Silicon Beat
On Topic: Tech News To Know Now
Posted 2/21/2014 8:00
Have you seen our excellent coverage of the big Facebook-WhatsApp deal? There’s a closer look at how Mark Zuckerberg’s desire to rule mobile drove the big purchase. There’s a look at Sequoia Capital, whose return on its investment in WhatsApp is a cool $3 billion. And WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum’s story? It’s as rags-to-riches as they come.
Elsewhere: WhatsApp has been called the “anti-Facebook.” The New York Times takes a look at how the founders were won over. And the Huffington Post compiles a list of anti-Facebook quotes that have been uttered by WhatsApp’s founders. A couple of key differences between the two companies are related to their attitudes about privacy and advertising.
Tesla’s most disruptive technology may not be its cars, but its batteries, writes Quartz. Also from Quartz, highlights from Intel CEO Brian Krzanich’s AMA session on reddit this week, which include thoughts about why Intel was late to the mobile revolution.
Tim Bray, XMl co-inventor, is leaving Google. He says the company wouldn’t let him work remotely from Canada. Also, he says the Bay Area is :congested, racist, incestuous and overpriced.”
IBM’s Watson chief is leaving to join Silicon Valley-based The Entrepreneur’s Fund, Fortune reports. For real this time? An Amazon TV box may come in March, according to Recode. Businessweek has a cover story on Uber as disrupter, and the taxi industry’s animosity toward it.
The Internet Association gives its first Congressional Internet Freedom Award to Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Darrell Issa for their support of a free and open Web, according to Hillicon Valley. And that massive multiplayer Pokemon game is overloading Twitch’s servers, Ars Technica reports.
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