Netflix’s Incredible 6X Growth
Netflix is on a roll. The video streaming giant has grown 6x in the last 6 years, expanding from roughly 10.3 million subscribers in 2009 to an astounding 65.6 million in the second quarter of 2015.
Latest News
Hillary Clinton’s Big Speech Leaves Uber and Airbnb’s Future in Limbo
Hillary Clinton just laid out her economic agenda, and ambiguous statements about companies like Uber and Airbnb leave the entire sharing economy industry in limbo. Clinton said she “vows to crack down on employers who misclassify workers as independent contractors.” She also noted that the “so-called gig economy offers exciting opportunities but raises hard questions about workplace protections and what a good job will look like in the future.”
With IBM Chip Breakthrough, Moore’s Law Continues
IBM announced a major breakthrough in chip technology, with a super-tiny seven-nanometer chip. This chip breaks the difficult 10nm barrier and proves that the industry can still move along an important innovation pace known as “Moore’s Law.”
How The 90’s Tech Bubble Saved ‘The West Wing’ From Premature Cancellation
If it weren’t for the excessive spending of late ’90s Silicon Valley startups, one of TV’s most iconic shows would likely have been axed by network executives. “Silicon Valley put the West Wing on television,” the show’s creator, Aaron Sorkin, tells The Ferenstein Wire.
China’s Taxi Monopolist Rises $2B. Here’s How It Compares to Uber
Ferenstein Wire—China’s taxi-hailing monopolist, Kuaidi, has raised a whopping $2B to compete with the surging presence of Uber. Kuaidi controls 99.8 percent of the taxi hailing app market, after it recently merged with its Chinese competitor, Didi. Even with about
What Happens When Apple Names a Product to Benefit the Environment
It’s been a good year for Yosemite National Parks. After the world’s richest tech company decided to name its premier operating system “OS X Yosemite”, it sent a wave of free advertising for the historic mountain range.
Peter Thiel’s Key Advice for Entrepreneurs and Investors
Early Facebook investor and Paypal billionaire Peter Thiel revealed two key pieces of advice he gives aspiring entrepreneurs and investors this week at the Atlantic Aspen Ideas Festival.
A Silicon Valley Startup Explains Why They’re Ditching Freelancers
As Uber and other Silicon Valley startups come under legal pressure for employing an army of full-time freelancers, a well-funded new startup has decided to completely switch its workforce to staffed employees with full benefits (“W2” workers).
Here’s How Fast America Rushed to Learn About Gay Marriage and What Google Had Waiting For Them
Just 3 minutes after the Supreme Court declared gay marriage legal nationwide, much of America shifted its attention to learn more.
Swastika Still Stands As Apple Purges Confederate Flag
A day after Apple began the mass purge of applications depicting the Confederate flag, the Nazi Swastika is still featured prominently in some games. The choice to ban a purported symbol of slavery from historical games, but not of mass genocide, reveals how tech companies struggle to apply hate speech guidelines — often with strange inconsistency.
Inbox Zero Trifecta: Combining Gmail’s ‘Undo’ Feature with Eric Schmidt’s Favorite Email Strategy
Gmail officially added the ability to temporarily un-send an email, promoting an experimental feature long popular with power users. The “undo” feature pairs delightfully well with the favorite email strategy of Google Executive Eric Schmidt: replying to important messages immediately and constantly throughout the day.
Graph: Why California’s Uber Crackdown Could Hurt Workers (In 1 Graph)
The California Labor Comission just ruled that Uber must treat its drivers like normal employees, rather than independent contractors, potentially forcing the company to pay benefits and cover expenses. The decision is being hailed as a victory for worker rights and a major blow to the growing billion-dollar transportation startup.
Sean Parker Plans to ‘Repair Democracy’ with a New ‘Brigade’
Last fall, Sean Parker, the technology billionaire behind Napster, Facebook, and Spotify, invested several million dollars into a risky stealth startup, Brigade, which has the ambitious aim of increasing mass civic participation.
Obama Personally Headhunting for Talent in Tech Giants
After top tech talent from Silicon Valley helped rescue President Obama’s disastrous healthcare website launch, he decided that there was much more the brightest in Silicon Valley could do for the federal government. According to an interview with Fast Company, the President has been personally recruiting top talent from the likes of Google and Facebook to build next-generation government services.
Google’s Obsession With Cities: A Brief Explanation In 3 Maps
Google has just announced a brand new initiative to improve city life, Sidewalk Labs, which will tackle cost of living, transportation, and the environment for urban citizens. While details are scant, it’s worth noting that suburban-based Google is just the latest influential tech giant to join the “cities” bandwagon.
Apple’s New Health Metrics Could Help You Tackle Afternoon Fatigue, Carb Cravings, And Poor Mood
If you want an idea of how the phone in your pocket and watch on your wrist is trying to change you, today’s Apple announcement is a great place to start.
27% of Americans Already Support Limits on Humans Driving Cars, Prefer Self-Driving
In a national poll, more than 1 in 4 Americans said they would support limits on humans driving cars in the near future, given the fact that robotic self-driving cars could be safer.
Twitter Brings Europe’s ‘Right To Be Forgotten’ Censorship to America
Twitter has recently removed the ability of a political watchdog group to archive the embarrassing and incriminating tweets of U.S. congressmen automatically. The Sunlight Foundation’s much-beloved “politwoops” website was famous for revealing the regrettable tweets that members of Congress tried to erase from the history books.
The Best Email App to Get to Inbox Zero Fastest: A Time Trial Review
There are two great new email mobile apps from Google and Microsoft and both offer helpful features, such as location-aware emails and calendar scheduling. While both apps offer something unique, I think one way to compare them is based on a single metric: which app gets me to inbox zero fastest. I don’t enjoy email — I just want to get my daily digital chore done and get on with my life.
The Fundamental Conflict Between Silicon Valley and Democrats: A Brief Analysis
Democrats and Silicon Valley are locked in a head-on collision course; this week, New York City regulators proposed rules requiring Uber and other ride-hailing startups to get pre-approval each time they make major changes to their apps and pay $1,000 to cover the government’s labor costs. The battle between Uber and New York is a perfect example of the fundamental conflict between Democrats and Silicon Valley.
Study: Silicon Valley Could End Homelessness For Free
A new economic analysis finds that Santa Clara Country could completely end its homeless problem at zero net cost by providing public housing for every single person living on the street. The study, from the Knowledge for Greater Good Economic
Chart: At Netflix and Airbnb, Immigrant Salaries Skyrocket
Up-and-coming tech titans are shelling out massive salaries to retain the best immigrants in the world. Netflix is paying an average of $239K per year, and Airbnb is dolling out $163K, up from $134K and $106K in 2012, respectively.
Taxi Unions, Dealerships, And Public Buses, Oh My! It’s Silicon Valley Vs. The Entire Transit Sector
This week it was Silicon Valley versus the entire transportation sector. Scrappy startups and tech behemoths battled entrenched industries and government regulators throughout the globe, in what has become a fascinating illustration of how an entire social sector responds to
How a New Device Makes Online Voting Secure, Even if Hackers Take Over Citizen Computers
A team of researchers have developed a hacker-resistant device that could bring online voting to America. A prototype pin-pad device the size of a credit card, DuVote, reportedly allows citizens to securely vote in elections, even if their computer is completely controlled by nefarious hackers.
What Airbnb Hosts Earn After Rent In San Francisco (in 1 Map)
Regular Airbnb hosts are able to make enough profit to afford San Francisco’s skyrocketing cost of living, according to a new report from city officials [PDF]. The average host is making $440 profit per month (after rent), and some neighborhoods are snagging upwards of $1,900 a month.
