https://www.recode.net/2018/2/7/16983340/apple-homepod-siri-speaker-snap-snapchat-earnings-kalanick-uber-trial-espn-disney-elon-musk

HomePod is almost here. After missing the Christmas season, Apple’s answer to Amazon Echo, Sonos and Google Home started taking preorders yesterday. Reviewers like the hardware and the “stunning” sound quality. The main issue is the speaker’s lock-in to Apple’s home-grown streaming music service; if you use Spotify or something else, HomePod probably isn’t for you. [Ben Lovejoy / 9to5Mac]

Snapchat finally came through with a winning quarter when it posted Q4 earnings. Boosted by a bigger-than-expected jump in daily users, Snap surpassed Wall Street’s expectations, sending the stock up almost 25 percent. It’s a major victory for Snap, which had a rough first year as a public company. Snap paid its publisher partners — including ESPN, Bleacher Report and People magazine — more than $100 million last year, up from $58 million in 2016. [Kurt Wagner / Recode]