THE WEEK THAT WAS...
Disney has plan to stream
Disney will launch two Netf lix-like streaming services — one for sports and another for f ilms and TV shows — in one of the boldest moves by an entertainment company to address the changing media landscape. The stand-alone subscription services should appeal to younger audiences turning away from traditional media and refusing to pay huge cable bills for scores of channels.
Challenging bias at Google
Google engineer James Damore was supposed to come away enlightened by his diversity training. Instead, the software engineer decided to write a 3,000word memo railing against Google’s “ideological echo chamber” and arguing that women land fewer tech jobs because of biological differences. Google f ired him in response, but that only served to inf lame the controversy.
Snap shares take a hit
Snapchat picked up fewer users and less revenue in the second quarter than expected, sending shares of owner Snap Inc. plummeting. The L.A. tech company has suffered through a treacherous run on Wall Street since a blockbuster IPO in March. In its f irst two earnings reports it has missed on daily usage estimates and added advertising features more slowly than analysts prefer.
Uber investor sues ex-CEO
Uber co-founder and former Chief Executive Travis Kalanick is being sued by Benchmark Capital, one of the ridehailing giant’s earliest investors. The Menlo Park venture capital f irm alleges that Kalanick breached his f iduciary duty and contractual obligations by stacking the company’s board with allies to “clear the path for his eventual return as CEO.”