Meetings are back

[View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hi, it’s Priya in San Francisco. In-person meetings are gradually becoming acceptable again, but first… Today’s top tech news: - Microsoft is shutting down [LinkedIn in China]( - Apple hired a new [HomePod boss]( as it takes aim at the Amazon Echo - Software tools platform GitLab jumped 35% in its public [trading debut]( “Not a lot of hugging” As of Friday morning, San Francisco is easing mask mandates for the fully vaccinated in places like offices, gyms and college classrooms. It marks another step in the tech mecca’s slow, staggering return to the office. So far, less than 25% of workers in the San Francisco metro area have returned to in-person work, according to data from the building security provider Kastle Systems. But at the same time, real-world meetings are slowly, but surely, becoming more common. The routines of venture capitalists, who often sit on company boards and frequently meet with local founders, offer a window into what the new normal might look like for work life. Several venture capitalists told me their board meetings are still largely virtual. [Chris Farmer](bbg://people/profile/17302105), founder and chief executive officer of the venture firm [SignalFire](, is on about a dozen company boards. So far the meetings “are all on Zoom,” he said. “Big, small. All.” The investors who are beginning to meet in person are doing so after taking precautions. [Liza Landsman](bbg://people/profile/16497289), a general partner at NEA, said she recently attended an in-person board meeting in which every participant was vaccinated, and had to take a rapid Covid-19 test earlier in the morning. Another board she sits on was planning to convene in person last month, but shifted plans to Zoom because of the delta variant. At times the proper Covid etiquette isn’t clear. At one in-person meeting Landsman attended, people masked up in the elevator and common spaces before gathering in a conference room unmasked. Some people shook hands. Others bumped elbows or waved from across the room. And some actually hugged -- gasp! “It feels like a bad middle school dance where no one is sure how close to get to the other person,” Landsman told me. Before the pandemic, some investors frequently traveled to visit far-flung companies. But now, many startups have renegotiated or exited their leases, Farmer said. One thing the delta variant made clear is that nobody has a clear idea of what the world might look like in a few months. [Scott Jacobson](bbg://people/profile/16682345), managing director at Madrona Venture Group in Seattle, said he had an in-person board meeting last week. “They are way better than Zoom.” It was indoors, in a conference room, and everyone was fully vaccinated. No food was served and everyone was physically distanced, but nobody wore a mask. There were plenty of fist bumps and handshakes. But people aren’t totally letting down their guards. Said Jacobson: “Not a lot of hugging I’ve seen.” —[Priya AnandÂ](mailto:panand20@bloomberg.net) If you read one thing Can extremists be de-radicalized? [Meet the group]( trying to talk down QAnon believers. Here’s what you need to know The crypto industry is making a [hard lobbying push](. Iranian hackers are continuing to [wage attacks](, Google says. Follow Us More from Bloomberg Dig gadgets or video games? [Sign up for Power On]( to get Apple scoops, consumer tech news and more in your inbox on Sundays. [Sign up for Game On]( to go deep inside the video game business, delivered on Fridays. Why not try both?  Like Fully Charged? | [Get unlimited access to Bloomberg.com](, where you'll find trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Fully Charged newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](