and early Google employee, has joined a wave of new...

Facebook Secret Research Warned of ‘Tipping Point’ Threat to Core App

By Alex Heath · Jul 23, 2019 10:14am PDT · 5 comments

Last October, after spending almost a year examining trends among Facebook users, a senior data scientist at the company named Tom Cunningham painted a bleak picture of one possible future for its flagship Facebook app.At the time, Facebook noticed that users of the app—known internally as the “blue app” because of the color of... Last October, after spending almost a year examining trends among Facebook users, a senior data...

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong. Photo by Bloomberg

Inside Coinbase’s Executive Turmoil: Conflicting Visions

By Jon Victor · Jul 22, 2019 7:00am PDT · 4 comments

In late 2017, with prices of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin surging, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong faced a tough choice: Would his company, the leading U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, become more like a traditional financial services company or would it lean into the industry’s wild side?In the end, Mr. Armstrong hired deputies who pursued... In late 2017, with prices of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin surging, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong...

Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins. Photo by Bloomberg

Cisco In Talks to Buy Cybersecurity Startup Signal Sciences

By Kevin McLaughlin · Jul 19, 2019 12:41pm PDT

Cisco Systems is in talks to buy cybersecurity startup Signal Sciences, the latest sign of Cisco’s efforts to expand in cybersecurity, according to several people familiar with the talks.Signal Sciences develops software that protects applications running in private data centers and on cloud providers from attacks. The 5-year-old... Cisco Systems is in talks to buy cybersecurity startup Signal Sciences, the latest sign of...

A Louis Vuitton handbag and sunglasses. Photo by Bloomberg

As Fashion Marketplaces Soar, a Bumpy Road for Tradesy

By Priya Anand · Jul 19, 2019 7:01am PDT

A Louis Vuitton handbag and sunglasses. Photo by Bloomberg

As Fashion Marketplaces Soar, a Bumpy Road for Tradesy

By Priya Anand · Jul 19, 2019 7:01am PDT

Online marketplaces for buying and selling used Gucci handbags, Prada dresses and other secondhand designer goods are finally coming into their own. One of them, The RealReal, had a hit initial public offering last month and is now valued at more than $2 billion. Another, Poshmark, is reportedly preparing for an IPO of its own as early as this... Online marketplaces for buying and selling used Gucci handbags, Prada dresses and other...

Notion Labs COO Akshay Kothari. Photo by Bloomberg

Collaboration App Notion Labs Hits $800 Million Valuation in New Funding

By Amir Efrati · Jul 18, 2019 6:22pm PDT · 4 comments

A task-management and note-taking app maker called Notion Labs is raising $10 million at a paper valuation of $800 million in what it calls an “angel round,” according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Notion is part of a crowded field of “productivity” tools designed for business use that have drawn intense... A task-management and note-taking app maker called Notion Labs is raising $10 million at a paper...

Art by Danielle Davis

Inside Apple Factory Thefts: Secret Tunnels, Hidden Crawl Spaces

By Wayne Ma · Jul 17, 2019 7:01am PDT

Six years ago, a warehouse employee at one of Apple’s top suppliers, Jabil, stole thousands of iPhone 5C casings from a factory in China before the product was announced. The employee, with help from a security guard, falsified documents and avoided security cameras as he drove a truck filled with the candy-colored shells out of the gates,... Six years ago, a warehouse employee at one of Apple’s top suppliers, Jabil, stole thousands...

SoftBank managing partner Jeff Housenbold. Photo by Bloomberg

SoftBank Considers Investment in Delivery Startup goPuff

By Cory Weinberg and Amir Efrati · Jul 16, 2019 3:07pm PDT · 2 comments

SoftBank recently has been in discussions to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in on-demand delivery startup goPuff, three people familiar with the matter said. A deal would raise the profile of goPuff, which delivers beer cases, Juul pods and munchies largely to college students.If completed, the deal also would raise new questions about... SoftBank recently has been in discussions to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in on-demand...

Indiana governor Eric Holcomb with SF Motors founder John Zhang touring Seres' Indiana factory in May of last year. Photo by AP

Inside the Chinese Tesla Challenger’s Failed U.S. Plans

By Juro Osawa · Jul 15, 2019 7:01am PDT

Indiana governor Eric Holcomb with SF Motors founder John Zhang touring Seres' Indiana factory in May of last year. Photo by AP

Inside the Chinese Tesla Challenger’s Failed U.S. Plans

By Juro Osawa · Jul 15, 2019 7:01am PDT

The past year has been a time of intense activity for some employees at the Santa Clara headquarters of Seres, a Chinese-owned, Silicon Valley–based electric car maker once described in U.S. media as a Tesla challenger. One worker built a Lego Star Trek spaceship at his desk. Others played pool, foosball and UNO for hours. Some watched... The past year has been a time of intense activity for some employees at the Santa Clara...

A Bird electric scooter. Photo by Bloomberg.

Hit by Big Loss, Bird Seeks $300M in New Funds

By Cory Weinberg and Amir Efrati · Jul 11, 2019 7:00am PDT · 26 comments

The wintertime was bleak for Bird. In this year’s first quarter, the electric scooter operator lost nearly $100 million while revenue shrank sharply to only about $15 million, people familiar with the matter said. In the spring, it told people it was down to about $100 million in cash, even after raising more than $700 million over a year... The wintertime was bleak for Bird. In this year’s first quarter, the electric scooter...

Martin Schroeter. Photo courtesy of IBM

IBM Sales Chief Says Red Hat Poised for Growth

By Kevin McLaughlin · Jul 10, 2019 1:03pm PDT

Open source software provider Red Hat saw its revenue growth slow significantly in fiscal 2019 as sales of its subscription software faltered. But the top sales executive at IBM, which completed a $34 billion acquisition of Red Hat on Tuesday, says being part of IBM will help get Red Hat back on track.In an exclusive interview with The... Open source software provider Red Hat saw its revenue growth slow significantly in fiscal 2019 as...

An attendee at a Facebook conference using the Oculus Quest virtual reality headset. Photo by Bloomberg

Next on Facebook’s Shopping List: Acquisitions to Beef Up Gaming

By Alex Heath · Jul 10, 2019 7:00am PDT · 2 comments

Facebook is looking to buy game studios and ink exclusive deals for virtual reality versions of well-known games to bolster its Oculus VR headset business, according to two people familiar with the matter. As part of the new effort, in which CEO Mark Zuckerberg is personally involved, Facebook has already signed deals for exclusive VR... Facebook is looking to buy game studios and ink exclusive deals for virtual reality versions of...

Elon Musk. Photo by Bloomberg

Frustrated Musk Shakes Up Autopilot Team

By Amir Efrati · Jul 9, 2019 7:00am PDT · 4 comments

Elon Musk. Photo by Bloomberg

Frustrated Musk Shakes Up Autopilot Team

By Amir Efrati · Jul 9, 2019 7:00am PDT · 4 comments

Several key Tesla engineering managers working on its Autopilot semi-automated driving feature left the company after CEO Elon Musk told some employees he was unhappy with the progress in developing fully automated driving capabilities, according to one current and one former Tesla employee who have been involved in the effort. He is also upset... Several key Tesla engineering managers working on its Autopilot semi-automated driving feature...

AWS CEO Andy Jassy. Photo by Bloomberg

Open Source Battle Over AWS Intensifies

By Kevin McLaughlin · Jul 3, 2019 7:01am PDT · 7 comments

It’s a burning question in the open source community: Is Amazon Web Services friend or foe? New data provides a clue.AWS incorporates open source software in its services, which some say helps increase overall usage but others say undermines the small firms that developed the software and are trying to make a business out of it. It’s... It’s a burning question in the open source community: Is Amazon Web Services friend or foe?...

Illustration by Josh Brill

Alexa, Is Voice Still the Next Big Thing After Mobile?

By Priya Anand · Jul 2, 2019 7:01am PDT · 8 comments

As buzz about Alexa, Amazon’s voice-activated assistant, spread throughout tech in early 2016, Uber pounced on the opportunity to let people summon cars with a simple command: “Alexa, ask Uber to request a ride.” More than three years later, Uber receives orders for only a few hundred rides a day through Alexa, said a... As buzz about Alexa, Amazon’s voice-activated assistant, spread throughout tech in early...

Didi Chuxing president Jean Liu. Photo by Bloomberg

Didi Chuxing in Talks With SoftBank to Raise Money for Autonomous Driving Unit

By Yunan Zhang, Amir Efrati and Juro Osawa · Jul 1, 2019 10:01am PDT · 1 comment

Didi Chuxing, China’s biggest ride-hailing app, is in talks with its largest shareholder SoftBank and other potential investors about raising fresh capital for its autonomous driving business, people familiar with the matter said.The discussions aren’t finalized and may not necessarily result in a deal, the people said. The... Didi Chuxing, China’s biggest ride-hailing app, is in talks with its largest shareholder...

The stars of Netflix's "Triple Frontier" movie at a premiere screening in Madrid. Photo by AP

Netflix Plays New Role: Budget-Conscious

By Jessica Toonkel, Tom Dotan and Beejoli Shah · Jul 1, 2019 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

The stars of Netflix's "Triple Frontier" movie at a premiere screening in Madrid. Photo by AP

Netflix Plays New Role: Budget-Conscious

By Jessica Toonkel, Tom Dotan and Beejoli Shah · Jul 1, 2019 7:01am PDT · 1 comment

In early June, Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos met with several dozen of his middle-ranking and senior film and TV executives and delivered a blunt message: Be more careful with money.Mr. Sarandos told the group that spending on film and TV projects, particularly big budget movies, needed to be more cost-effective, according to people... In early June, Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos met with several dozen of his middle-ranking...