netflix - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• House subcommittee votes to kill net neutrality

  A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee has voted in favor of a resolution to throw out the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's recently adopted net neutrality rules.

• Apple's new subscription model: Pros and cons

  Apple recently said it wants a 30 per cent cut of all subscriptions sold on iOS devices, including services that offer music, video, newspapers and magazines. But Apple's move may force digital publishers and content providers such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu to think long and hard about continuing to offer apps for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices.

• eBookFling brings digital libraries to Kindle, Nook

  When e-book lending came to the Nook - and then eventually to the Kindle - it opened the gates for e-reader owners to connect and spread the wealth of literature. But despite the popularity of e-readers, chances are that not all of your book-loving friends owned one, or they "went tablet," so swapping was limited-until eBookFling.

• Netflix rates broadband providers by bandwidth

  Have you wondered how your Internet Service Provider stacks up against the competition when it comes to delivering streaming video to your home? It seems Netflix has been wondering, too, so today it launched what will be a monthly feature at its tech blog comparing average bit rate speeds of major ISPs in the United States and Canada.

• Netflix reveals challenges in the Cloud

  Technology managers at video distributor Netflix Inc., which last year took a big plunge into the public cloud, have started a remarkably candid blog about their experiences with mission-critical cloud computing.

• Sharp's new HDTVs are 70-inches big

  Sharp is thinking big with its newest round of HDTVs, led by a whopping 70-inch LED back-lit HDTV.

• Paul Allen revises patent suit, targets Android, Apple iTunes

  Beats deadline for filing amended complaint, lists wide array of online software, services Beats deadline for filing amended complaint, lists wide array of online software, services

• Apple's smart move: Buy Netflix, says analyst

  iTunes' TV and movie rental business already one-tenth the size of Netflix, says expert

• Google helpers: 9 downloads to tweak Chrome, Gmail, and more

  Like everyone else on the Internet, you likely use one or more of Google's many services, from search to Gmail to Google Calendar to Google Docs. And like plenty of other people, you probably have wished that these services could do even more, or that you could make them run exactly the way you wanted.

• Netflix turns from Oracle, IBM to Amazon to save cash

  Netflix moved some of its most crucial IT operations over to Amazon Web Services' Elastic Compute Cloud in order to save money and gain flexibility compared to using more Oracle software and IBM iron.

• What not to do when designing your app

  The other night, I was using the Netflix app on my iPhone 4 and had a shocking revelation: this is one of the worst designed, "professional" apps I've ever seen. Yes, I can stream video over 3G. I can search for movies and manage my queue. In most areas of functionality, Netflix for iPhone delivers. It is relatively new and I'm sure a work in progress but as of the current version, it is a prime example of what not to do in terms of iOS app design. Here are some reasons why.

• Microsoft crafts shrewd apps plan for Windows Phone 7 launch

  As the first U.S. Windows Phone 7 handsets go on sale Monday, Nov. 8, Microsoft shrewdly has created an application environment that will make the phones instantly useable for many of the e-mail, social networking, photo, video and work tasks people do every day.

• The top 100 best tech products of 2010

  One of the best parts of our job is looking at hundreds of products every year. Many perform well, some are silly, and a select group rises above the pack. Here are the hardware, software, services, sites, and apps that we decided - after much discussion - stood out this year.

• Two doubts about Google Instant

  Google managed to turn a few heads when it announced its new Instant search last week. Mine was one of them.

• For Google TV, a sharp turn away from Apple TV

  As part of recent a demonstration of Google TV, Eric Schmidt said something that would probably make Steve Jobs cringe.