Bits: Divide Grows Between Silicon Valley and Trump

View in [Browser] | Add [nytdirect@nytimes.com] to your address book. Monday, January 30, 2017 [The New York Times] [For the latest updates, go to nytimes.com/bits »] [The New York Times] Monday, January 30, 2017 [From left, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Larry Page of Alphabet and Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook at a meeting last month with then President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence.] From left, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Larry Page of Alphabet and Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook at a meeting last month with then President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Drew Angerer/Getty Images [Daily Report] It turns out that finding common ground with Donald J. Trump isn’t going to be that easy for Silicon Valley after all. Last month, a group of tech executives marched to the Trump Tower in Manhattan to meet with the president-elect, his advisers and his children. The message Mr. Trump delivered to the tech bosses was friendly: [“I’m here to help.”] This weekend, a string of tech executives — prodded by their employees — criticized Mr. Trump’s executive order temporarily blocking all refugees while also denying entry to citizens of Iran, Iraq and five other predominantly Muslim countries. In short, Mr. Trump had an answer to his offer, and it sounded like [“no thanks.”] While at least some of those executives spoke out because their employees demanded it, the standoff was inevitable. Aside from the venture capitalist and noted contrarian Peter Thiel, few in tech openly supported Mr. Trump. It is not difficult to understand why. While the tech industry might appreciate the lower taxes and less regulation that Mr. Trump has promised, the industry is globalist to the core. If you want to be an internet company, you’d be better be willing to operate all over the world. And if you want to compete with the likes of Google and Apple, you’d better be willing to hire engineers and salespeople from all over the planet. That’s a worldview in direct conflict with Mr. Trump’s nationalist politics (though his own company certainly operates in many countries). What’s more, despite their many faults — from comical self-regard to a habit of ignoring regulations found to be inconvenient — tech executives are an optimistic bunch. They often see possibilities where others see problems. That’s probably why they’re so rich. That world full of possibilities doesn’t jibe with Mr. Trump’s world full of danger. — Jim Kerstetter  Read More [A protest at San Francisco International Airport against President Trump’s immigration order on Saturday.] [Silicon Valley’s Ambivalence Toward Trump Turns to Anger] By DAVID STREITFELD, MIKE ISAAC AND KATIE BENNER Tech companies, which have embraced globalization, reacted more forcefully to the president’s immigration order than counterparts in other industries. State of the Art [The Alt-Majority: How Social Networks Empowered Mass Protests Against Trump] By FARHAD MANJOO We’re witnessing the stirrings of a national popular movement aimed at defeating the policies of the president.  ADVERTISEMENT  More From The Times [Tesla battery packs at Southern California Edison’s Mira Loma substation.] [Tesla Gives the California Power Grid a Battery Boost] By DIANE CARDWELL A whirlwind three-month project is helping the luxury carmaker transform itself into a multifaceted clean energy company. [Hackers Use New Tactic at Austrian Hotel: Locking the Doors] By DAN BILEFSKY The electronic key system was infiltrated and a ransom of about $1,800 was demanded, an example of a malicious and prevalent type of modern-day piracy. [Masaya Nakamura in 2006.] [Masaya Nakamura, Whose Company Created Pac-Man, Dies at 91] By JONATHAN SOBLE Mr. Nakamura made a business of amusement, starting with wooden horses and culminating with the creation of a company that developed one of the most successful video games ever.  ADVERTISEMENT  HOW ARE WE DOING? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to [newsletters@nytimes.com].  Preoccupations [Instead of Leaving a Job, Why Not Take a Pause?] By RACHAEL O’MEARA More companies should allow unpaid leaves so workers can take stock of their career path, a Google employee argues. Tech Tip [Messages About iMessages, but Not From Apple] By J. D. BIERSDORFER Criminals who spam never stop trying to get your personal information.  LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up [here].  FOLLOW Bits [Twitter] [@nytimesbits] ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Bits newsletter. [Unsubscribe] | [Manage Subscriptions] | [Change Your Email] | [Privacy Policy] | [Contact] | [Advertise] Copyright 2017 The New York Times Company | 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018