SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix kicked off the year with the biggest subscriber gains in the history of its video-streaming service, but it still managed to disappoint investors by forecasting a springtime slowdown. The strong first-quarter performance coincided with Netflix’s biggest U.S. price increases and emerging streaming challenges from Walt Disney and Apple, two of […]
Netflix’s Solid 4Q Eclipsed by Projected Slowing US Growth
Netflix’s video streaming service added more subscribers than ever during the crucial holiday season, but the company signaled its growth is slowing in the U.S. as it begins to roll out double-digit price increases in its biggest market. The slightly disappointing forecast issued Thursday for the opening three months of the new year overshadowed a […]
Netflix Raising Prices for 58M US Subscribers as Costs Rise
Netflix is raising its U.S. prices by 13 percent to 18 percent, its biggest increase since the company launched its streaming service 12 years ago. Its most popular plan will see the largest hike, to $13 per month from $11. That option offers high-definition streaming on up to two different internet-connected devices simultaneously. Even at […]
Netflix’s 3Q Subscriber Growth Gets Rave Reviews on Wall St.
Netflix regained its stride with surprisingly strong subscriber growth in the third quarter, after an unexpected springtime stumble triggered fears that it was losing its allure. The video-streaming service added 7 million subscribers worldwide from July through September, far above the company’s target of 5 million and exceeding analyst projections. Netflix fell well shy of […]
Financial Fruit: Apple Becomes 1st Trillion-dollar Company
Apple has become the world’s first publicly traded company to be valued at $1 trillion. The milestone marks the triumph of stylish technology that has redefined what we expect from our gadgets ever since two mavericks named Steve started the company 42 years ago. The peak reached Thursday seemed unimaginable in 1997 when Apple teetered […]
Apple’s New Speaker Making an Unwelcome Mark in Some Homes
Apple’s new internet-connected speaker is proving to be more appealing to the ears than to the eyes, depending on where the device is placed. Some people who bought the just-released $349 speaker, dubbed the HomePod, are reporting that it leaves a white ring on the surfaces of wooden furniture. In an explanation posted Wednesday, Apple […]
Apple, Once Again, Has a Bad Case of the iPhone Jitters
Apple is making more money than ever, but it still doesn’t seem to be enough to keep everyone happy. Not with conspiracy theories swirling around Apple’s secret slowdown of older iPhones while a cloud of uncertainty looms over its high-priced iPhone X. It’s a reality check for a company accustomed to an unflinchingly loyal customer […]
Google Blocks YouTube on Amazon Devices in Escalating Feud
Google is pulling its popular YouTube video service from Amazon’s Fire TV and Echo Show devices in an escalating feud that has caught consumers in the crossfire. The decision to block YouTube is retaliation for Amazon’s refusal to sell some Google products that compete with Amazon gadgets. That includes Google’s Chromecast streaming device, an alternative […]
Netflix Raising US Prices by 10 Pct for Most Popular Plan
Netflix is raising the price for its most popular U.S. video streaming plan by 10 percent— a move that could boost its profits but slow the subscriber growth that drives its stock price. The change announced Thursday affects most of Netflix’s 53 million U.S. subscribers. WHAT GOES UP Netflix will now charge $11 per month […]
Microsoft Dives Deeper Into ‘Mixed Reality’ With VR Devices
Microsoft is counting on virtual reality headsets made by other companies to help establish personal computers running on its Windows 10 operating system as the best way to explore artificial worlds. The devices unveiled Tuesday include a Samsung headset called the HMD Odyssey. The headset requires a connection to a PC running on a Windows […]