Alex Wilhelm
Alex Wilhelm is a writer for TechCrunch. In the past, he helped grow The Next Web into a leading publication. Alex also worked for midVentures in Chicago, where he attended school, and co-founded Contenture, a startup focused on micropayments and the monetization of digital content.
Alex lives in San Francisco.
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Latest from Alex Wilhelm
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Google, AT&T, Verizon And Comcast Each Spent More Than $3M In Q1 Lobbying Congress
The dollars flowing into the Capitol from tech companies are showing little signs of abatement: Google spent $3.8 million on lobbying in the first quarter, AT&T $3.7 million, Verizon $3.5 million, Comcast $3.1 million, Facebook $2.8 million, Microsoft $2.1 million, Time Warner Cable $1.9 million, Oracle $1.5 million, Apple $1.1 million, and Amazon $830,000. Read More
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Apple’s Stock Surges In After-Hours Trading Following Earnings Beat, Promise To Return More Cash To Investors
The market likes what Apple reported today, sending its share up more than 7% in after-hours trading. The company reported an earnings beat today, with $45.6 billion in revenue, $10.2 billion in net profit, or $11.62 in earnings per share. Analysts had expected Apple to report $10.18 in profit per share, and revenue of under $44 billion. Read More
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Apple Announces 7 For 1 Stock Split, Boosts Its Dividend 8%, Adds $30B To Its Buyback Program
As part of its earnings cycle today, Apple announced that it will increase its dividend 8 percent, add $30 billion to its share buyback program current to a total of $90 billion, and split its stock 7 for 1 in June. The company's dividend will also now rise yearly. Apple is incredibly cash-rich, and has been under pressure to utilize its vast financial resources to reward its investors. Read More
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Zynga Rallies 4% After Reporting Q1 Revenue Of $168M, EPS Of -$0.01
This afternoon following the bell, Zynga reported its calendar first-quarter financial performance including revenue of $168 million, bookings (non-GAAP) of $161 million, and earnings per share of -$0.01 (non-GAAP). Analysts had expected the company to report top line of $164 million, and a single cent per-share loss. That revenue figure is a decline of 36 percent from the year-ago quarter. The… Read More
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The FCC Is Unfazed By AT&T’s Threat To Boycott Next Year’s Spectrum Auction
AT&T's recent threat to steer clear of a spectrum auction, scheduled for next year, isn't scaring the FCC. FCC chief Tom Wheeler today dismissed AT&T's poise, stating that he has a "hard time envisioning this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for this kind of beach-front spectrum being something that people throw up their hands and walk away from." Consider AT&T's bluff called. Read More
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Former NSA Head To Become Columnist For Conservative Paper To Discuss Intelligence
Former General Michael Hayden, former head of the NSA, has a new gig writing for the conservative Washington Times. His column will be titled "Inside Intelligence," ironically, as he no longer is. Gen. Hayden is best known for his complete support of the NSA's surveillance programs, including his admission that XKeyscore is real, and his infamous train episode in which he was caught slagging… Read More
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The Start Menu May Return To Windows In August
Remember the Start menu? Microsoft is bringing it back. That much is clear enough, as the company announced the forthcoming resurrection at Build earlier this year. But here's something new: The Start Menu is now expected to return in August. Read More
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David Einhorn Just Cried Bubble And Let Slip The Shorts Of War
David Einhorn, a hedge fund manager worth north of a billion dollars, isn't bullish on technology stocks. In a letter to his investors sent today, Einhorn called the current market environment regarding technology companies the "second tech bubble in 15 years." Read More
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New Policy All But Bans The Intelligence Community From Speaking To The Press
A new policy put in place this March effectively bans members of the U.S. intelligence community from speaking to the media, even when discussing unclassified matters. The new rules have sparked outcry from many outside the government, given that the policies as detailed in the directive further clamp down on interaction between the public and intelligence denizens. Read More
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Microsoft Will Pick Up 93.5% Of The Windows Phone Device Market When Its Nokia Deal Closes On Friday
After delay and minor intrigue, the $7.2 billion Microsoft-Nokia deal will close this Friday. With its conclusion, Microsoft will become the de facto Windows Phone OEM, building and shipping the lion's share of the smartphones that are part of the platform. Read More
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Comcast Fires Back After Netflix Tosses Shade On Its Proposed Merger With Time Warner Cable
Netflix would prefer an ISP market with a number of large players, competing with each other on price, speed and availability. It is not in favor of Comcast swallowing Time Warner Cable, creating an even more powerful firm that could, in theory, extract increasing sums from itself. Read More
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GitHub Denies Allegations Of “Gender-Based Harassment,” Co-Founder Preston-Werner Resigns
GitHub published a short blog post today detailing the results of its investigation over allegations of harassment lodged against the company by its now-former employee Julie Ann Horvath. According to the company, the "investigation found no evidence to support the claims against Tom and his wife of sexual or gender-based harassment or retaliation, or of a sexist or hostile work environment."… Read More
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Fake Startup Landing Page From HBO’s ‘Silicon Valley’ Is Better Than Many Real Startup Landing Pages
The hottest startup in the Bay Area is now online: Pied Piper’s landing page is live. The documentary tracking the company’s progress, produced by the noted biographical network HBO, is the cause célèbre of Silicon Valley at the moment. Nerds of every stripe gather near talking boxes each week to watch the exploits of people that are about to be far, far richer than themselves. Read More
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CEA, A Tech Group Backed By Apple And Google, Announces Financial Support Of Log Cabin Republicans
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced this morning that it will throw financial support to the Log Cabin Republicans, a group that advocates for gay issues inside the Republican party. CEA's support is notable given its importance inside the technology industry -- perhaps you have heard of CES; its members include Google, Apple, Microsoft and others. With the move, a massive… Read More
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The FAA’s First Drone Test Site Is Live
This morning the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that its first drone testing site is operational. There will eventually be six such sites. The first is located in North Dakota. The agency is more than two months ahead of schedule. Tests on the Draganflyer X4ES drone will commence on May 5. Read More
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Microsoft To Complete Purchase Of Nokia’s Hardware Business This Friday
Even a long road has an end. Today Microsoft announced that it will complete its purchase of the preponderance of Nokia’s hardware assets on Friday. The deal has undergone minor adjustment since its initial formulation. Initially, the Microsoft-Nokia arrangement was expected to conclude in the first quarter of 2014. International hangups pushed that date into the current quarter. The… Read More
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President Obama Will Headline DNC Fundraiser Hosted By YC’s Sam Altman And Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer
This May 8th, Y Combinator’s Sam Altman and Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer will hold a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee headlined by President Obama. The fête will take place at Y Combinator’s offices in Mountain View. This is certainly not the first time technology types have dived into political waters, and it’s a sort of thing that we should expect to happen more… Read More
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White House Declines To Deport Bieber, Pivots To Immigration Reform In Its Official Response
TechCrunch squinted slightly when the White House petition to deport the Canadian Justin Bieber passed the 100,000-signature mark, the minimum threshold to warrant an official response. Read More
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Raise Now: VC Funding For Startups At Highest Point In More Than A Decade
There is a reason it feels like everyone and anyone is raising money at the moment to build a company: They are. According to two studies, capital raised from venture capitalists by growing, private companies is at its highest point since 2001. Read More
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Supreme Court Justices Say They’re Likely To Rule On NSA Surveillance
Supreme Court justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia think that the nation's top court will eventually rule on the NSA's surveillance activities. The two, appearing in front of the National Press Club, both touched on the subject, with Justice Scalia calling the Supreme Court the "the institution least qualified to decide" on the matter, and Justice Ginsburg stating that "[the court]… Read More
