San Jose Mercury News

Secretive foe attacks Google over government influence

Google has come under attack by a mysterious group that keeps mum about its sponsors while issuing scathing reports about the company’s influence on government. Among its recent revelations: High-ranking Google execs have had more than 20 "intimate" meetings with President Barack Obama, and the company has a revolving-door employment relationship with the federal government.

While the backers of the "Google Transparency Project" may be hidden, its purpose is clear, observers say: To offer purportedly objective research and commentary that can be used to thwart Google's burgeoning power in Washington (DC) and elsewhere, much as similar "think tanks" have sought to undermine the environmental lobby or promote development projects. When you're successful, you're on top of the hill. You become a target," said Michael Cusumano, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management who studies the technology industry.

Silicon Valley and Hollywood: What's behind their growing love fest

"Silicon Valley and Hollywood are now joined at the hip," says Bill Baker, co-founder and CEO of the Celebrity Food Network, based in Southern California.

Why now? Tech billionaires who've become overnight celebrities; Hollywood's star-making culture seeking to exploit that fame; and the sheer preponderance of tech in our lives, starting with the smartphones most of us are now glued to. And Hollywood, Baker says, is being powered by cutting-edge technology like never before. "The new kinds of cameras, the digital-editing machines, the fiber, the satellites," he says. "These are the guts of what Hollywood does, and a lot of it comes from the tech world. So you have this mutually symbiotic relationship."

The ensuing confluence can be dizzying as valley companies create their own shows instead of just offering entertainment produced in by others.

Google pushes rivals to offer high-speed Internet service

Google's plan to at least temporarily suspend its fiber program and experiment with high-speed wireless internet delivery in Silicon Valley is the latest sign of how the search giant is playing a key role in jump-starting cheaper, faster service around the country.

Google has done that, in part, by pushing competitors like AT&T and Comcast to move faster in boosting internet speed. While Google may be coming out ahead in this clash of titans -- faster and more widespread internet service means more clicks on Google ads -- the clear winner is the public, as the best and most affordable internet service is delivered to more and more customers across the U.S., analysts said.

"It's a very big deal," said Blair Levin, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. "From a public policy perspective, this is a great game. We're doing more on the internet and because of this we'll be able to do it better and faster and cheaper." And that plays right into Google's advertising-based business model.

The growth in 'underconnected' Californians should alarm us

[Commentary] At first glance, the latest data on California's digital divide looks like amazingly good news. A whopping 84 percent of Californians now have access to broadband internet at home, up 9 percentage points since 2014, according to a new Field Poll. At that rate, the digital divide -- the gulf between the information haves and have nots -- could be wiped out in less than three years. But most of those gains have come from increased smartphone use. In the past year alone, there's been a near doubling -- from 8 percent to 14 percent -- of state residents now online because of smartphones. Meanwhile, the percentage of Californians connecting to the internet via a laptop or a desktop has remained flat for several years.

It’s alarming that outside of smartphones, the same old digital divide persists and keeps minorities, the poor and many seniors from reaping the riches of the information age. The digital divide should be a call to Silicon Valley technologists, who are working on the next generation of smartphones and apps: Make smartphones even more useful. What else can you do? The digital divide is not about just about laptop brands and broadband speeds. It's about equality -- who gets access to information and opportunity that others take for granted. Those who are being left behind are doing their best to catch up by using smartphones. We shouldn't make it so hard.

New diversity report highlights progress in VC industry

While women and minority venture capitalists are still few and far between, the industry is making some progress -- particularly by admitting that diversity is an issue -- according to the National Venture Capital Association's first report on the subject.

Women make up 11 percent of VCs, African-Americans make up 2 percent and Latinos represent 1 percent, according to a 2016 study by Richard Kerby of Venrock. His data, referenced in the NVCA report, show 67 percent of VCs are white men. But unlike large tech companies such as Facebook and Google, which are pressured to release regular statistics on the diversity of their workforce, the VC industry can be opaque about its partner demographics. The NVCA task force is hoping to change that by launching a survey of firms across the country, with the results expected this fall.

The NVCA hasn't set specific diversity goals, nor does it hold its member firms accountable to promises to include more women and minorities, the report illustrates a shift in the conversation and a growing realization that the status quo must change.

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed endorses Ro Khanna for Congress

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed (D) has endorsed Ro Khanna (D) in his bid to unseat Rep Mike Honda (D-CA).

"Our Silicon Valley team in Washington would be greatly strengthened if we add Ro Khanna," said Mayor Reed. Khanna "understands the tech sector and the global challenges to the valley," the mayor said, and can make the region's case "in a way that can get bipartisan support, which is certainly needed in the House."

Tech workforce diversity: Recognizing problem is the first step to solving it

[Commentary] Most of us hope all Americans have a fair chance to be successful without regard to ethnicity or gender. However, the tech world has for too long been dominated by one gender and limited in ethnic diversity. Now, as major companies such as Google, Yahoo, Facebook and LinkedIn have disclosed their workforce and leadership diversity data, it is painfully clear the sector faces a persistent and troubling deficit when it comes to women, African-Americans and Latinos.

We'd like to commend these companies and others that have provided this data. Are we satisfied with the picture it presents? Hardly. But as female members of a legislative body starkly unrepresentative of our nation, we know the first step in solving any challenge is recognizing there is one.

Transparency promotes fairness. Data about applicants and new hires, pay equity, promotions and management composition reported by race, gender and ethnicity promotes equal opportunity.

With more transparency, American individuals and investors could make better-informed decisions about investing in companies that leverage ability with diversity. With more data, job-seekers and employees will have better information to decide where to work and consumers can make informed choices about where to spend their money.

Cantor's shocking loss will be felt in Silicon Valley

[Commentary] The aftershocks of the political earthquake that shook Congress to its core will be felt in Silicon Valley. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's historic loss in the Republican Virginia primary shattered the Valley's hope that Congress would pass immigration reform.

The tech community needs to adjust to the fact that having Republicans in power no longer means a business friendly government. So tech companies will continue struggling to fill thousands of openings with skilled workers. And House Republicans will continue to block the bipartisan, Senate-passed immigration bill that would nearly double the number of H-1B visas for skilled workers from the current 65,000, among other reforms that are both pro-business and humane.

Shared spectrum: Tell the FCC to keep some wireless spectrum free

[Commentary] Wireless spectrum is such a central part of our daily lives that we forget how much we depend on it.

It's not just our smartphones and tablets that use it. Baby monitors, cordless phones, security systems, smart meters and thousands of other essential gadgets need shared, or unlicensed, spectrum to deliver their vital services at an affordable price. But we are in danger of losing these naturally shared airwaves to a select few corporations.

Over the next two months, the Federal Communications Commission will make critical decisions about the wireless auction in early 2015. The FCC faces enormous pressure from budget hawks and big wireless companies to auction off as much as possible, including spectrum already designated for shared use. This shortsighted and anti-competitive approach could close the open airwaves that are becoming the next frontier for innovation and economic growth.

A new report by Columbia Business School professor Raul Katz released by a new coalition called WifiForward found that shared spectrum contributed $222 billion to the US economy in 2013. That includes $36 billion in direct savings to consumers.

If you are the wireless industry big dogs, killing unlicensed spectrum makes sense. But if you're the rest of us -- consumers and small businesses who benefit from competition and affordability -- shared spectrum is a critical part of our future economy. This isn't about choosing between selling off public spectrum and sharing it. Even if we keep some spectrum for shared use, we will have plenty of public airwaves to auction in 2015. If the FCC strikes the right balance, we can have a hugely successful auction and enough shared spectrum to keep growing the competitive part of the wireless economy. [Feld is senior vice president of the nonprofit Public Knowledge]