There’s a reason so many startups bill themselves as “the Uber for” this or that. The on-demand ride-sharing service helped popularize the concept of getting anything—car, laundry, valet, marijuana, you name it—at any time.
With its armies of tech workers clad in hoodies, T-shirts, and jeans, it’s safe to say Silicon Valley is a world apart from the fashion scene in New York, Milan, and Paris.
Smartphones, smart TVs, smart refrigerators, smart washing machines. Samsung Electronics wants to put a chip in everything it makes—and in things made by other companies, too.
Reviews site Yelp, with help from investment bankers, is shopping around for a buyer, according to the Wall Street Journal. The report, which Yelp would not comment on, sent the company’s shares 23% higher to end the session at $47.01.
Microsoft is reportedly considering a big-ticket bid for Salesforce after another company approached the cloud software provider about a possible acquisition, according to Bloomberg.
Last year, more than 100 startups reportedly joined the billion-dollar-valuation club, making these so-called unicorns not quite as rare as they once were. Larger funding rounds are pushing valuations way up and accelerating the rate at which unicorns are getting created.
Last week, Microsoft showed off such an impressive demo of HoloLens, its yet-to-be-released augmented-reality goggles, that I—generally a deliberately late technology adopter who’s often skeptical of frivolous devices—actually thought to myself: “Hmm, I see the appeal.” But after donning the headset, it’s apparent there’s a big gap between Microsoft’s vision for HoloLens and what it can actually do.
Microsoft, which dominated the PC era with Windows, has seen its relevance fade as Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS have defined the mobile era. Now as Microsoft puts its muscle behind the new Windows 10 operating system, it also has a new approach to wooing companies that make apps for rival platforms. To sum it up: If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
Microsoft is ready to put the legacy of Internet Explorer behind it. The company today took the wraps off its new browser, Microsoft Edge, at its developer conference, introducing features such as integration with Microsoft’s digital assistant Cortana, the ability to annotate web pages, and a distraction-free reading mode.
Ever since it went public, Twitter has been plagued by concerns about its slowing user growth. Facing mounting pressure from investors, who sent Twitter shares tumbling when its disappointing earnings were accidentally released before markets closed, the company today said it will change the way it calculates its monthly active users (MAUs).
When it comes to the iPhone, Apple often can’t wait to tell the world how popular its new models are, typically releasing early sales figures the Monday after they go on sale. But it’s a different story with the Apple Watch, which started shipping Friday.
Apple’s investments in China are paying off. The iPhone maker reported today that the Greater China region set a new sales record, surpassing Europe in revenue last quarter and making it the company’s second biggest market behind the Americas.
Venture capital giant Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has filed documents with the San Francisco superior court detailing $972,814.50 in legal expenses. This is the sum it wants reimbursed by former partner Ellen Pao, who recently lost a gender-discrimination suit against the firm.
The drama of the Ellen Pao gender discrimination lawsuit is not quite over. After defeating Pao in court, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is now seeking to recuperate $972,815 in litigation costs from its former partner. The firm says it is willing to waive these costs—which include $864,000 for expert witness fees, but not attorneys’ fees—if Pao agrees not to appeal, according to documents filed today with the San Francisco Superior Court.
The amount advertisers pay Google for each click has been declining for several years now, and fell again last quarter. But outgoing chief financial officer Patrick Pichette tried to reassure investors today that Google’s advertising business remains strong. He argued the cost-per-click metric, long how investors have judged Google, doesn’t tell the company’s whole story.
With sales of Barbie dolls slumping, Mattel is hoping a new lineup of female action figures will win back the hearts of little girls.
It might seem redundant for Facebook to own two messaging apps, each with its own massive user base, but the company has no plans to consolidate them. In an earnings call with investors today, CEO Mark Zuckerberg relayed his distinct visions for the company’s pair of chat apps, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
Google today unveiled a new wireless service called Project Fi that offers phone plans beginning at $20 a month. Before you cancel your existing wireless contract, there are a few important things to know.
Yahoo’s roots date back to 1994, when Jerry Yang and David Filo launched a website called Jerry and David’s guide to the World Wide Web. To help new internet users navigate this world, the two hand-picked an assortment of websites that were organized hierarchically.
As startups raise money and outgrow their living rooms or garages, one of the first things they do is seek new digs. But the Silicon Valley tech boom is making affordable office space hard to come by in the San Francisco Bay area.
One of the most compelling early uses for the Apple Watch is to use it as a simple, always-there remote control for the world around you. This ranges from the music playing on iTunes to your home lighting or thermostat.
It was only six months ago that Slack joined the billion-dollar startup club. Today, the chat app for offices confirmed an additional $160 million in funding, more than doubling its worth to $2.8 billion. To put this growth in further context: Just a year ago, investors had valued Slack at $43 million.
The away message, long a staple of old-school instant messaging services like AOL Instant Messenger, is making a comeback.
At Fitbit, there’s no such thing as a mid-week slump. By the time Wednesday rolls around, all employees know the drill: Show up at the office in sweats and yoga pants, and get ready to work out at a moment’s notice for Work Out Wednesday, or WOW for short.
