Dropbox’s quest to win your heart, and Wall Street’s too
StandardApple’s Steve Jobs said the Silicon Valley darling had no future. Now, with a splashy rebranding campaign, Dropbox hopes to prove him wrong.
economy
Chicago maps its underground maze
StandardThe Windy City’s smart city efforts include scanning its vast network of pipes. Mayor Rahm Emanuel sees an opportunity to focus on the future.
Just admit it, we love game sequels
StandardThe video game industry hasn’t run out of ideas or gotten lazy. It’s just following the money, because we’re still buying those sequels.
A mind-blowing VR arcade won me over. It’ll get you too
StandardThe VR arcade — yes, an arcade — is designed to get you to try virtual reality headsets without getting sick. You might even like it. I did.
Oculus VR goggles could change the future. Or not.
StandardThe virtual-reality era officially begins on Monday. Facebook will start selling its $599 Rift, a VR headset it believes will change our lives — again.
Vexed in the city: Working in Silicon Valley tech is much more lucrative than you think
StandardAdd in the benefits, the perks, and the transportation tech workers get for free, and the value of their salaries jumps up to 20 percent.
Sony Moves a Step Closer to Its Game Vision
StandardMore than a decade ago, the Sony Corp. executive credited as the “Father of the PlayStation” predicted that one day videogames wouldn’t require a console, because the hardware would eventually “melt” into a network that linked players together. All they would need, Ken Kutaragi said, is a display and a controller.
Has Apple Lost Its Cool to Samsung?
StandardSamsung Electronics Co. is succeeding where other technology companies have tried and failed: closing the coolness gap with Apple Inc.
Hardware Startups Look to Tap Overseas Markets
StandardBay Area hardware startups are accelerating plans to sell their products overseas, seeking new opportunities for growth after seeing unexpectedly strong international demand.
Startups Adjust to Web’s Down Cycle
StandardSome companies that were preparing for a public offering after Facebook’s May IPO have shelved those plans. Others are distancing their businesses from those of Zynga and Groupon, amid concerns their companies will be tarred by the same brush. And some have watched their user growth trail off and are working to recapture the viral magic they once experienced.
Several Web startups have closed shop entirely. Color Labs Inc. raised $41 million in venture capital last year before even launching its social photo app for mobile devices, but it has since imploded and the app won’t be available after Dec. 31.
“There’s less heat in and around the SoLoMo market,” said Brian O’Malley, a venture capitalist at Battery Ventures in Menlo Park, Calif. “For a while, there was a suspended disbelief about how hard it is to build a company. Now that’s coming back to bite people.”