• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998

1

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
TechData Sheet

Data Sheet—Thursday, October 20, 2016

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 20, 2016, 9:35 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Did you know that the origin of the term “red tape” comes from red ribbons used to tie up oodles of legal documents? Me neither. I learned it in Brian O’Keefe’s masterful explication of the pesky problem of red tape, which appears on the cover of the just-out issue of Fortune.

This is one of the articles we now refer to as “longform.” It can’t be summarized in a tweet, or even an essay topping a daily newsletter about the technology industry. What I can tell you briefly is that the problem is more persistent than you think. Combating red tape has confounded many a well-meaning crusader against it. Indeed, O’Keefe surfaces an argument that yards of red tape come from an unlikely source: business lobbyists who layer on restrictions and provisos to regulations that themselves become problematic rules that take armies of compliance officials to follow.

If there’s a bright spot in this report, it is the potential for technology to provide solutions. One analyst notes that the U.S. rulemaking machine is adept at adding rules but not removing them. There’s also no database of complaints about rules and therefore no “way to analyze the patterns and identify overlaps that need addressing.” If ever there were a perfect opportunity to unleash the power of deep learning, this is it.

Indeed, O’Keefe notes that IBM recently bought the consulting firm Promontory Financial Group, which helps clients navigate regulations. It plans to marry Promontory’s expertise with the artificial intelligence of its Watson technology to make better compliance systems. David Kenny, the head of IBM’s Watson unit, suggests the approach could work with other industries, including pharmaceuticals and self-driving cars. “After all,” concludes O’Keefe, “humans haven’t been able to eliminate red tape. We might as well let the computers have a try.”

Have an uncomplicated day.

Adam Lashinsky
@adamlashinsky
adam_lashinsky@fortune.com

 

BITS AND BYTES

Apple: Mark your calendars for Oct. 27. Apple sent out invitations to a press event slated for next Thursday. Analysts anticipate the electronics giant to refresh its line of Mac laptops, which have become less of a priority for Apple compared to the cash cow iPhone of late. Expect thinner and lighter devices featuring a USB-C port and touch-sensitive screen. (Fortune)

Verizon and eBay slide. The online marketplace eBay's shares tumbled 8% after the company forecast revenue of $2.36 billion to $2.41 billion for the crucial upcoming holiday season, lower than the $2.4 billion analysts anticipated on average. Verizon, meanwhile, said it had added far fewer monthly subscribers than projected—442,000 instead of analysts' estimated 766,300—causing the company's stock to plunge 6.7% on the news. (Fortune, Fortune)

LeEco puts ambitions on display. The Chinese tech company, little known in America, is determined to break into the U.S. consumer market. CEO Jia Yueting hosted a coming out party in San Francisco yesterday. LeEco wants to compete with household names like Apple, Samsung, Google, Tesla, and Amazon by undercutting prices on TVs, smartphones, video streaming services, self-driving cars, and more. (Fortune)

Meet Nintendo's new game console. The Japanese gaming company plans to release a three minute teaser video about its upcoming gaming system today at 10 a.m. ET. Little is known about the console, codenamed NX, other than that its debut is set for March. Nintendo's share price hiked 4% on the news. (Fortune)

By the way, starting today Fortune has a new logo. This is the tenth time in the magazine's 86-year history that the design has changed. You can view a chronology of the nameplate's evolution here.

 

THE DOWNLOAD

Google CFO Ruth Porat said at Fortune's Most Powerful Women summit that she empathizes with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Porat is no stranger to being singled out because of her gender. During Google parent company Alphabet’s annual meeting this summer, the company’s financial chief faced blatant sexism from a shareholder who referred to her as “the lady CFO” while referring to a man, Alphabet corporate secretary David Drummond, by name.

Speaking at a Wednesday morning panel at the 2016 Fortune MPW Summit in Laguna Niguel, Calif., Porat said she believes Clinton, too, faces gender discrimination. Read (and watch) more on Fortune.com.

 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Why Box CEO Aaron Levie Fears a Trump Presidency, by Kia Kokalitcheva

Netflix Sues Fox for the Right to Poach Employees, by Jeff John Roberts

Dell Technologies Plans to Show Off the Fruits of Its Mega-Merger, by Barb Darrow

Behind the Redesign and Reinvention of Coinbase, by Robert Hackett

Uber and Lyft Are Now Bigger Than Taxis and Rental Cars Combined, by Ian Mount

 

ONE MORE THING

All new Tesla cars now have full self-driving tech. Elon Musk, the electric automaker's cofounder and CEO, said Wednesday that all the company's new cars are being assembled with hardware such as radar systems, cameras, and computers that give them complete autonomy. The move arrives early, as Musk said: "It will take us some time in the future to achieve validation of the software and acquire regulatory approval" before the cars can fully drive themselves. (Fortune)

This edition of Data Sheet was curated by Robert Hackett.
Find past issues. Sign up for other Fortune newsletters.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

ring
PoliticsTariffs
Belgium got its tariffs cut. Then it sent Trump a diamond Superman ring
By Sam McNeil and The Associated PressJuly 4, 2026
9 hours ago
Ejay O'Donnell, Bart Szaniewski, and Grant Eastey wear Dad Gang hats in a factory
SuccessEntrepreneurship
Three dads started selling hats from a garage with $750—now they’ve sold $35 million worth, partnered with Gary Vee, and grown a community of fathers
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
11 hours ago
How a third-generation Texas oilman transformed an organic farming company into a leading advanced nuclear startup at a small Christian college
EnergyNuclear
How a third-generation Texas oilman transformed an organic farming company into a leading advanced nuclear startup at a small Christian college
By Jordan BlumJuly 4, 2026
14 hours ago
Americans will eat 150 million hot dogs today. One specific American is predicted to eat 70 of them
North AmericaFood and drink
Americans will eat 150 million hot dogs today. One specific American is predicted to eat 70 of them
By Catherina GioinoJuly 4, 2026
14 hours ago
‘Devin-kun’: Japan embraces agents as legacy code and a shrinking workforce create a perfect market for an AI software engineer 
AsiaAI agents
‘Devin-kun’: Japan embraces agents as legacy code and a shrinking workforce create a perfect market for an AI software engineer 
By Nicholas GordonJuly 3, 2026
1 day ago
Chad Hurley and Steven Chen wearing suits
SuccessWealth
YouTube’s founders split over $650 million when they sold to Google in 2006—had they held out, they could have taken a slice of $550 billion
By Preston ForeJuly 3, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
2 days ago
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
14 hours ago
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
AI
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
2 days ago
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
Economy
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
2 days ago
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
Success
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 3, 2026
2 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
7 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.