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My Waymo pulled into a parking lot six minutes later than it had initially predicted. It glided through the parking lot to a small, empty space where the map on the touch screen showed a circle. The Waymo rides were affordable, ranging from $18 to $21, about the same as an Uber. It’s going to take years — if not decades — for Waymo to recoup the billions of dollars that it has invested in its service. Though there’s no driver, each ride is supported by staff at a Waymo site that can be summoned if a car runs into trouble.

Persons: “, Mike, Uber Organizations: Chalet Locations: Golden, Waymo

☆ With No Date Set, Musk and Zuckerberg Trade Barbs on ‘Cage Match’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Mike Isaac | More About Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

That rivalry has only increased in recent months, as Mr. Zuckerberg quickly spun up Threads after he witnessed the difficulties Mr. Musk had in his takeover of Twitter. Their brinkmanship came to a head in June, when Mr. Musk, in a reply to someone on Twitter, said that he would fight Mr. Zuckerberg in a physical cage match. It seemed as if the fight “might actually happen,” Mr. Musk later said in an online discussion. In July, Mr. Zuckerberg posted a photo of himself shirtless after a training match, boasting a newly chiseled physique and affirming his zeal for the sport. Mr. Musk did not respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Zuckerberg, Musk, Dana White, Mr, Ron DeSantis Organizations: Twitter, Meta, Gov Locations: China, Japan, South Korea, Florida

☆ What’s in Our Queue? ‘Cave World’ and More
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

What’s in Our Queue? ‘Cave World’ and MoreI’m a technology correspondent for The Times. When I’m not worried about the whims of dueling tech billionaires, I welcome all other distractions. Here are five things I’ve been watching, reading and listening to →

Persons: I’m, I’ve Organizations: The Times

The algorithms powering Facebook and Instagram, which drive what billions of people see on the social networks, have been in the cross hairs of lawmakers, activists and regulators for years. In the papers, researchers from the University of Texas, New York University, Princeton and other institutions found that removing some key functions of the social platforms’ algorithms had “no measurable effects” on people’s political beliefs. In one experiment on Facebook’s algorithm, people’s knowledge of political news declined when their ability to reshare posts was removed, the researchers said. At the same time, the consumption of political news on Facebook and Instagram was highly segregated by ideology, according to another study. Ninety-seven percent of the links to “untrustworthy” news stories on the apps during the 2020 election were read by users who identified as conservative and largely engaged with right-wing content, the research found.

Persons: Instagram Organizations: University of Texas, University of Texas , New York University , Princeton, Facebook Locations: University of Texas , New

The largest companies in the tech industry have spent the year warning that development of artificial intelligence technology is outpacing their wildest expectations and that they need to limit who has access to it. Mr. Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Meta, said on Tuesday that he planned to provide the code behind the company’s latest and most advanced A.I. technology to developers and software enthusiasts around the world free of charge. The decision, similar to one that Meta made in February, could help the company reel in competitors like Google and Microsoft. Those companies have moved more quickly to incorporate generative artificial intelligence — the technology behind OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT chatbot — into their products.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Meta, Mr Organizations: Meta, Google, Microsoft

When we — Brian X. Chen and Mike Isaac, both longtime tech journalists — got an assignment from our editor last week to review Threads, the new social network from Meta, it was like a blast from the past. Both of us have written about social networks for over a dozen years. The arrival of Threads, which was spun out of Instagram and is aimed as a prime place for public, real-time conversations, shakes up that scene. We wondered how we would take to it since one of us — Brian — is a casual Twitter user, and the other — Mike — is a longtime Twitter addict, which might affect our experience with Meta’s new app. Here’s what we found about Threads’ pros and cons and whether it might become a part of your life.

Persons: Brian X, Chen, Mike Isaac, —, Brian —, Mike — Organizations: Meta, Facebook, Twitter Locations: Meta

☆ Why the Early Success of Threads May Crash Into Reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Mike Isaac | More About Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A big tech company with billions of users introduces a new social network. Leveraging the popularity and scale of its existing products, the company intends to make the new social platform a success. If this sounds like Instagram’s new Threads app and its push against its rival Twitter, think again. Despite the internet search giant’s enormous audience, its social network failed to catch on as people continued flocking to Facebook — and later to Instagram and other social apps. But as Google+ shows, bigness alone is no guarantee of winning the fickle and faddish social media market.

Organizations: Twitter, Google, Facebook Locations: Silicon Valley

Last week, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, released Threads, a social media platform to compete with Twitter. In just 16 hours, Threads was downloaded more than 30 million times. Mike Isaac, who covers tech companies and Silicon Valley for The Times, explains how Twitter became so vulnerable and discusses the challenges Meta faces to create a less toxic alternative.

Persons: Mike Isaac, Twitter Organizations: Meta, Facebook, Twitter, The Times Locations: Silicon Valley

☆ Threads Becomes Most Rapidly Downloaded App, Raising Twitter’s Ire
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Mike Isaac | More About Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Another two hours later, five million people had downloaded Threads. When he woke on Thursday morning, the app had been downloaded more than 30 million times, he said. In less than a day, Threads — which is aimed as a rival to Twitter — appears to have taken the crown as the most rapidly downloaded app ever. It easily outstripped ChatGPT, the chatbot, which was downloaded one million times within its first five days, according to OpenAI, ChatGPT’s maker. Some of Twitter’s most-followed users — such as Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Gates, Shakira and Oprah Winfrey — immediately joined Threads and began posting.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Twitter —, Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Gates, Shakira, Oprah Winfrey — Organizations: Meta, Twitter Locations: OpenAI

☆ Threads, Instagram’s ‘Twitter Killer,’ Has Arrived
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Mike Isaac | More About Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Built by Instagram, Threads is positioned as an app where people can have real-time, public conversations with one another. Those interested in signing up for the new app are required to have an Instagram account for now. A user’s Instagram handle must also be their Threads user name. Instagram’s verified users will also be verified on the new app. Users can set their Threads account to be private or public.

Persons: Zuckerberg, ”, ” Adam Mosseri, Instagram Organizations: Twitter

☆ ¿Musk y Zuckerberg pelearán en una jaula? Parece broma, pero quizás no lo sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Ryan Mac | Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter and SpaceX and chief executive of Tesla, tweeted this week that a fight could happen in the Roman Colosseum. Credit... Joel Saget/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, Joel Saget Organizations: Twitter, SpaceX, Agence France

☆ Meta’s ‘Twitter Killer’ App Is Coming
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mark Zuckerberg has long wanted to dislodge Twitter and provide the central place for public conversation online. On Monday, his company, Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, teased a new app aimed squarely at Twitter’s territory. The app, which is called Threads and is connected to Instagram, appeared in Apple’s App Store for users to sign up to download on Thursday, when it will be released. The app appears to function much like Twitter, emphasizing public conversations, with users able to follow people they already do on Instagram. Some techies have referred to the coming app as a “Twitter killer.”Mr. Zuckerberg is striking while Twitter undergoes fresh turmoil.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, hasn’t, Zuckerberg, Mr, Elon Musk Organizations: Twitter, Meta, Elon

☆ A ‘Cage Match’ Between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg May Be No Joke
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Ryan Mac | Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Mr. Zuckerberg has sought out martial arts experts, including Dave Camarillo, James Terry and Khai Wu. In May, he competed in his first public martial arts tournament in Redwood City, Calif., which he attended undercover — up until the moment he took off his hat and sunglasses to fight. to bring mixed martial arts fights to Horizon Worlds, its virtual reality app. Mr. White said Mr. Zuckerberg was truly dedicated to the sport. This month, he said he had trained in “judo, Kyokushin (full contact)” — two Japanese martial arts — and “no rules streetfighting.”

Persons: Zuckerberg, Dave Camarillo, James Terry, Khai Wu, Meta, White, I’ve, ”, Mr Organizations: Meta Locations: Redwood City, Calif

☆ Reddit Wants to Grow Up. Will Its Community Let It?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For the past 11 years, Bucky has put time and effort into stewarding and guiding dozens of communities on Reddit, the sprawling internet message board. Reddit had just introduced changes that sharply increased its fees for independent developers who build apps using the company’s data. Steve Huffman, Reddit’s chief executive, positioned the move partly as a way to shore up the company’s finances as it heads toward a long-awaited initial public offering. But the changes made it so expensive for some third-party developers that a handful who build tools for Reddit’s moderators had to shut down or significantly alter their apps. In protest, Bucky and other moderators closed down hundreds of forums on the site, effectively making Reddit unusable for many of its 57 million daily visitors.

Persons: Bucky, Bucky —, “ BuckRowdy, Reddit, Steve Huffman Locations: Reddit

☆ Meta to Lower Age for Users of Virtual Reality Headset to 10 From 13
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Mike Isaac | Adam Satariano | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Meta said it would require a preteen’s parental approval to set up an account, and that young users would only see apps and content rated for the preteen age group. The Quest headset allows people to enter the so-called metaverse, an immersive online world, and to play virtual reality games and do other tasks. Over the past year, Meta has slowly been moving the age restrictions for its virtual reality apps lower to reach younger audiences. In April, the company said it would allow people under 18 to use Horizon Worlds, Meta’s virtual reality-based social network. Horizon Worlds will remain restricted to users 13 and older, as reported earlier by The Verge.

Persons: Meta Organizations: Facebook, Meta

☆ After a Rocky Year, Zuckerberg Lays Out Meta’s Road Map to Employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mark Zuckerberg has spent the last nine months against the ropes as his company has made big cuts to its work force and struggled to gain mainstream traction with its ambitious plans for virtual reality. On Thursday, he told Meta employees how he planned to get the company back on track. In an all-hands meeting, Mr. Zuckerberg offered an explanation for recent layoffs and for the first time laid out a vision for how Meta’s work in artificial intelligence would blend with its plans for the virtual reality it calls the metaverse. Mr. Zuckerberg’s talk was an attempt to rally staff after the most tumultuous period in his company’s 19-year history. The chief executive said he made “tough decisions” about layoffs with the goal of “building a better technology company” that shipped better products, faster — something he believed Meta wasn’t doing well as it swelled to more than 80,000 employees at the peak of the pandemic.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Meta wasn’t, ” Organizations: Meta, New York Times

☆ Apple Is Stepping Into the Metaverse. Will Anyone Care?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Kellen Browning | Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Apple headset is expected to cost about $3,000 and will look like ski goggles, according to current and former employees familiar with its development. Eventual hits like the iPod, iPhone and Apple Watch started in niche markets that grew into big businesses. But even Apple executives have been skeptical about the company’s prospects in virtual reality, which, they say, may still not be ready for its mainstream moment. That drop-off cuts recent metaverse start-up investment to about a quarter of its peak in the first half of 2022, PitchBook said. “The metaverse investment fad — it came and went, and now people are focused on A.I.,” said Doug Creutz, an analyst at Cowen & Company.

Persons: PitchBook, ”, Doug Creutz Organizations: Apple, Worldwide Developers, Apple Watch, PitchBook, Cowen & Company

☆ In Battle Over A.I., Meta Decides to Give Away Its Crown Jewels
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Cade Metz | Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As a race to lead A.I. heats up across Silicon Valley, Meta is standing out from its rivals by taking a different approach to the technology. Driven by its founder and chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta believes that the smartest thing to do is share its underlying A.I. Google, OpenAI and others have been critical of Meta, saying an unfettered open-source approach is dangerous. “We want to think more carefully about giving away details or open sourcing code” of A.I.

☆ Meta Returns to Growth After Struggling With Falling Sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The debate over whether Meta is in decline may get quietened, at least for now. After three straight quarters of falling revenue, Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, on Wednesday reported that revenue for the first quarter jumped 3 percent, to $28.6 billion, from a year ago. The results, which surpassed Wall Street expectations and Meta’s own guidance, were bolstered by a growth in users. The company added 37 million daily users to Facebook, its marquee app, up 4 percent from a year earlier and a turnaround from its first-ever drop in users that it reported in early 2022. “We had a good quarter and our community continues to grow,” Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Meta, said in a statement.

SAN FRANCISCO — Elon Musk had a demand. On Oct. 28, hours after completing his $44 billion buyout of Twitter the night before, Mr. Musk gathered several human-resource executives in a “war room” in the company’s offices in San Francisco. But Mr. Musk’s team said he was used to going to court and paying penalties, and was not worried about the risks. Two days later, Mr. Musk learned exactly how costly those potential fines and lawsuits could be, three people said. The order for immediate layoffs, the ensuing panic and the about-face reflect the chaos that has engulfed Twitter since Mr. Musk took over the company two weeks ago.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Musk’s Organizations: FRANCISCO, Twitter Locations: San Francisco

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