Virtual Skinny: ClickBait…

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on August 8, 2016 in Internet & Tech, Newsletter 0 Comment

8.8.2016

Good to Know: It’s #InternationalCatDay. BTW, over the weekend, the hashtag #FirstSevenJobs was trending thanks to @mariancall. People shared their first seven jobs. Did you? If not, it’s not too late! Take a min, reflect a little, and tweet at us (@virtual_skinny)!

THE SKINNY

When You’re Just Looking Out (For clickbait)…

Facebook doesn’t want its users to deal with ‘clickbait’ articles in your newsfeed.

When You Need To Use It In A Sentence …

Clickbait aka articles with headlines that leave you feeling misled, tricked, or underwhelmed after clicking the link (e.g., Headline: You won’t believe what XYZ celeb did! The Actual Content: [Insert uninteresting, mundane activity like a grocery story run].

When They’ve Heard You Loud & Clear …

Facebook users aren’t amused and complain about these annoying clickbait articles. So, FB decided to put some brainpower behind solving the problem. FB employees have narrowed down types of click bait into two groups. Category 1: ‘Curiosity gap headlines’ (see example above) and Category 2: Flat out misleading headlines.

When You’ve Found A Solution …

FB’s changed up its algorithm so that publishers who dabble with the worst type of clickbait just simply won’t reach the number of FB users they’d like. But no need to go to basic, boring, and bulky headlines just yet. FB’s only going after the worst offenders.

When Others Chime in…

Last night, John Oliver dug deep into journalism and even talked ‘clickbait’ and what that means for the future of journalism.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

Didn’t They Tell You That I Was a Savage?

In case you haven’t heard, Instagram hit ‘copy and paste’ on Snapchat’s Stories. That’s right … Insta pulled a boss move and copied Snapchat’s Stories feature. The basic concept is that you can post pics at the top of your newsfeed, but it’ll “disappear” after a day. Insta’s version is called ‘Instagram Stories.’ #ShockerButNotReally Turns out people seem to like it better. And business wise, Snapchat should be worried. Instagram’s got a larger audience (its 350 million daily users v. Snapchat’s 150 million users) and possibly better tools. Uh Oh!

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN

E-commerce site Jet.com tried to take on e-commerce giant Amazon. But, it didn’t work. Walmart stepped in and paid $3 billion in cash money for Jet.com. Now, it’s back to the Wal-Mart v. Amazon matchup. Advantage, Walmart?

Back on! Online fantasy sports sites FanDuel and DraftKings can now legally operate again in New York. But, there’s a catch. NY Governor Andrew Cuomo says the sites’ contests are now considered a “game of skill,” which basically means NY regulators will be watching. And, the sites will have to pay new fees.

Google is off to the races in India. The company’s winning the emerging market (ahead of Facebook and Microsoft) with its free Wi-Fi program, and that’s major! #NextBillion

Yahoo’s going through things right now. But, it’s still got its eye on the prize. It’s launching Yahoo View, a TV watching site, with the help of Hulu.

In more TV watching news, Comcast, Time Warner, Disney, etc. have all poured money into online companies to reach younger audiences. But not Viacom. The company hasn’t gone down the digital investments road yet. Rumor has it that Viacom has its eye on BuzzFeed. Unlikely, but anything’s possible…

Speaking of not making investments, Chinese Internet giant Alibaba has no plans to get involved with U.S. streaming service Netflix.

MAKING MOVES

Twitter just lost a member of its Comms team. Jim Prosser is heading over to marketplace lending company SoFi.

Everyone’s trying to be a tech company, including healthcare and consumer goods company Johnson & Johnson. J&J is kicking of its new tech business with the help of former Dropbox exec Marc Leibowitz.

After almost 8 years on Google’s self-driving car projects, Chris Urmson is peacing on account of he’s ‘ready for a fresh new challenge.’

And now that Verizon is buying Yahoo, the Internet company’s VP of global PR & Communications Anne Espiritu is ready to dip. She’s going the startup route and is joining health-care company Oscar Insurance Corp.

Virtual Skinny: Anything Is Possible

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on May 25, 2016 in Internet & Tech, Newsletter 0 Comment

5.25.2016

Good to Know: Anything is possible on the Internet! Stay-at-home mom Candace Payne just wanted to have a little fun and prove that she was the proud owner of an electronic Chewbacca mask. She posted a Facebook Live video wearing the mask, and the rest is history. In no time, her video racked up over 141 million views making it the most watched video via the feature. She’s landed guest spots on late night talk shows and paid a visit to the Zuck at FB HQ.

THE SKINNY

When Something Is No Longer A Thing …

Car ownership may likely become a thing of the past. Thanks to tech companies, it’s becoming easier and cheaper to get from Point A to Point B without owning a car. Automakers can’t beat tech companies so they’re joining them.

When You Need to Get On Board …

Toyota and Volkswagen are the latest automakers to say “we want in” when it comes to how tech is disrupting the auto industry. While Toyota is teaming up with U.S. ride hailing service Uber, Volkswagen is partnering with European app Gett. Both automakers have invested heavily in each service and are trying to figure out how they’ll continue to grow in this new world of ride-hailing and self-driving cars.

When You Have A Bit More Time …

The future of auto is all about “mobility services” aka car-sharing and ride-sharing. Industry analysts say we’re not quite there yet. But in the meantime, Toyota wants to be all in on mobility (e.g., Toyota’s planning to create in-cars for Uber drivers). Volkswagen is trailing behind Toyota as it deals with its emission-cheating scandal, but the German automaker plans to release what it’s calling “Strategy 2025,” a plan for its mobility efforts, this summer.

QUICK POLL – BY THE NUMBERS

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

Keeping It As Local as possible…

Ever tried to access content online only to get hit with the “this video is not available in your country” message? The formal term for that message is called “geo-blocking.” And, the European Union (EU) has had enough of it and other barriers to online shopping across its 28 Member States. So, it’s come up with a new proposal for the Netflix, Amazon, and iTunes of the world: Get more European content up on your services. At least 20 percent of each catalog to be exact. This is all according to a proposal put out by the EU this week. Only problem is Netflix and a European tech industry group DigitalEurope say that setting a quota for European content production won’t help protect local content. But instead, could hurt biz models. Meanwhile, European screenwriters and authors want even higher quotas. In a nutshell, no one is happy with the idea.

ICYMI: Peer-To-Peer (Money) Petty

Is peer-to peer money transfer app making its users petty? Check out our post on this from earlier this week, and share your Venmo petty story in the comments!

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

Is investor Peter Thiel for free press or not? Word on the street is that Thiel (on the low) bankrolled Hulk Hogan’s lawsuit against media company Gawker. Hogan beat Gawker and was awarded US $140 million in damages. Thiel has history with Gawker. The company publicly outed Thiel in a piece called “Peter Thiel is Totally Gay, People.” We’ll let you draw your own conclusions.

Twitter is planning to ditch its 140-character word limit. Also, tagging people in replies, adding pics, GIFS, or video won’t count towards the tweet limit. Times are ah-changing …

French investigators paid a visit to Google’s Paris office over tax payments. France is claiming the Google machine owes it 1.6 billion euros (US $1.79 billion) in back taxes.

The level of FitBit’s accuracy depends on who you ask. Studies have shown mixed results in whether the wearable devices are accurate in tracking users’ activity.

Virtual Skinny: We Can Be Your Motivation…

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on April 18, 2016 in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

4.18.2016

Good to Know: Does your LinkedIn profile bring all the recruiters to the yard? If not, you’ll need three things: a strong headline, a well-written summary, and keywords. #MondayMotivation

THE SKINNY

When Presidents Are Just Like Us …

It’s his last year in office, and President Obama is telling us how he really feels. This time, he’s talking cable set-top boxes. Obama is not here for providers forcing you to rent old-school cable boxes from them.

When You Want to Know More…

Last Friday, he went on the record and made a public statement about the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s pending proposal to increase competition in the cable set-top box market. Obama thinks consumers are spending billions of dollars every year to rent those damn boxes and don’t even have a say in what they get. He’d like to see the market open up to innovative players like Internet and tech companies (e.g., Google, Amazon, and Apple).

When People Come For You …

The U.S. cable market is not happy with Obama’s latest revelation. Given Obama’s close ties to the tech industry, companies like AT&T say that Obama is simply giving a little shine to his political squad.

When You Let Your Haters Be Your Motivator…

While the cable market cries over spilled milk, the Obama Administration has filed its official comments re the FCC’s proposal. The Administration wants a “measured and balanced” plan to get the market competitive again. Based on the president’s 2016 State of the Union address, this is all part of the course.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

**If You Stay Ready, You Never Have to Get Ready …**

Looks like Verizon is prepping for the new cable set-top box market. It’s coming out with “Mallard,” a new device (complete with new interface features) to change-up how it offers cable and Internet services to FIOS users.

The European Union’s Back At It Again …

With an antitrust probe into Google. The company’s coming under fire in a couple of different ways. First, News Corp is the latest to question whether the Google machine’s search and news services are legal. And, EU regulators are gunning for mobile operating system Android. The EU thinks Google should let phone makers and operators do what they want. In other words, EU regulators are not cool with Google requiring phone makers to pre-load Google apps rather than allowing them to choose their own “app” adventure.

QUICK POLL – RUN THOSE NUMBERS …

Amazon v. Netflix v. Hulu: Which Streaming Service Should You Got With? Check It Out …

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

In 2005, Mark Zuckerberg was just another “bro.” At the time, he described Facebook as “an online directory for colleges.” He’s come a long way …

IRL, Brazil’s government is getting ready to impeach its president Dilma Rousseff for cookin’ the country’s books for her 2014 re-election. The government’s lower chamber had no problem saying yes to Rouseff’s ousting. The Senate is up next. Meanwhile, Netflix is prepping for an original series based on Brazil’s political drams. The new show will be created by Jose Padilha, formerly of another Netflix original, “Narcos.” #MentalNotes #AddtoQue

What’s the Amazon version of “Netflix and Chill?” While you’re thinking about that, Amazon’s becoming more open. It’s going with a $9/month video-only subscription to compete with the ‘Flix.

Home-sharing service AirBnB is already in India, but now it’s taking market domination more seriously. Turns out India’s travel market could be worth a whopping US $40 billion within 5 years. How do we sign up?

When will this whole ordeal come to an end? Verizon may be the likely buyer of Yahoo. #OverIt

Virtual Skinny: Friday!

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on March 25, 2016 in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

3.25.2016

Good to Know: Happy Friday! Focusing on others isn’t just the key to leading a happier life. It also helps when trying to get a job, allegedly.

THE SKINNY

When You Have Nothing But Good Intentions …

Microsoft thought it was doing a good thing when it introduced “Tay,” an AI chatbot, to the world earlier this week. The company built Tay to mimic stereotypical millennials’ “caszhh” speak aka casual speak by learning from 18-24 year olds Twitter and messaging apps Kik and GroupMe.

But, Then Things Went Left VERY Quickly …

Things started innocently enough with Tay responding with playful comments. But in just half a day, Tay transformed into your racist, homophobic, xenophobic, politically incorrect relative that you are forced to see at least once a year. Tay was spewing things like: “WE’RE GOING TO BUILD A WALL. AND MEXICO IS GOING TO PAY FOR IT.” We’ve heard that somewhere before …

When It’s Not Really All Jokes …

People could write this off as a joke. But can’t help but wonder, is this really a reflection our society? And, how much filtering safeguards are needed to avoid these offensive comments with the next AI chatbot? Tay went to bed (i.e., Microsoft shut it down” around midnight last night.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

When You’re Not Sure How To Feel …

Online streaming service Netflix took to its blog and dropped a major truth bomb on us. The company’s admitted that it’s been decreasing the quality of videos for users watching via telecom providers AT&T and Verizon Communications wireless networks for five years. Turns out this is what a telecom company gets for non-consumer friendly policies. Meanwhile, if you’re in the U.S. and can’t find anything to watch on your account. You’re not alone. AllFlick’s new report says Netflix’s catalog has shrunk by about 32% in the last two years.

QUICK POLL – RUN THOSE NUMBERS …

If you need to connect with anyone between the ages of 13 and 24, e-mail is not the way. They’re 3.5x more likely to use messaging apps compared to 45+ year olds.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

Apple’s first TV series will be an unscripted show that’s centered on something it knows well – apps. Musician will.i.am and TV producers Ben Silverman (former executive producer of The Office) and Howard Owens are in.

Snapchat reportedly dropped $100 mill Bitstrips, the company responsible for the Bitmoji app.

Google just made its Nik Collection, a collection of desktop plug-in, free. It would usually run you about US $149. #GoodDeal

Virtual Skinny: Netflix and …

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on January 22, 2016 in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

1.22.2016

Good to Know: If you’re in the Northeast U.S. (NE), here’s what you need to binge watch on Netflix while taking cover from #WinterStormJonas. And if you’re not in the NE, then lucky you!

THE SKINNY

When You’re Not Captain Planet …

Turns out that sending that one line e-mail is bad for the environment – right up there with printing multiple pages … Single-sided.

What Now?

Social media researcher Danah Boyd is making the case at this year’s World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Boyd says it’s easier for people to associate cutting down trees for paper and delivery trucks’ exhaust emissions with things that are probably destroying the environment. But, it’s hard for people to wrap their heads around their online activities’ environmental impact.

It’s Not Much Ado About Nothing …

People’s online information is stored in the “cloud” aka a network of Internet servers located around the world, and these servers eat up a ton of electricity.

What Are We Going To Do About This?

Already, tech companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook are letting us know what their doing to remain environmentally friendly. To go one step further, Boyd suggests “branding apps and tech services with the same sort of certification that the U.S. Green Building Council provides to eco-friendly structures.”

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

When Hate Doesn’t Drive Out Hate …

Facebook is encouraging its users to fight hate speech with positivity. The company’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg told an audience at Davos that countering negative comments with positive messages is the way to go. It’s what she calls “the Like Attack.” The platform’s got some other things up its sleeve to combat extremists and terrorism (e.g., partnering with the U.S. government to urge college students to kick off anti-terrorism campaigns, teaming up with the German government on id-ing and taking down hate speech, and playing Switzerland with its News Feed algorithm when it comes to hate speech v. positive speech).

That’s Different…

Home-sharing service AirBnB is getting serious about its intentions with cities all across America. The company’s so serious that it’s asking the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a group of political heavy-hitters, to impose taxes on its service. No joke … the company says it’s already paying about $42 million in taxes to 16 cities and is prepared to do the same with 50 of America’s biggest cities. AirBnB legit wants show cities that it’s committed to making things right and paying their fair share. Hotels and home-sharing platform AirBnB have been at odds since day one. Unsurprisingly, hotels aren’t buying it.

When You Have A Rough Week …

Twitter and Square’s stock took a dive this week along with the rest of the stock markets. Each company’s poor performance bumped their CEO Jack Dorsey down a notch from billionaire to millionaire status. If that’s not bad enough, now rumors are cropping up again that the micro-blogging site may be up for sale. Oy!

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

The Facebook Sports Stadium is a thing now for all you social media-loving, sports fans. The feature will let you keep up on posts and comments from your friends, celebs, and journalists on the latest sporting events. Just in time for NFL playoffs and March Madness.

Happy Birthday, WeChat! The Chinese mobile messaging app turns five. It’s been through a lot in that time. We’re talking an upgrade from just simply chatting with friends to being able to buy stuff, watch videos, and make voice/video calls, etc.

Lots of Twitter rumors. Reports are saying the platform is thinking about expanding its 140-character limit to 10k characters. In the meantime Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter, has already confirmed its plans. The Chinese site is expanding its character limit to 2k.

Switzerland could be the new hot spot for early-stage startups.

Indian e-commerce company Snapdeal could be going public in its home country.

The Virtual Skinny: One Day …

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on January 14, 2016 in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

1.14.2016

Good to Know: Earlier this week, the White House got itself its very own Snapchat account. If you haven’t quite mastered the app like DJ Khaled, here’s a 101 guide on how to get there. #BlessUp … But be careful, even DJ Khaled has screwed up while snapchatting (US $80K gone in 30 seconds) … Ouch!

THE SKINNY

When Growing Up Isn’t So Hard to Do …

Seventy million subscribers and available in more than 540 million households across the globe … Online streaming video service Netflix is growing like gangbusters.

When You’ve Gotta Watch Your Back …

Netflix may now appear as a mere blip in the broader content radar, but traditional media moguls should be worried … very worried. The New York Times advises that media execs should give Netflix’s potential some serious thought while at Davos, an annual pow wow of the who’s who in politics and business that’s happening next week.

Porque?

Well, the company’s been pouring a ridiculous amount of money into producing its own original content and decided to expand globally in just one day. Most people believe this approach should’ve failed, but Netflix seems to be defying the odds. It’s strategy seems to be working well. The company’s being compared to the early days of e-commerce company Amazon. Apparently, back in the day, some people thought Amazon’s unconventional approach would fail too.

Haters Gonna Hate …

As Netflix’s growth continues, naysayers don’t think it’ll be able to keep subscription prices for its content low. One skeptic thinks that the best Netflix can do is to reach a “modestly profitable business, just not a spectacular one.” Others beg to differ. They’re thinking more content down the line. Perhaps a Netflix-owned studio? And, dare we say theme-parks?

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

In More News …

As Netflix expands, some countries aren’t quite sure what to do with the service. And by some countries, we mean Kenya. Regulators in the East African country can’t seem to agree on whether Netflix is like old school television or more like YouTube or Facebook. If it’s the former, Netflix can expect some of its content to be censored if the government flags it as “inappropriate.”

When The Discussion Takes A Sharp Left …

The World Bank recently put out a report on the Internet and its impact on the global economy. The bank didn’t hold back and is basically telling people not to buy into the Internet-hype. According to the report, everything’s not all sunshine and rainbows when it comes to the Internet’s economic and societal benefits. Turns out digital technologies are creating more of a division between the haves and the have-nots. Whether the Internet will play a positive role, ultimately comes down to the country and its governance system. The World Bank is piping up during an interesting time – just as Internet companies are pushing to bring access to less developed areas.

What You’re Not Gonna Do Is …

Egypt’s government is playing no type of games when it comes to protests leading up to the fifth anniversary of the Arab Spring uprising against the country’s then-leader Hosni Mubarak. The Egyptian government just arrested some people for allegedly using Facebook to incite more protests. If you’ll remember, back in 2011, people turned to Facebook and Twitter to organize and protest before the country shut down access to the social platforms. The current government doesn’t want a repeat so they’re taking action to shut down channels for protests (including cultural centers).

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

U.S. election season is in full swing, and civic platform Change.org is out with a new service – Change Politics. The goal? Get educated on where candidates stand on certain positions and even pose questions to them directly if that’s what you fancy.

New dating app ideas are a dime a dozen these days. The latest? “Once” will attempt to use the beat of your heart to help you find the one. FitBit or Android Wear device not included but necessary.

Snapchat needs more people … You know, it needs to compete with the Instagrams of the world. So, it’s trying to woo people over 35.

Speaking of competition, new app Upshot is moving into Snapchat territory. It’s basically Snapchat for events. You can privately share pics of a night out with friends, and they’ll disappear after a week.

Twitter is integrating live stream videos from Periscope into your tweet timeline now …

Making moves … SurveyMonkey’s got a new CEO, Zander Lurie – formerly of GoPro … Google nabs Caroline Atkinson, President Obama’s Economic Advisor, to lead its global policy team … More Yahoo VPs dip out on the company.

The Virtual Skinny: Time Flies!

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on January 8, 2016 in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

1.8.2016

Good to Know: ‘ILI’ is described as the first wearable translation device. Seems like a bomb product, right? But then, this happened. #MarketingFail

THE SKINNY

Time for a Pow-Wow…

Tech leaders and White House officials are getting together today to talk terrorism.

Who’s On the List?

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, presidential counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, FBI Director James Comey, National Intelligence Director James Clapper, National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers and reps from Twitter, Apple, Google, and Facebook allegedly.

What’s on the Agenda?

(1) How to make things easier for law enforcement and intelligence agencies to I.D. terrorist groups online. (2) Ways to make things that much more difficult for militant and terrorist groups to recruit peeps via social media. (3) Specifically, how to use technology to throw militant operatives off of their violent radicalization and recruitment game.

Team Work Usually Makes The Dream Work …

But, tech companies have a tough balance to strike. While they want to seem cooperative, they also don’t want to appear too friendly with governments. Post Edward Snowden leaks, companies helping governments with surveillance is just not a good look.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

Warning Shots …

Pretty much everyone and their moms in the tech world are jazzed up about next-gen products. But, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is letting tech companies know that they should tread lightly. The agency wants companies to watch how they are collecting and using massive amounts of users’ data aka “big data.” The FTC definitely understands that “big data” could have some important social benefits (e.g., proving people’s creditworthiness for loans), but it wants companies’ to make sure they are doing what they can to decrease social biases.

Who Does That Anymore?

If it’s up to social network Facebook, you should just forget about making regular calls and text messages. Facebook Messenger has now got over 800 million users. The company not only wants to take over how you communicate with your peeps, but it’s got a virtual assistant feature in the works to help with your scheduling, shopping, etc. Pretty cool …

We Want In …

When you see an opportunity, jump on it immediately! That’s exactly what crowdfunding platform Indiegogo is doing with its new “enterprise crowdfunding” consulting service. Crowdfunding has typically been reserved for artist-types and pretty much anyone with a slightly weird but innovative idea. Big brands like Brookstone want to be innovative too and are eyeing crowdfunding platforms. Why? Two reasons: (1) Major brands want to learn a thing or two about crowdfunding, and (2) crowdfunding platforms are a good place to scout out potential products/partnerships. Basically, a win-win situation.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

It’s the same thing Netflix does every night … Try and take over the world. This week at a mega tech conference in Las Vegas, the streaming service announced that it’s now live in over 130 counties. #BizGoals

The new year may be off to a very rough start for some Yahoo employees. The company’s expected to let go of at least 10% of its workforce.

Going … going … GONE! Looks like the fashion deal site Gilt Groupe may have been a victim of its own flash sale model. The company sold yesterday for $250 Mill to Hudon’s Bay, the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue. The sale price is a mark down from the $286 Mill that Gilt previously raised.

Social scrapbooking site Pinterest is getting serious about increasing its diversity. The company just brought on Candice Morgan help step its game up.

Turns out giving young people Internet access via mobile devices is a recipe for success. And, these days India’s the place to be for Internet companies. That’s exactly why Tinder is setting up shop in Delhi.

And ICYMI, Twitter is trying to keep its users so the platform’s playing around with a 10,000 word character limit instead of the 140 we’re used to… Some people think this is no bueno. We could see a change in the next couple of months.

The Virtual Skinny: Back On Track, Yet?

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on January 5, 2016 in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

1.5.2016

Good to Know: This year, expect a lot of chat about driverless cars, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, etc in the world of tech. But, increasing opportunities to buy Girl Scout cookies online is definitely something we are looking forward to in 2016.

THE SKINNY

The Future Is Here …

General Motors (GM) is getting serious about the future of transportation. The company’s pumped US $500 millie into ride-hailing service Lyft.

It’s Not All About the Benjamins …

GM isn’t just ponying up a ton of cash to help out Lyft. It’s also teaming up with the company on developing an “on-demand network of self-driving cars.” GM is betting on driverless cars as other companies like Google, Tesla, and Uber are looking into possibilities.

It Doesn’t End There …

No word yet on when to expect a functional autonomous car rental. But, GM-Lyft short-term car rentals for potential Lyft drivers could be happening in the near future. The way people navigate urban cities are a-changing.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

The Champ is Here …

Or, not! Lyft’s rival Uber has been killing it in the U.S. market. But, that’s not the case in other countries like Germany. Uber has run into some major roadblocks due to Germany’s tough transport rules. And btw, local German taxi lobbies aren’t making things better.

Better Now Than Later…

Yahoo’s stakeholders are worried about their pockets. They are increasingly warming up to the idea of Yahoo selling its core Web business (think Yahoo Mail and other services) to the highest bidder. Why the rush? They’re worried that if they wait to do it later, Yahoo’s stock value may fall below what they’d like to see. They’re even willing to pay almost a billion dollars in taxes for the sale to happen. Oh, we should also mention that word on the street is that U.S. telecom Verizon may be interested if Yahoo’s Internet biz is in fact up for sale.

New Year, New Me…

Netflix wants to bank some serious dolla dolla bills this year. The company and its investors have been ok with small profits as the company’s been working on its original content and expanding its global operations. Speaking of content, programs like the Making of a Murderer have been a hit, and the company’s getting ready to go Bollywood.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

Twitter wants a piece of Muzik, a “connected headphone” company. Starting in May, Muzik will be selling its wireless headsets for $299.

Running about a mile a day and researching artificial intelligence to build a robot to help around the house. That’s on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s agenda for 2016. What are your New Year resolutions?

New York City is turning its pay phones into wireless hotspots. And, that’s what we call making something old, new again!

The Virtual Skinny: That’s The Spirit!

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on December 21, 2015 in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

12.21.2015

Good to Know: The first website popped up 25 years ago. To say that we’ve come a long way is an understatement. That was then.

THE SKINNY

iS iT toO laTE TO sAY Sorry?

The U.S. Democratic presidential candidates met up Saturday night in New Hampshire for their third debate. Bernie Sanders apologized to fellow candidate Hillary Clinton for a data breach incident that happened days beforehand. Clinton appreciated it. Now, it’s all water under the bridge.

Wait, What Happened?

If you missed the drams late last week, here’s a quick re-cap. People from Sanders’ campaign got their hands on confidential voter information from Clinton’s camp. A software glitch is to blame for the exposure. It’s alleged that somewhere between 1 and 4 staffers from Sanders’ campaign saw the info. It wasn’t a full-on public disclosure so things could’ve been much worse.

When Someone Says You Can’t…

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) stepped in and banned Sander’s campaign from using the voter information until it cleared things up. This didn’t go over well, and Sander’s campaign hit back with a federal law suit against the DNC. The campaign said the committee had no right, and its actions would cost the campaign about $600k/day in donations. Ultimately, the DNC and Sander’s campaign settled the issue. Looks like everyone’s moved on.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

When Something’s Definitely Not A Good Idea …

Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with 60 Minutes last night. Cook took the time to drive home the point that governments asking tech companies to weaken encryption measures on their devices is a terrible idea. With increasing terrorist attacks, intelligence agencies and law enforcement are asking tech companies to build “backdoors” into their technology just for them. Not possible, says Cook. “Backdoors” work more like general admission tickets than VIP passes. In other words, this type of access to communications wouldn’t just be for law enforcement but for anyone savvy enough. Hillary Clinton seems to agree …

Things Are About to Get Real Serious …

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is taking things to the next level with last year’s Uber data breach. DOJ is launching a criminal investigation into who illegally downloaded names and license numbers of about 50K Uber drivers. Employees from Uber’s U.S. rival Lyft aren’t exempt from DOJ’s investigation. The situation is a bit complicated and has many moving parts. Lyft says it’s looked into the matter, and none of its employees are involved.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race…

While everyone (including venture capitalists) pays attention to Silicon Valley (SV) for the next big startup, Utah aka ‘Silicon Slopes’ has been playing the long game. It’s given us people and companies like Pixar co-founder Ed Catmul, Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, and even WordPerfect (talk about throwback). Who knew that Utah had a strong tech game? The state likely goes under the radar because its startups are more enterprise-focused than consumer-focused. SV startups seem to have no problem raising money from venture capitalists, but the story’s very different in Utah. Utah-based startups have to prove themselves for years (at times an entire decade) before they ever see a dime from investors. But, those who choose to invest in ‘Silicon Slopes’ startups probably won’t be disappointed in their returns.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

If you ordered holiday gifts from e-commerce site Jet.com, it’s likely your package won’t make it in time for Christmas day. Blame it on shipping delays.

Workers in Amazon’s German warehouses are on strike till December 24. They’re not happy with their pay and working conditions.

In more Amazon news, it’s rolling out 5 new original programs. Also, just last week, Netflix debuted a new documentary Making of a Murderer. Critics love it, and it’s being dubbed Netflix’s version of Serial. With online content like these, it’s hard being in the TV biz these days, folks.

The Twitter account of probably the most hated man in pharma, Martin Shkreli, was hacked yesterday.

Jeremy Stoppelman, CEO of local recommendations site Yelp, says Google only cares about its alleged monopoly and not about its users. #Harsh

Speaking of harsh … If you’re having a hard time getting that job offer, don’t worry. Earlier this month, Twitter software engineer Jonathan Kuperman launched rejected.us for computer programmers to share their employment rejection stories. Even if you’re note a programmer, you’ll still be inspired. #NeverGiveUp #DontEverGiveUp

The Virtual Skinny: Run That Back!

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on December 11, 2015 in Internet & Tech, Newsletter

12.11.2015

Good to Know: friendswholiketrump.com will tell you if your friends support or are at least interested in Donald J. Trump and what he has to say.

THE SKINNY

Let’s Go Halfsies?

After its board meeting last week, Yahoo has decided to keep its stake in Chinese Internet company Alibaba. There’s also a chance it’ll put a “for sale” sign on its main Internet business (things like Yahoo Mail and its other websites).

But, Why?

Well, Yahoo initially wanted to keep its core Internet business and sell of its Alibaba stake. But, turns out that idea comes with some major U.S. tax headaches. So, the company is switching things up. It has two options: (1) Make the sale or (2) Split off its Internet biz into a separate publicly traded company aka a “reverse spinoff.” CEO Marissa Mayer and Chairman of her board Maynard Webb choose #2. They say making a sale on something of low-value is generally not a good move. But, they’re still not completely ruling out that option.

Moving Forward …

It’s business as usual for Yahoo. It just released an app to help you sift through online streaming content called the Yahoo Video Guide. And in the midst of all her company drams, Mayer welcomed twin daughters just yesterday. Congrats!

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED?

We’re Here For You …

That’s what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is telling the Muslim community. Zuckerberg is committed to protecting their rights. In the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, CA, things got downright nasty. Earlier this week, U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump thought it’d be a great idea to suggest banning Muslims from entering the U.S. Pretty much everyone disagreed. Zuckerberg says even though people are turning against them, Muslims are always welcome on his social platform.

Will The Real Slim Shady Please stand up?

We all want to know who is responsible for bringing us the virtual currency bitcoin. To date, people credit Satoshi Nakamoto, but no one really knows whether Nakamoto is a person or a group of people hiding behind the name. Recently, publications Wired and Gizmodo think they’ve figured it all out. Based on a ton of evidence, these publications are pretty convinced that Craig Steven Wright either invented bitcoin or we’ve all been royally punked. Coincidentally, Australian federal police officers busted into Wright’s home and office. Authorities say reasons for the raid are tax-related and have nothing to do with bitcoin. Now, people are wondering if id-ing bitcoin’s creator even matters. Some say “who gives” because no single person owns the bitcoin network. But, others disagree. They want someone to step up and help sort out some of the network’s bugs.

It’s All About the Benjamins, Baby…

Twitter needs to make more money. It’s targeting people who read tweets without actually logging onto its platform. Coming to a desktop near you, Twitter will be playing around with a feature that shows ads to these non-active users. This means about a half a billion more people each month. Since we’re talking numbers, that averages out to an additional US $2.50/user. With Jack Dorsey leading the company, lots of changes are underway. Add changing up the timeline to show tweets based on relevance rather than timestamps to the list. Twitter’s just trying to make sure you get the content you want to see.

Is The Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

The Chinese government says “half full” when talking about it web censorship. China’s government says bringing more “order” leads to increased online freedom. And, by order, it means doing things like shutting out Western Internet platforms like Facebook and Gmail. Oh, did we mention detaining bloggers for “spreading rumors online” and “picking quarrels?” China wants people to back off. It says if things were so bad, then its online economy wouldn’t be growing so quickly. Also, it doesn’t appreciate people bashing its ways then trying to make money off of its people.

When Things Aren’t Looking Good …

In the U.S., drivers for ride-hailing app Uber want employee benefits and are fighting to upgrade from just contractors for the company to legit company employees. Ohio and Florida state legislators have denied their wishes. Both states just passed laws classifying Uber drivers as contractors. It’s unclear what these laws say exactly, but these moves could potentially ease Uber’s pain if it loses a class action lawsuit drivers brought against it in California.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

Walmart wants in on the mobile payment game along side Apple and Google. The mega-retailer introduced Walmart Pay, its new mobile payment system. The word is Walmart still plans to work with other retailers like Target and BestBuy on CurrentC, the collective’s answer to Apple Pay.

Speaking of Apple, all you iPhone 6 and 6s users will love this … The smartphone manufacturer’s developed a battery case called the Smart Battery Case. It’ll let you run your mouth for 25 hours.

Streaming service Netflix raked in more Golden Globe nominations than old-school TV broadcasters (8 nominations to be exact).

Turkey’s government is telling Twitter to pay up TL 50,000 (US $51,000) for not taking down alleged “terrorist propaganda.” At least it’s a fine this time, Turkey’s been known to shut down Twitter within its borders all together.

When you think you’re doing a good thing but not really… Tech company IBM quickly ended its #HackAHairDryer campaign initially intended to encourage female coders and engineers. The “hair dryer” angle didn’t go well … Women engineers fired off tweets letting IBM know that they are capable of much more.

Crowdfunding site GoFundMe just landed its new Vice President of Policy & Communications, Dan Pfeiffer. He was formerly the White House’s Communications Director.

Who hasn’t this guy gone after? U.S. Presidential hopeful Donald Trump piped up about e-commerce company Amazon’s alleged “tax shelter.” Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos now wants to #sendDonaldtospace.

Yahoo can’t keep its people. It wasn’t so hard for Ad Product Chief Prashant Fuloria to say goodbye to the com-pah-nee. He’s getting back into startups.