Spotify is taking off its gloves in what has up to now been a behind-the-scenes tug-of-war with Apple, where it competes against Apple Music but also relies heavily on the company for distribution of its app on iOS devices. Today CEO Daniel Ek announced that his company has filed with the European Commission a complaint against … Continue reading Spotify files a complaint against Apple with the European Commission over ‘Apple tax’ and restrictive rules
Author: Eric
Google’s Waymo seeks outside investment and a sky-high valuation
Alphabet’s self-driving vehicle subsidiary Waymo may raise outside capital for the first time at a valuation “at least several times” that of Cruise, the General Motors-owned autonomous vehicle business worth nearly $15 billion, according to a report published by The Information on Monday. We’ve reached out to our sources to confirm. Waymo didn’t immediately respond … Continue reading Google’s Waymo seeks outside investment and a sky-high valuation
Quantum Monism Could Save the Soul of Physics
“The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible, ”Albert Einstein famously once said. These days, however, it is far from being a matter of consensus that the universe is comprehensible, or even that it is unique. Fundamental physics is facing a crisis, related to two popular concepts that are frequently invoked, … Continue reading Quantum Monism Could Save the Soul of Physics
The lonely death of Jibo, the social robot
We knew this moment was coming — we just never expected it to arrive so soon. Jibo owners all over are reporting a final death rattle from their beloved home robot. The last message finds Jibo announcing the imminent shutdown of it servers, noting that its interactions will soon be limited — likely meaning anything … Continue reading The lonely death of Jibo, the social robot
Facebook will shut down its spyware VPN app Onavo
Facebook will end its unpaid market research programs and proactively take its Onavo VPN app off the Google Play store in the wake of backlash following TechCrunch’s investigation about Onavo code being used in a Facebook Research app the sucked up data about teens. The Onavo Protect app will eventually shut down, and will immediately … Continue reading Facebook will shut down its spyware VPN app Onavo
Steve Jurvetson tells all: about his new $200 million fund, his new partner, his new shopping list, and more
Steve Jurvetson is staging a comeback, disclosing today that his new San Francisco-based, early-stage venture firm Future Ventures, has raised $200 million for its debut fund. “It’s good to be back in the saddle again,” says Jurvetson, whose career was somewhat derailed in the fall of 2017 when a former girlfriend wrote a Facebook post, … Continue reading Steve Jurvetson tells all: about his new $200 million fund, his new partner, his new shopping list, and more
Screen time inhibits toddler development, study finds
In news that will surprise few but still alarm many, a study has found that kids 2-5 years old who engage in more screen time received worse scores in developmental screening tests. The apparent explanation is simple: when a kid is in front of a screen, they’re not talking, walking or playing, the activities during … Continue reading Screen time inhibits toddler development, study finds
Boasting about how many hours you work is a sign of failure
Talking about how many hours you work is not impressive. Far from being an indication of industrious achievements or alpha status, it should be seen as a professionally embarrassing sign that, quite frankly, you have nothing else to boast about. Showing off about overwork is now so ubiquitous it’s difficult to remember a time when … Continue reading Boasting about how many hours you work is a sign of failure
The risk of thinking of your job as a higher calling
In a memo announcing that Tesla will lay off 3,000 workers, or 7% of its employees, CEO Elon Musk outlined his reasoning, explaining the mounting financial pressures the company faces in its quest to build an affordable electric car. The memo also included a noteworthy emotional appeal. Musk essentially asked employees— those who have already … Continue reading The risk of thinking of your job as a higher calling
The most powerful person in Silicon Valley
Billionaire Masayoshi Son–not Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Mark Zuckerberg–has the most audacious vision for an AI-powered utopia where machines control how we live. And he’s spending hundreds of billions of dollars to realize it. Are you ready to live in Masa World? It’s a bright September morning in San Carlos, California, and Masayoshi Son, … Continue reading The most powerful person in Silicon Valley
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