WSJ Tech News Briefing

Is Competing With Netflix and Amazon Impossible?

18 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

At the WSJ D.Live conference in Laguna Beach, California, media mogul Barry Diller, chairman of IAC/InterActive, discusses what makes Netflix and Amaz...

Starbucks, Domino's Tackle Mobile-Ordering Problems

17 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Restaurant-chain apps like Starbucks and Domino's are reshaping a business once built on human interaction -- but these new systems don't always work ...

Amazon Bookstores: Hinting at Whole Foods' Future?

16 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With Amazon's "Amazon Books," prices aren't marked at stores and employees instruct shoppers to use their phones to scan a product for a price. The Wa...

To-Do List Apps: Tricks to Getting Digitally Organized

13 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As reliance on to-do list apps becomes more common, Wall Street Journal reporter Chris Kornelis explains how we can get more out of them with the late...

Apple's Spielberg Deal: Shaking Up Video Streaming Wars?

12 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Apple has revealed it's betting on acclaimed director and producer Steven Spielberg for its first major foray into creating original video content. Th...

Google Finds Russia-Backed Ads on Platform

11 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

New details have surfaced about the Russian-linked entities that bought politically motivated ads on Google's platform. The Wall Street Journal's Jack...

Amazon's Second HQ: Bad News for Seattle?

10 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon's move to establish a second corporate headquarters could be bad news for longtime home Seattle, which has benefited enormously from the compan...

Smart Vision: Chip Makers Add 'Brains' Alongside Cameras' Eyes

09 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

From lettuce production to augmented reality, tech companies are finding new uses for machines that can interpret and act on what they see. The Wall S...

Google Doubles Down With New Phones and Speakers

06 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

At an event this week at the SFJAZZ Center, Google said it's betting a new Pixel smartphone and home speaker will help crack the competitive market fo...

The Motiv Ring: Track Your Fitness ... With One Finger

05 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Wall Street Journal's Geoffrey Fowler reviews the Motiv Ring, a wearable tech device that aims to blend in while it collects heart-rate data from ...

Tesla Misses Model 3 Production Goals. What Now?

04 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Tesla badly missed its goal of building 1,500 Model 3 cars in the third quarter, the first sign that the production ramp-up for the new sedan isn't go...

Why Apple Rival Samsung Wants the iPhone X to Win

03 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Upon Samsung standing to make billions supplying screens and chips for Apple's iPhone X, the Wall Street Journal's Tripp Mickle discusses the longtime...

Humans on Mars by 2024? Elon Musk Says Yes

02 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has unveiled plans to build the most powerful rocket ever and use it to launch a giant spacecraft to Mars -- potentially i...

Amazon's New Echos Bring Alexa Everywhere

29 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This fall, Amazon is introducing a half-dozen new products to persuade families to put its virtual assistant Alexa in a lot more places throughout the...

What Can Stop Big Tech? The $3 Trillion Question

28 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As governments often target big technology companies seen as too dominant in their respective spaces, the Wall Street Journal's Dan Gallagher explains...

White House Coding Education Wins Support From Silicon Valley

27 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With support from Silicon Valley and business leaders, President Donald Trump is boosting computer science training and coding in U.S. classrooms. The...

Microsoft Takes on IBM With 'Dynamics 365 AI Solutions'

26 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Microsoft plans to unveil its first product in a new line of software aimed at taking on IBM's Watson and other services in the growing market to appl...

Amazon Putting Whole Foods on Fast Track to Convention?

25 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Whole Foods will change the way companies can sell and market their products in its stores beginning next year -- one of the biggest moves yet in its ...

Ready For Apple Watch Series 3? There's Just One (Big) Problem

22 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With the new Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE on sale in stores Friday, Apple faces key issues with cell connectivity in its newest smartwatch. The Wall ...

Why You Need to Turn 'Two-Factor Authentication' On

21 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With "two-factor authentication" emerging as necessary added measure in our everyday cyber-lives, the Wall Street Journal's Personal Tech editor Wilso...

iPhone 8 Review: Worth the Upgrade?

20 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With no shortage of iPhone options to choose from this fall, the Wall Street Journal's Geoffrey Fowler talks why the iPhone 8 is the best model... to ...

Companies Go Old School to Fight New Cyber Threats

19 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As cybersecurity threats become more volatile, companies are returning to tape as a medium for storing data as hackers get smarter about penetrating d...

High Tech's Chillier Relationship With Washington

18 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The high-tech industry enjoyed a cozy relationship with Washington under Barack Obama's presidency. But the Wall Street Journal's Byron Tau says that'...

Emmy Awards Pit Streaming Series Against Broadcast TV

15 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

'The Crown,' 'This Is Us' and 'Westworld' all will vie Sunday for Emmy awards. An open field and a rivalry between streaming series and broadcast TV h...

Cyber Extortion is the New Hacker Weapon

14 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With cyber extortion, hackers try to steal corporate secrets that they then threaten to make public if victims don't pay. The Wall Street Journal's Ro...

Google's Self-Driving Guru

13 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

John Krafcik is the head of Google's autonomous vehicle unit, Waymo. The Wall Street Journal's Tim Higgins says a big part of Krafcik's job is to be a...

Does Apple's New iPhone Equal $1 Trillion?

12 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Apple's market value has soared this year in anticipation of the new iPhone expected to be unveiled Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal's Dan Gallagher o...

Facebook's Billion-Dollar Video Push

11 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Facebook is reportedly willing to spend up to one billion dollars through next year on original video content. The Wall Street Journal's Deepa Seethar...

Amazon's New HQ: Coming Soon to a City Near You?

08 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon has officially started its search for a second headquarters city in North America, with plans to employ up to 50,000 workers and spend up to $5...

Apple (Finally) Opens Up Thanks to Artificial Intelligence

07 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As tech companies seek to woo A.I. talent in a discipline known for its openness, the battle for artificial-intelligence expertise is forcing Apple to...

Verizon Offers New Rewards -- With a Catch

06 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

A new Verizon rewards program, Verizon Up, is providing credits that subscribers can use for concert tickets, movie premieres and phone upgrades -- as...

Apple's iPhone 8 Event: The Final Countdown

05 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With Apple holding its annual product launch next week at its new headquarters, the tech giant formally sets the stage for the unveiling of the iPhone...

Amazon Seeks Man Power to Keep Alexa in Lead

04 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As rivals Google and Apple work to improve their own digital products, Amazon is set to add a team of engineers to build new features for its virtual...

Amazon's Alexa to Join Forces With Microsoft's Cortana

01 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Microsoft and Amazon have announced plans to allow their voice-enabled digital assistants -- Cortana and Alexa -- to work together later this year. T...

Google Tells EU How Search Results Will Change

31 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Following orders to treat rival comparison-shopping services equally in its rankings, Alphabet's Google has officially sketched out how it plans to st...

Apple Spars With Hollywood Ahead of Apple TV Rollout

30 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As Apple scrambles to strike deals with Hollywood studios to offer 4K definition films on the new Apple TV, the Wall Street Journal's Tripp Mickle tal...

Ask Not for Whom the Doorbell Tolls. They Won't Answer It.

29 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Some smartphone-carrying millennials and Gen Zers are so used to texting upon arrival that the sound of a ringing doorbell freaks them out. The Wall S...

Amazon's Whole Foods Price-Cuts Reignites Retail War

28 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon will begin slashing prices on grocery staples at Whole Foods starting Monday, the first changes the online retailer plans for its $13.7 billion...

Samsung's Recall Shapes Galaxy Note 8

25 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Rather than cautiously go on the defensive, Samsung made a specific approach not to hold back with the new Galaxy Note 8. The Wall Street Journal's Br...

Electronic Arts, NFL Bet on Casual Esports Gamers

24 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Electronic Arts and the National Football League are teaming up to create an annual videogame tournament aimed at a new kind of esports competitor --...

Facial Recognition Tech: Unlocking All Devices With Your Face

23 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As facial-recognition tech moves to mobile devices, the Wall Street Journal's Christopher Mims explains how using our faces to unlock devices could so...

HTC, Facebook Slash Prices. Can VR Go Mainstream Now?

22 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With HTC dropping the price of its Vive virtual-reality headset by $200, weeks after Facebook made a similar price cut for its Oculus Rift, Heard on t...

Ford Shifting Gears in Self-Driving Tech?

21 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Ford's new CEO says the auto maker is poised to rethink how customers are going to want to use self-driving vehicle technology. The Wall Street Journa...

How Facebook Ended Internal Forum Amid Cultural Struggles

18 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With a new report detailing how Facebook had to shut down an internal discussion group amid accusations of racist and sexist comments last year, the W...

Apple Goes Hollywood With $1 Billion War Chest

17 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With Apple setting a budget of roughly $1 billion to procure and produce original content over the next year, the Wall Street Journal's Tripp Mickle t...

Amazon Refunds Glasses Ahead of 'Great American Eclipse'

16 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As demand increases ahead of "Great American Eclipse," Amazon has taken a stand to remove special viewers with unconfirmed safety standards. The Wall ...

How Facebook Gets Inside Peek at Rivals

15 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Wall Street Journal's Deepa Seetharaman explains how Facebook uses a data-security app called Onavo to peek at its competition's user habits, and ...

Facebook's 'Watch' Courts Video Makers

14 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Wall Street Journal's Alexandra Bruell breaks down what to expect from Facebook's new "Watch" video platform, and how the social media giant plans...

Amazon and Whole Foods: Culture Clash in the Making?

11 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Now that Amazon has moved to acquire Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, the e-commerce giant needs to figure out how deeply it should integrate with the g...

Will Netflix Feel the Heat When Disney Cuts Cord?

10 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With Disney set to launch its own subscription streaming service -- officially pulling all future movies from Netflix -- the Wall Street Journal's Eri...

The End of Typing: 'Next Billion' Users Lead the Way

09 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Tech companies like Alphabet and Apple are rethinking products amid a new wave of newcomers who avoid text and use voice activation and images to comm...

Mobile-Game Makers: Virtually Tapping on Your Shoulder

08 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Mobile-game makers frequently use common tactics that ping players, baiting them back in with rewards and special contests. The Wall Street Journal's ...

Can Next Apple Watch Break Us Free From Our iPhone?

07 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Apple plans to introduce a smartwatch this year with cellular network capability, marking the first step in liberating the device and possibly consume...

Why Tesla's Cash Could Burn in Production 'Hell'

07 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Tesla's version of production "hell" could mean the Silicon Valley car maker will run low on cash later this year as it starts on an ambitious plan to...

Google Co-Founder Enlisted Engineer For His Flying Car

04 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The latest in the legal fight between Uber and Alphabet over driverless-car trade secrets reveals Google co-founder Larry Page's flying-car startup en...

Tesla's Rough Road to Big Profits

04 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

While Tesla shareholders are betting on a profitable future, Heard on the Street's Charley Grant breaks down the costly challenges the electric-car ma...

Facebook's New Feature Drowns Out Fake News

03 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With the roll out of Facebook's new "related articles" feature, the Wall Street Journal's Deepa Seetharaman talks the social media giant's latest effo...

Amazon's Echo Look: Can a Robot Pick Out Your Outfit?

03 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With Amazon's camera-equipped Echo Look touting the use of AI to evaluate which outfits look best on you, the Wall Street Journal's Geoffrey Fowler ch...

Apple's Real Breakthrough Product? Services

02 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With services like App Store, iTunes and iCloud generating more than $27.8 billion in revenue in 12-month period, the Wall Street Journal's Tripp Mick...

GM Hires Jeep Hackers as Detroit Takes on Silicon Valley

02 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Upon GM hiring the two hackers who notoriously hacked into a Jeep made by Fiat Chrysler, the Wall Street Journal's Mike Colias talks how Detroit is lo...

HBO Hacked: Programming Leaked in Cyberattack

01 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

HBO is the latest entertainment company to be hacked and have its proprietary information, including some of its shows, stolen and leaked online. The ...

Is Apple Feeling Heat From Trump to Build Factories?

01 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Pressed by President Donald Trump, Apple suddenly faces new pressure to build factories in the U.S. The Wall Street Journal's Tripp Mickle has the det...

Tesla Model 3: The Test Drive

31 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Upon the release of its new Model 3 sedan, Tesla showed off details of the all-electric sedan's interior for the first time, allowing a roughly 10-min...

Are Amazon's Expansion Costs Taking a Toll?

31 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With Amazon eking out its smallest quarterly profit in nearly two years, the Wall Street Journal's Laura Stevens talks the high cost of its increasing...

Model 3 Launch Event: Is Tesla Ready for Mainstream?

28 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Tesla's Elon Musk is set to take the stage Friday evening at an event to showcase the first deliveries of the sedan he hopes will help transform his n...

Twitter Fizzling After Election-Fueled Growth

28 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Twitter posted no real increase in users after getting a bump three months ago from the U.S. presidential election, stressing the growing challenges t...

How Amazon's Jeff Bezos Became World's Richest Person

27 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos's net worth topped $90 billion on Thursday morning, allowing him to dethrone Microsoft's Bill Gates as the richest man in the wo...

Amazon's Job Fair: Now Hiring 50,000 Positions

27 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Wall Street Journal's Laura Stevens talks Amazon's giant job fair around the country as the tech giant pushes to make good on its pledge to hire 1...

8 Biggest Tech Hubs for $100,000+ Tech Jobs

26 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Wall Street Journal's Josh Zumbrun talks about the leading tech cities for higher-wage tech jobs, and why expensive prices in metro areas aren't e...

Lego Boost Review: Creating Kid Coders

26 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With the new Lego Boost kit making classic Lego bricks come to life with programmable motors and sensors, the Wall Street Journal's Geoffrey Fowler ta...

Net-Neutrality: New Hope in Finding Common Ground?

25 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

An influential House committee chairman is aiming to pass compromise net-neutrality legislation, seeking common ground between high-tech and telecommu...

Robotic Breakthrough: Boxing Your Online Order

25 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Facing more pressure to speed orders more quickly to customers, a rising number of companies are using high-tech robots in their manufacturing process...

PayPal, J.P. Morgan Deal Shakes Up Mobile Payment Game

24 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

J.P. Morgan Chase and PayPal, two of the highest-profile companies providing mobile wallets in the U.S., will now be partners as well as competitors u...

Lyft Shifts Gears With New Driverless-Car Division

24 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As Lyft announces plans to launch its own driver-less car division, the Wall Street Journal's Greg Bensinger talks where this leaves the always compet...

Elon Musk Tweets New York-to-D.C. Hyperloop Tease

21 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk tweeting that he got "verbal" government approval for his ambitious New York-to-D.C. Hyperloop project, the Wa...

Can Samsung's Bixby Take on Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa?

21 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With a new talking sidekick arriving on millions of Samsung Galaxy S8 phones this week, the Wall Street Journal's Geoffrey Fowler breaks down what mak...

Do Twitter's Rules Apply to Trump's Tweets?

20 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With President Donald Trump's tweets raising questions about a violation of Twitter's rules, the Wall Street Journal's Georgia Wells talk how the the ...

Google Tries Again With Glass Headset

20 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Google is relaunching Glass, its head-worn computer, by targeting corporate customers and dubbing the device, "Glass Enterprise Edition." The Wall St...

The Rise of the Retail Robots

19 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Amid increasing pressure from Amazon, Wal-Mart and other large retailers are turning to technology to do workers' rote tasks. The Wall Street Journal'...

Best Way to Back Up Photos on Your iPhone

19 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Is your smartphone constantly telling you there's no more storage? Michael Hsu, Gear & Gadgets editor for The Wall Street Journal's Off Duty section, ...

Netflix Soars Thanks to Big Subscriber Gains

18 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Netflix blew through its subscriber-growth estimate, proving that big bets on original programming and international expansion are paying off. The Wal...

Will Apple Test Mass Market With New iPhone Design?

18 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As rumors circulate that Apple's new iPhone will arrive late -- and at a much higher price, the Wall Street Journal's Dan Gallagher talks whether the ...

Elon Musk Pushes to Regulate AI's 'Existential Threat'

17 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk warned a gathering of U.S. governors about several worst-case scenarios for AI, saying that the technology "is the biggest risk that we face...

Visa's Big Push to Go Digital

17 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Wall Street Journal's AnnaMaria Andriotis discusses Visa's offer to small businesses to upgrade payment technology and stop taking cash, as well a...

Too Many Robocalls? FCC Offers New Hope

14 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With hits running at a rate of more than 2.5 billion a month, technology advances continue to make robocalls cheap and easy to place. The Wall Street ...

Self-Driving Car Makers' Roadblock? Digital Mapping

14 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Wall Street Journal's Tim Higgins talks how restrictions on digital mapping by overseas firms in China present hurdles to non-Chinese vehicle and ...

Hi-Tech Airport Screening: Hope for Faster Security Lines?

13 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Two different airport-screening changes-one high-tech, one very low-show promise at speeding up security lines and improving accuracy at finding weapo...

Tovala: The Oven Reinventing TV Dinners

13 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Wall Street Journal's Geoffrey Fowler talks the new Tovala meal kit, which aims to reinvent the TV dinner by shipping meals to your home that are ...

Google's Academic Influence Campaign: Paying Professors

12 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Reporter Jack Nicas discusses the Wall Street Journal's report about Google's little-known program that harnesses the brain power of university resear...

Microsoft's Tries TV 'White Space' to Close Digital Divide

12 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Wall Street Journal's Jay Greene talks how Microsoft is pushing for "TV white-space technology," and why it may be the key to solving the digital ...

Tesla Amps Up Service Ahead of Model 3 Roll Out

11 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As Tesla readies for its first mass-market car, it's tripling its capacity to repair vehicles with new service centers and hundreds of maintenance van...

Apple's iTunes Falls Short in Battle for Video

11 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As Apple's iTunes Store continues to struggle for music listeners, it's losing the battle for video viewers as well. The Wall Street Journal's Tripp M...

The Key to Future ATMs? Your Smartphone.

10 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As more big banks roll out ATM machines accessible via smartphones, the Wall Street Journal's Telis Demos talks the new use of biometric data, and the...

Apple Bets Big on Cutting Edge Privacy Tech

10 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As companies like Apple experiment with technology aimed understanding users without invading their privacy, the Wall Street Journal's Robert McMillan...

Pokémon Go: Where Augmented-Reality Stands a Year Later

07 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

A year after 'Pokémon Go,' where are the augmented-reality hits? The Wall Street Journal's Sarah E. Needleman talks what's next for AR as app makers ...

Apple's iOS 11: Will iPad Get More Useful-or Confusing?

07 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With Apple's new iOS 11 software update, what will an iPad be good for -- and when are you still better off with a laptop? The Wall Street Journal's G...

Amazon and Dish Network: A Match Made in Heaven?

06 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Wall Street Journal's Shalini Ramachandran talks how a tie-up with Amazon could help the Dish Network break into the wireless business and why a m...

Tech's Future Gets Schooled on Diversity by Stanford

06 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As tech companies grapple with accusations of unfair treatment of women and minorities, Stanford University's Graduate School of Business is trying to...

Volvo Goes All in on Electric

05 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In the face of competition from Tesla, Volvo has announced that new models from 2019 will be either fully electric or a hybrid. The Wall Street Journa...

Space Race: Can White House Policy Restore U.S. Leadership?

05 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

With President Donald Trump signing an executive order to reinstate the National Space Council, the Wall Street Journal's Andy Pasztor talks whether t...