Kik CEO Ted Livingston candidly acknowledges that the messaging app isn't growing right now, but he attributes the plateau to a general slowdown in app downloads, and he's still bullish on chat as a platform for services and commerce.
[Kurt Wagner | Recode]
Spotify is reported to be in "advanced talks" to buy SoundCloud, and while a deal may not happen, it's one that makes sense. Spotify, which is moving toward an IPO, would get a service that complements, but doesn't duplicate, its own. And SoundCloud, which seems to have stalled, would get an exit.
[Peter Kafka | Recode]
The race to get a fully operational network of self-driving cars on the road is just beginning, but it's a race Uber needs to win. With a $70 billion valuation and a dominant share of the ride-hailing market, Uber has more at stake than its competitors.
[Johana Bhuiyan | Recode]
YouTube has brought a music industry legend aboard to help smooth its sometimes rocky relationship with artists and labels. Lyor Cohen, who helped build the Def Jam label and went on to run Warner Music Group, will serve as YouTube's first global head of music.
[Peter Kafka | Recode]
The FBI has found evidence of hackers attempting to get into the voter registration data of more than a dozen states and believes Russia is responsible, according to law enforcement sources. The bureau is urging states to make sure their systems are properly secured.
[Tal Kopan | CNN]
On the latest episode of Recode Media with Peter Kafka, Aminatou Sow talks about how she was motivated to create her hit podcast "Call Your Girlfriend" by being told by a man that it wasn't something women did. Sow also talks about the boost the show got thanks to her friendship with "Girls" star Lena Dunham.
[Eric Johnson | Recode]
