Silicon Valley news stories on Newser

Tech's Richest Hate Showing Off Wealth

Matt Cantor — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:10:05 CDT

Facebook's staff may be full of zillionaires, but don't expect Ferraris in the parking lot. Silicon Valley, where almost 14% of homes earn more than $200,000 per year, is deeply opposed to conspicuous consumption—hence Mark Zuckerberg's iconic hoodies and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's underground house. "The message here...

Pinterest Joins $1B Valuation Club

Kate Schwartz — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:43:05 CDT

Facebook may be dominating the headlines this week, but don't forget about the little guys—or the no-longer-quite-so-little ones. Pinterest's valuation has jumped from $200 million to $1.5 billion thanks to a new $100 million round of financing. The Wall Street Journal notes that the news pushes the site...

Attention, Silicon Valley: You Might Return to Sea

John Johnson — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:44:15 CDT

It might just be the only thing that could take down Facebook and Google in one fell swoop: some good old-fashioned biblical flooding. As the AP explains, a chunk of Silicon Valley sits on land that used to be part of San Francisco Bay. Which is fine except for two...

Yahoo Poised to Lay Off Thousands

Rob Quinn — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 01:19:00 CST

Yahoo's new CEO is planning a major shake-up of the business that's expected to involve thousands of layoffs, sources tell All Things Digital . Scott Thompson, who has been pushing for quick changes since taking charge early this year , is eyeing big cuts in Yahoo's large products organization, as well as...

Power Cities Boast 'Brain Gain'

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:14:46 CDT

No college degree in an economic downturn? Ouch. That smarts. While US regions with the lowest educational levels struggle to keep afloat, some power metropolitan areas continue to draw the best-educated—and the most success, according to the latest census figures, pulling away even father from their weaker sisters. Boston,...

Silicon Valley Honchos Backing Christian Right

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 03:13:27 CDT

Yea, though they walk in the valley of silicon, they apparently fear evil. So a group of Silicon Valley big-money men are breaking with their liberal pack and backing a group striving to put Christian conservatives in public office. United in Purpose aims to register 5 million new conservative Christians...

Zuckerberg Woos New Hires With Walk in Woods

Kevin Spak — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:17:49 CDT

If you’ve got an interview with Mark Zuckerberg, bring your hiking boots. Apparently when the Facebook CEO is excited about a prospective new employee, he tries to seal the deal himself with a walk in the woods, several people who’ve gone through the process tell the Bits blog of New...

Steve Jobs Pitches 'Spaceship' Apple HQ

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:21:25 CDT

What medical leave ? Steve Jobs made a surprise appearance at a Cupertino City Council meeting yesterday to announce plans for a major Apple expansion: a spaceship-like structure that would house an estimated 12,000 employees. Jobs presented renderings of a proposed 150-acre Northern California campus built around a massive...

Most Expensive Home in US: $100M Mansion Sells

John Johnson — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 07:35:46 CDT

A Russian billionaire has bought what the Wall Street Journal calls the nation's most expensive single-family home. Investor Yuri Milner paid $100 million for the Silicon Valley estate in Los Altos Hills. It's 25,500 square feet, with both an indoor and outdoor pool, a ballroom, a tennis court, etc....