Google Faces Class Action Suit For Exploiting Contract Workers

Google has become the latest tech company hit with a lawsuit for exploiting contract workers. Reuters reports that a class action suit has been filed against Google, alleging the company misclassified employees as independent contractors. The plaintiff behind the suit also alleges he was refused the overtime wages and… » 11/14/14 6:10pm Today 6:10pm

Goldman Sachs Sucks at Recruiting Engineers Until They See the Salary

The recruiting funnel from the Ivy League to Goldman Sachs has been short on engineers ever since Silicon Valley decided to exploit Wall Street's moral failings to fill their tech campuses. But according to Dealbook, the vampiric cephalopod is biting back with a "new, hipper website" and a bunch of buzzwords. » 11/14/14 4:10pm Today 4:10pm

You Can Now Order a Knockoff Soylent Called "Schmoylent"

Addicts will go to great lengths to get their fix. And shipping delays for the meal replacement Soylent have created a market of famished nu food fiends. One San Francisco startup has decided to fill the void with a knockoff powder they call "Schmoylent." » 11/14/14 3:25pm Today 3:25pm

Twitter Rated "Junk" by Credit Rating Agency

Twitter just can't get it together. Their corporate vision is blurred, executives are fleeing, and when the company spent an entire day trying to impress Wall Street investors, they botched it by opening a garbage bag of a "strategy statement." Now concerns over the company's future has led Standard and Poor's to… » 11/14/14 12:55pm Today 12:55pm

Reddit Installs Interim Female CEO and Says The Job Is Hers to Lose

When Reddit CEO Yishan Wong announced that the crowd-sourced news site had raised $50 million, he called his financiers "patient, long-term investors who support our views on difficult issues." But less than two months later that patience seems to have run out and over a suspiciously simple dispute. » 11/13/14 7:15pm Yesterday 7:15pm

Startup Exploits Evictions to Create Party Pad for Tech Workers

Single-room-occupancy hotels are some of the last scraps of low-income housing left in San Francisco. But for the city's high-tech strata, they're just another piece of property to flip for profit. And one tech-centric housing company stands accused of using unlawful evictions to turn a SoMa SRO into a gaudy co-op… » 11/13/14 3:15pm Yesterday 3:15pm

Techies Invest In Fund to "Unshackle" Immigrant Startup Founders

The United States' (disgraceful) immigration process has long been the bane of the tech industry. But a new venture capital fund thinks it's hacked the immigration process, allowing bring on foreign entrepreneurs to run startups in the US. » 11/13/14 2:00pm Yesterday 2:00pm

Twitter's New "Strategy Statement" is a Trash Heap of Jargon

Twitter has been struggling to define its vision for some time now. To help assure investors they're getting their shit together, the company unveiled a new strategy statement today. And like the company itself, it's a complete mess. » 11/12/14 7:15pm Wednesday 7:15pm

Handy Sued For Being a Hellscape of Labor Code Violations

Handy, the on-demand "handyman" and house cleaning startup, is facing a class action lawsuit for violating an impressive amount of labor laws. The suit alleges that the company refuses workers minimum wages, paid breaks, overtime pay, and withholds tips, amongst other violations. Workers also claim the startup, which… » 11/12/14 2:20pm Wednesday 2:20pm

Neighbors Say Pandora Founder's Mansion Causes Woodland Gentrification

Point Reyes is one of Northern California's premier natural treasures, and Pandora's Tim Westergren wants a piece. The 48-year-old co-founder wants to retire on the peninsula. But his new neighbors aren't thrilled with his plans to clear a plot of forest to construct a mansion. » 11/11/14 7:40pm Tuesday 7:40pm

Billionaire Peter Thiel Says Technology Isn't Screwing Middle Class

As the wealth gap continues to grow across America, many are wondering if technological advances will just make the lives of workers worse. But two Silicon Valley billionaires say not to worry—technology isn't the problem. In fact, they think innovators are the ones being left behind. » 11/11/14 2:00pm Tuesday 2:00pm

Keira Knightley Talks About Billionaire Tech CEOs Like They're Aliens

Beautiful human and fragrance retailer Keira Knightly sat on Jimmy Kimmel's couch last night and discussed a private Silicon Valley screening of her new movie, The Imitation Game, hosted by American billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, American millionaire Harvey Weinstein, and Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, a well-known… » 11/11/14 12:30pm Tuesday 12:30pm

Fancy Delivery Startup Is Illegally Storing Food On the Streets

By Silicon Valley standards, Munchery is already a success. The startup, which hand-delivers cold meals for customers to reheat, has tens of millions in funding. One of its investors likes to call it "the largest restaurant in the world." To get to that level, however, Munchery has been illegally storing Silicon… » 11/10/14 8:20pm Monday 8:20pm

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee announced Thursday that he's running for re-election. Four days later, his campaign already hit its first setback. Sen. Dianne Feinstein told the Chronicle that she's not ready to endorse him for a second term, citing concerns with local Airbnb laws. Maybe she's looking at the alternatives? » 11/10/14 6:51pm Monday 6:51pm

Shingy's Book of Nonsense Prophecies

David Shing has the kind of gig that can only exist mid-bubble, when dinosaur corporations chase Snapchat into extinction. He pulls down six figures as AOL's "Digital Prophet." He hallucinates about the future and executives receive his wisdom like hair spikes are a barometer for intelligence. These are the kind of… » 11/10/14 3:20pm Monday 3:20pm