Business, Spoken

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Pandora Learns the Cost of Ads, and of Subscriptions Apr 30, 2018

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At best, advertising is something people tolerate while consuming media. At worst, it’s a turnoff. Media companies engage in a delicate balance between showing audiences enough ads to earn a profit without annoying them so much they leave altogether. A new study by internet radio service Pandora shows that too many ads can motivate users to pay for an ad-free version, but push many more to listen less or abandon the service.

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Facebook Launches a New Ad Campaign With an Old Message Apr 30, 2018

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Facebook's new ad promises to better protect users. On Wednesday, American TV viewers, including fans watching the NBA Playoffs, caught the launch of a major national advertising campaign from Facebook that will appear online, in movie theaters, public transit, billboards, and TV through the summer. “We came here for the friends,” the TV voiceover begins, emphasizing that Facebook is about connecting and making people feel less alone. “But then something happened.

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The Startup That Will Vet You for Your Next Job Apr 27, 2018

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If you've ever applied for a job, chances are someone has run a criminal background check on you. But what exactly does that mean? "There's often a misconception that you can order a one-stop shop of information on a person, but that doesn't exist," says Melissa Sorenson, the executive director of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners. Instead, a background check typically involves pulling records from multiple places, such as state and county courts.

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Here’s What Facebook Won’t Let You Post Apr 27, 2018

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If you eat someone, do not share it on Facebook. Cannibalism videos are banned. Same with still images of cannibalism victims, alive or dead. Unless the image is presented in a medical context with a warning that only those 18 and over can see it. But fetish content regarding cannibalism? Verboten for all ages. And not just on News Feed; it's also a no-no on other Facebook properties like Instagram—and even Messenger.

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Some Startups Use Fake Data to Train AI Apr 26, 2018

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Berlin startup Spil.ly had a problem last spring. The company was developing an augmented-reality app akin to a full-body version of Snapchat’s selfie filters—hold up your phone and see your friends’ bodies transformed with special effects like fur or flames. To make it work, Spil.ly needed to train machine-learning algorithms to closely track human bodies in video.

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The Future of Snapchat Looks a Lot Like Magic Leap Apr 26, 2018

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Vomiting rainbows is so 2015. Since Snapchat first introduced its augmented reality lenses, the filters that allow us to vomit rainbows in photos, it has released new ones frequently enough to keep its users hooked. But so far, these AR filters mostly focus on distorting selfies. They allow you to turn yourself into a bug-eyed bunny rabbit or a big-cheeked flower child, or paper something funny—a Jeff Koons statue, a dancing hot dog—atop the physical world.

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Gmail Is Getting a Long-Overdue Upgrade Apr 25, 2018

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Google is beginning one of the biggest updates to Gmail in years. Starting Wednesday, the company is rolling out new features like snooze buttons and a sidebar with a new task-management system. Google promises other new features, including new security options, in coming weeks. The snooze feature will help you declutter your inbox by hiding messages for a set amount of time.

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Spotify Bolsters Free Service in Defense Against Apple Music Apr 25, 2018

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As the leader in streaming music, Spotify is under attack from Apple, Google, and Amazon. The Silicon Valley giants have endless cash to support their streaming services, which require expensive payouts to artists. Apple, Google, and Amazon also control the devices many people use to play music, be they smartphones, home assistants, or smart TV accessories.

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When John Doerr Brought a ‘Gift’ to Google’s Founders Apr 24, 2018

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Venture capitalist John Doerr is best known for being an early backer of Google and Amazon, among many other companies. Doerr, chair of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers, has authored "Measure What Matters," in which he details a management philosophy around setting and achieving audacious goals. In this edited excerpt, Doerr describes injecting his management techniques in Google's early days.

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Facebook’s 2017 Privacy Audit Didn’t Catch Cambridge Analytica Apr 24, 2018

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Two years after Facebook learned that a university researcher had given political consultancy Cambridge Analytica personal information on millions of Facebook users, a government-mandated outside audit of Facebook’s privacy practices found nothing wrong. The April 2017 audit, by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), had been required as part of a 2011 consent decree between Facebook and the Federal Trade Commission.

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