Yahoo

Virtual Skinny: Read Up!

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

2.2.2016

Good to Know: Turns out that if you’ve got a case of imposter syndrome (when you feel like you have no idea what you’re doing), it may actually be a good indicator that you’re on the right track. 

THE SKINNY

Taking Over For the ’16? 

Alphabet, Inc., aka Google, just bumped Apple from the #1 spot.  It’s now considered the world’s most valuable company. The company pulled in US $ 21.3 billion in the last quarter of 2015.

Playing by the Rules … 

Google was never one for Wall Street, but now Alphabet is following the rules and doing things like letting investors in on just how it’s main advertising business is doing. This is turning out to be a good move seeing as Alphabet’s stock price went up by 43% from just a year ago.

No Growing Pains Here … 

Alphabet is still growing thanks to advertising including things like search advertising, YouTube, the Google Play Store, and Google’s mobile app store. While it’s bringing in the cash, it’s still shelling out a bunch of it for projects that are in the works (e.g., self-driving cars).  These projects known as moonshots are costing the company about US $3.6 billion per year. But, as long as it let’s people know exactly what’s profitable and what’s not, Wall Street should be pretty forgiving. 

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON ?

When Things Aren’t Look So Rosy …

While Alphabet is killing it on Wall Street, Yahoo is doing quite the opposite. CEO Marissa Mayer is still struggling to get the company back on track. Rumor has it that she’ll be making even more employee cuts – 15% of employees or 1600 people are ’bout to get pink slips. In addition to cuts, we’re expected to learn Yahoo’s latest plan to get itself on track when the company puts out its earnings report for Q4 2015. Will it sell its main Internet business or not? Looks like we’ll find out sooner rather than later …

Game Over … 

The U.S. and European Union (EU) had until the end of January 2016 to reach an agreement on how American companies would transfer European citizens’ personal information in a way that protects people’s privacys.  They gave it the good ol’ college try but came up empty.  They just couldn’t agree on certain things, namely how the U.S. government would keep its nose out of Europeans’ personal biz. The U.S. said it was willing to do things like appoint a government official to be a contact for Europeans on data misuse issues. But, the EU wasn’t impressed.  Not sure whether both sides will meet somewhere in the middle. But, in the meantime, the EU’s making an outline of its proposal public. 

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’ 

Is Uber the Walmart of rides? The ride hailing company just royally ticked off its New York City drivers. The company reduced its UberX rates by 15%. The company says lower rates will increase demands and decrease wait times between trips. Drivers beg to differ. Some want out of the service all together but can’t because they’ve taken on car loans via Uber. Oy!

Welcome to the club. WhatsApp, messaging app owned by Facebook, just reached the billion users club. Now, it’s trying to figure out how to make money while staying true to its roots (i.e., no ads, please).  Sidenote: the Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo-Brazzaville are not the same country, but WhatsApp seems to think so. 

Speaking of the billion users club, Gmail is officially in too.

Popular e-mail app Airmail is now available for iPhones.

The Virtual Skinny: Time Flies!

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on 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 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: Brace Yourself …

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

12.16.2015

Good to Know: In 2015, you all cared a lot about Caitlyn Jenner and Lamar Odom. Don’t try to deny it. Google’s put you on blast. 

THE SKINNY

Here We Go Again … 

Last night, the U.S. Republican presidential candidates threw down in their fifth round of debates. Everything from terrorism and immigration to the Internet were on the table.

Um, What Now? 

Not one to disappoint, Donald Trump had some thoughts on fighting terrorist group ISIS. He says shutting down parts of the Internet and “penetrat[ing] the Internet [to[ find out exactly where ISIS is and everything about ISIS” is the way to go.

When Other People Have Stuff to Say … 

When it comes to the Internet, Trump’s fellow Republican candidate Senator Marco Rubio is the one to watch.  He recently put his name to a letter basically letting the U.S. Federal Communications Commission know that he doesn’t support its efforts to help local cities and towns set up their very own, publicly run Internet providers. In the past, he’s also said that he’s unimpressed with China’s online censorship.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? 

Can We Live? 

China’s definitely got a bad rap when it comes to allowing people to do as they please online.  People are saying China’s launched an “all-out assault on Internet freedoms.” Speaking at the World Internet Conference this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping hit back and his message to the global community is pretty clear: Stay out of how we handle our biz.  He thinks countries should have the right to handle the Internet they way they see fit, and no one should have anything to say about it.   But, others aren’t buying it. There’s speculation that China is being shady and is on the low trying to extend its views on surveillance and online censorship across the globe.

When Someone Needs their mouth washed out with soap… 

Internet companies like Facebook, Google, and Twitter are falling in line with Germany’s anti-hate speech rules. This year, Germany’s opened up its borders to about 1 million refugees.  It’s also seen an influx of a lot of hate talk online.  So now, Germany wants online platforms to help out in monitoring comments that go a little too far. These platforms already have policies against that type of thing, but they’ll do better in allowing users to easily flag hate speech.  In Germany, saying hateful things about someone’s race, ethnicity, religion, sex, or disability could get you five years in the slammer. Companies have 24 hours to make good on their promise.

It’s Officially Off-ish …

Internet companies had their eyes set on Europe yesterday.  The European Union’s (EU) been trying to figure out new EU-wide privacy laws and looks like they finally came to an agreement.  Things like upping fines on companies’ that violate the law and putting restrictions on how advertising companies’ can use people’s personal information is in. One thing that’s making people’s heads turn is what it says about kids 16 years or younger. The new law would ban these kids from using online services that collect data without parental consent. It’s bad news for the kids and online platforms. Meaning, there goes kids FB-ing, snapchatting, tweeting, instagramming w/o their parents giving the go ahead. And for companies, there goes potential users and ad $$$. #NoBueno

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’

Google’s serious about getting more people in India online.  It’s working on partnerships with India’s government and is also looking to the country as a place to test out new products. Getting people online means more dolla dolla bills for the company in terms of ad revenue.

Facebook isn’t one to stay in its lane.  The social network is now taking on recommendation sites like Yelp and Angie’s List with its new local-service site. It’s also easing up on its “real name” policy.

It’s the holiday season, which means holiday office parties.  Yahoo’s been going through some tough times (it plans to shut down its Dubai office), but that didn’t stop the company from throwing its employees an alleged $7 million party Great-Gatsby themed.  Employee morale can go a long way.

 

 

The Virtual Skinny: Run That Back!

Posted by The Virtual Skinny on 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.

The Virtual Skinny: Oh, Hi!

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

12.7.2015

Good to Know:  Gmail account stolen?  Here’s how to recover it. 

THE SKINNY

Rarely Seen … 

In a speech from the White House Oval Office, last night U.S. President Obama addressed the American public in the aftermath of last week’s San Bernardino, CA mass shooting.

What We’re Not Going To Do Is … 

President O. told Americans that terrorist threats are real, but there’s no time for fear.  He wants the American public to keep calm because he’s a man with a plan. Obama and his Administration have a strategy to protect Americans against terrorist groups like ISIL aka ISIS. During his speech, he basically said, “Internet and tech companies, what’s good?” 

Step Up… 

Following in the footsteps of the French government that recently met with tech and Internet companies on counter-terrorism, the White House wants tech and Internet firms to step up their anti-terrorism game. More specifically, they want these companies to limit social media use for coordinating these types of events.  The Administration’s also planning a sit-down with companies to get down to the nitty-gritty of “…when … social media is being used actively and operationally to promote terrorism.”  Tech and Internet companies are already doing things on the low like taking down alleged terrorist profiles and content. But shhh… they don’t want people to think they’re working hand-in-hand with governments.

Let’s Talk Politics … 

U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton is making the media rounds and saying that she wants to work with companies to shut terrorists down.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? 

Step Away from the Device … 

Having a hard time shutting down your Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, etc? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.  Turns out Internet companies rely on what is called the “network effect” to make sure you keep coming back for more. Hashtags, notifications about comments or likes, requests to connect, etc. are all by design and not necessarily just for your convenience.  A new project called “Network Effects” wants to highlight that we’re not addicted to digital platforms solely because of our own freewill.  Apparently, endless access to content has a lot to do with it.

Now, We Wait … 

Last Friday in the U.S., telecom companies threw down against the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in front of three judges. They’re beefing over the FCC’s most recent net neutrality rules. Here’s what you should know about the situation. The FCC definitely put up a better fight from the last go around a couple of years ago, but it’s hard to say how the judges will rule on whether the FCC’s rules are legit or not. Looks like we use 70% of our broadband access to stream online videos so what the judges decide matters. Their decision could impact how everyday folks like us access online content. We won’t know anything until Spring 2016.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’ 

After a three-day pow wow with its board, no word yet from Yahoo on whether it’s going to sell off its Web business or not.  According to reports, it’s very likely that the company will continue to rely on CEO Marissa Mayer to make the company the next “comeback kid.”

Speaking of comebacks, Priceline’s got that on lock. Anything’s possible.

After years of research, 20-year old Maria Rose Belding, a sophomore at American University, helped create a social network to help cut down on food waste.  Her platform connects food pantries in 24 states so they can share any excess food that would’ve probably been trashed.

Facebook’s testing out its live streaming video feature with some regular people.

Actor and comedian Paul Scheer is bringing back old school Sunday comics via Vine with cult web comic White Ninja.

Check out Twitter’s 2015 Year In Review.

 

 

The Virtual Skinny: It’s Enough Now …

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

12.3.2015

Good to Know: Most of you will likely get new devices as holiday presents this year. Not sure what to do with your old ones? Amazon, Gazelle, and Best Buy have stellar recycling or trade-in programs in the U.S. 

THE SKINNY

Something Becoming Routine Isn’t Always A Good Thing…  

In fact, it can be a very bad thing. Yesterday, a horrible mass shooting took place in San Bernadino, California and claimed the lives of 14 innocent people. Per usual, U.S. politicians immediately took to Twitter to send their “thoughts and prayers.” It didn’t go over well with the American public. 

aN uNEXPECTED RESPONSE … 

The hashtag #thoughtsandprayers started trending on Twitter but not in the way you think. Americans tweeted their frustrations with the U.S. Congress’s inaction on gun control. Their message: Simply tweeting about “thoughts and prayer” won’t change anything.  The controversial front page of today’s NY Daily News pretty much sums it up.

Speak Up or DO SOMETHING

This latest tragedy is just another example of the increasing role Internet and tech companies are playing to either help force difficult political debates or help take action against domestic and global terrorists.  For instance, earlier today, five tech companies including Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Google, and Microsoft told France that they would “define and establish an offensive strategy of counter-discourse that will specifically target the online activities” of terrorist group ISIS.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

Break Me Off A Piece of that…

If Yahoo’s board decides to sell the company’s Web business, it looks like almost everyone and their Moms want a piece of the action.  Potential buyers range from private equity firms to media and telecom companies like Verizon Communications (they bought AOL earlier this year), Time Inc., and even News Corp. (owner of Wall Street Journal).  Not everyone’s jumping on the Yahoo bandwagon.  Chinese Internet company Alibaba is not interested.  Decisions should be made by the time the company’s marathon board meeting ends tomorrow.  The suspense!

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’ 

German banking startup Number26 is going after Europeans with aversions to traditional banking. It’s expanding across Europe to service countries like France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Slovakia and Spain.

When a potentially better product is on your heels, you have to act quick! Global bank Goldman Sachs is creating its own version of “bitcoin” or virtual currency called SETLCoin. Trading securities and settling those trades may just get a bit easier and faster.

Spotify is world’s the #1 music streaming service, but Pandora isn’t going out like that. Pandora’s pretty popular in the U.S., but it’s putting in work to compete in a very competitive market. New strategy: Attack the Spotify-types’ “free” music model. Record labels are listening, but that message probably won’t go over well with consumers.

YouTube is forming closer ties with Hollywood. The online platform is wheeling and dealing (in a good way) to get rights for TV shows and movies to stream via its new YouTube Red Service.

Parking your own car is such a waste of time.  Don’t worry! Startup valet-parking company Luxe has got you. Start saving your coins. Depending on the U.S. city, pricing could range from US $5-7 hourly or US$15 – US$30 daily.

The Virtual Skinny: Blurgh!

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

12.2.2015

Good to Know: Use ride-hailing app Uber? Want that 5-star rating status? Just be a decent human being.  Sounds like general life advice to us. 

THE SKINNY

When A Crazy Idea Isn’t So Crazy After All … 

Wall Street is buzzing with news that Internet veteran Yahoo may actually consider selling off its core ad business to the highest bidder when its Board of Directors (board) meets this week. This is all according to the Wall Street Journal.

This Is How Rumors Get Started …

Thank activist investor Starboard Value for the suggestion. Last month, Starboard fired off a letter to Yahoo where it pitched the idea. The Internet vet has yet to respond publicly, but news reports triggered a 7 percent spike in Yahoo’s shares.

They Build You Up, Only to Tear You Down …

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer probably took on the role all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. The former Googler seemed like the answer to Yahoo’s problems. However, after three years on the job, Mayer’s attempts to put Yahoo back on the map aren’t doing much good. Lately, some company execs have said “deuces.” Media reports are speculating that Yahoo’s board isn’t happy, and this could mean curtains for Mayer. Reports have even dropped Facebook Sheryl Sandberg’s name as a potential replacement. Highly unlikely but still!

Everyone, Calm Down … 

It’s true. Yahoo isn’t in a good place. But, talk about selling its core business and numbering the days of Mayer’s tenure as CEO could be all media hype. Re/code says that the meetings this week are business as usual. And, the board isn’t ready to ditch Mayer as it still has faith in her leadership.  We’ll wait and see …

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

Taking Things To The Next Level … 

#GivingTuesday happened, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Dr. Priscilla Chan got the memo. First, they announced the birth of their first child, a daughter named Max.  Then, they stunned everyone by vowing to give 99% of their FB shares (worth about US $49 billion) towards making the world a better place. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative intends “to advance human potential and promote equality for all children in the next generation.”  The initiative is set up as a LLC and not a charity. So over the course of their lifetime, the Zucks will still have control over how their money is spent via private investments. #Mazel

There’s A First Time for Everything … 

Home-sharing service AirBnB and New York City (NYC) haven’t exactly had warm and fuzzy feelings for each other. The New York State Attorney General’s (AG) Office has traditionally been anti-AirBnB and is convinced that most AirBnB rentals in the city are illegal. Things came to a head earlier this year when a court ordered AirBnB to share anonymized data about its hosts with the AG.  But, that was the past. AirBnB’s now trying to smooth things over with local governments and is voluntarily sharing hosts’ data with NYC. The company hopes being transparent will show that 99% of hosts’ rentals are legit, and people benefit financially. As they say, you catch more bees with honey …

When Big Brother UK Means Something Different … 

GCHQ, the UK’s digital spying agency or its version of the NSA, is owning up to its hacking activities. The agency basically confirmed things we learned through the Edward Snowden leaks.  GCHQ admits that it hacks into people’s devices and networks not only in the UK but abroad as well. Proper search warrants not needed…. Awesome! Cambridge University Professor Ross Anderson says this behavior could harm the public. The agency sees nothing wrong and credits hacking for scrapping 6 alleged terrorist attacks this year alone.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’ 

Professional networking platform LinkedIn just upgraded its app. You’ll notice the common theme is all about de-cluttering the user experience. The app’s new private messaging feature’s got that texting-type feel.  TBH, it looks more like FB, and we don’t hate it.

It’s a hard knock life for Jay Z’s music service Tidal. The service has been out for only 8 months and is already on its third CEO Jeff Toig, previously chief business officer at streaming service SoundCloud. Toig starts in January 2016.

Software company Adobe is officially ridding itself of web animation tool, Flash. Not that anyone liked it in the first place. Hopefully, Flash’s replacement, Adobe Animate CC, is a keeper.

Ride-hailing app Uber is still snatching up Google employees. The latest? Former Google Maps exec Manik Gupta.

The Virtual Skinny: Go Time …

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

11.23.2015

Good to Know: ‘Tis the season for giving. Turn to Charity Navigator or the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance to avoid being scammed by an online charity this holiday season. 

THE SKINNY

Re-Thinking Your Approach … 

U.S. company Shotspotter wants to use its technology to help cities around the globe better respond to terrorist attacks like the ones we’ve seen in Paris, Beirut, Mali, Mumbai, Kenya, etc.

What Does It Do? 

The technology, which is currently deployed in 90 cities around the world, relies on Internet-enabled microphones to hone in on specific areas where there’s gunfire or explosions. In a matter of 30-45 seconds, authorities are alerted of a potential attack. The company wants to expand beyond 90 cities so its teamed up with General Electric.  Both companies think that incorporating the technology into street lamps is the best way to go for full coverage of entire cities. Understandable … GE’s been on its “smart cities” mission for a while and already has “smart” streetlights.

Why Not Cover the Entire Globe? 

David Bray, an executive in residence at Harvard University, wants to see a Shotspotter-style system created worldwide. Bray thinks including Shotspotter-type microphones in devices like cellphones would do the trick. But, for that idea to work, governments need to partner with private companies like Google.  The Internet company declined to comment. We’re thinking this raises all sorts of red flags for people’s privacy. Also, it probably isn’t a good look for government surveillance, which isn’t a fan favorite for Internet and tech companies.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON? 

When You Make Light of a Pretty Serious Situation …

Brussels is on a high terrorist alert and issued a city-wide lockdown over the weekend. After the Paris terrorist attacks, authorities are still on the hunt for suspects in Belgium. Yesterday evening, Belgian police asked citizens to step away from the Twitter-verse to avoid tipping off suspects about their armed operations. Belgian citizens didn’t exactly follow orders. They turned fear into humor by kicking off a tweet-storm about their pet cats with the hashtag #BrusselsLockDown. On a serious note, Belgian police carried out 22 raids and ultimately arrested 16 people.  Police are still unsure of suspected gunman Salah Abdeslam’s whereabouts.

Decisions, Decisions … 

Austrian student Max Schrems will keep going after Facebook (FB).  Schrems is partly responsible for the European Court of Justice recently throwing out the US-EU Safe Harbor, a longstanding data transfer agreement between the U.S. and European Union. Schrems has got major problems with FB’s privacy policy.  An Austrian court has already let him file a personal suit against FB because of it. But now, he’s looking to team up with 25,000+ people for a class action against the social media company.  He just needs the go ahead from the court. Meanwhile, FB says it’s done nothing wrong.

When Someone’s Got Your Back … 

Ever tried watching a video on YouTube but can’t? You’ve probably seen some variation of the following: “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by [insert media company, network, artist, etc. here].” Under U.S. copyright law (the Digital Millennium Copyright Act specifically), sometimes a video take-down (like what you see on YouTube) is legit; but other times, it’s not. The law isn’t exactly intuitive, and regular folks, who aren’t well-versed in the law, can be intimidated by the process.  They often choose not to fight back against take down requests by rightsholders such as music labels, media companies, networks, etc. Google is sick and tired of YouTube content creators being unfairly targeted under the law so it wants to help out.  The company wants a select few to fight back and is prepared to financially support their legal woes up to US $1 million.

THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’ 

Does our pact mean nothing to you? Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer asked her execs to take a pledge to stand by the struggling company for three to five years.  It may not be working. Rob Barrett, Yahoo’s head of media strategy and operations, turned in his walking papers, making him the latest employee to dip out on the company.

What do you do when your daily deals company is on a financial decline? Pen a blog post comparing your company to a drug, of course. Andrew Mason, Co-founder and former CEO of Groupon, says “Groupon is powerful like morphine is powerful … If you use it too much, you’ll overdose and die. But take it in moderation and it can do wonders.” Interesting …

Google backed out of China five years ago after refusing to keep up with the country’s self-censorship policies. But, a lot can change in five years. China’s a pretty big market for Internet companies, and Google wants back in.  The company plans to launch a country-specific version of Google Play in China.

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is placing big bets on Nest – one of its acquisitions worth $3.2 billion.  With devices and products such as “smart” thermometers and smoke detectors, Nest is the company’s way into the smart home market.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan will soon welcome their first child, a daughter.  The Zuck is taking two months of paid paternity leave. We care because gender norms is a hot topic in the tech industry.

The Virtual Skinny: Spring Is Springing?

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

3.17.2015

Good to Know:  SxSw is in full swing, and tech companies are naturally making big announcements from Yahoo’s on-demand passwords available only in the U.S. to the premiere of “Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine” documentary.  Too many cool things, we can’t even stand it!  

THE SKINNY.

It’s Finally Here … 

Last week, the Federal Communications Commission released its long awaited Open Internet rules.

Maybe Legal or Maybe Not? 

For weeks, we’ve all known that the 313-page Order would go into detail on three rules – no blocking, no throttling, and no paid prioritization.  In other words, Internet service providers (ISPs) may not block access to lawful, online content or services.  ISPs will also not be able to slow down Internet traffic to certain types of content.  And lastly, ISPs cannot be monetarily compensated to permit faster access to particular types of content, services, and applications.  While we’ve been expecting these rules for several weeks, the Order also raised legal uncertainties that are open to various interpretations.  One particular section under scrutiny is the “just and unreasonable” provision.

Anything You Can Do, We Can Do Better…

Well, now that the Order is out, the Republican led U.S. Congress is set to grill the Commission’s Chairman Tom Wheeler in a number of hearings this week.  Expect questions about how the Order evolved from a hybrid approach to its current state, particularly since the change happened soon after President Obama’s endorsement of Title II.  Congress thinks it can do better on net neutrality rules.  As they say, only time will tell.

What Else Is Going On This Week?

2015 = The Year of Apple?  

Last week, we predicted that April would be an Apple takeover but now this may just extend the full year.  According to media reports, Apple is planning on launching a TV streaming service this September.  The tech company is said to be in talks with Walt Disney and Fox but no so much with NBC given its current rift with Comcast, NBC’s parent company.  This streaming service is likely to drive sales of its hardware products – iPhone, iPad, Apple TV to name a few.

It’s Not All Good News … 

Though Apple Pay debuted with a bang, banks who were once singing its praises are now not so privately complaining about the service.  Banks are complaining about increased fraud rates, but industry experts say it may not be all on Apple Pay but the banks have something to do with it.   The vulnerabilities in the system seem to be happening because Apple Pay’s “onboard” system is kept deliberately simple, requiring basic credit card information.  In turn, the banks chose not to take extra security precautions nor did it require Apple to offer more detailed customer information.

Should I Post This on My FB?

The social network is clarifying its policies on what content it may remove if its deemed too sensitive (e.g., nudity, terrorism, hate speech).  In justifying this clarifications, FB’s Chief Mark Zuckerberg says the company is simply complying with “lawful government orders” to remove certain types of content.  FB also released new data on government requests to remove content, and the numbers in the latter half of 2014 decreased for the earlier part of last year among Western countries.

The Streets Are Talkin’

Are you sick of hearing about all things Apple?  Well, we promise this is that last mention for the week, but rumor has it that the company is working on a car project.  Code name – Titan.

Uber’s Chief Financial Officer Brent Callinicos is stepping down.  Nothing controversial from what we gather.  Callinicos just wants more family time with his wife and kids.

Pinterest just got a huge influx of cash.  The only scrapbooking service is now valued at $11 billion after raising $367 million in its latest round of financing.