We all have one. That cheapskate friend who never seems to have any money and who is always trying to sponge off you.

My old college pal Freddy is like that, especially when it comes to technology. For years, he limped by with no smart phone. Then, when he did get one, it was the lowest-end Android model from one of those el-cheapo prepaid wireless companies.

Continue reading →

Like YouTube? Enjoy Netflix?

Then you’re a bad person! It’s people like you who are destroying our planet and dooming future generations!

Continue reading →

A number of Linux and FreeBSD servers and systems are vulnerable to a denial of service vulnerability dubbed SACK Panic, as well as other forms of attack.

A total of three security flaws were discovered by Jonathan Looney of Netflix Information Security. A series of malicious packets sent to vulnerable system is all it takes to crash or slow them down -- a remotely-triggered kernel panic. Patches and workaround have been released to help plug the holes.

Continue reading →

Social media phishing, primarily on Facebook and Instagram, has seen a 74.7 percent increase in the first quarter of 2019.

A new report on the current phishing landscape from predictive email defense company Vade Secure also shows that Microsoft has retained its spot as the most impersonated brand for four straight quarters, due to the potentially lucrative returns to be gained from Office 365 credentials.

Continue reading →

Citing "technical limitations", Netflix has dropped support for AirPlay from its iPhone and iPad apps.

Attempts to use AirPlay via the Control Center result in an error message, and Netflix has updated its support pages to indicate that the feature is no longer available. With AirPlay having been supported for a number of years, it's not clear quite what technical issues may have suddenly arisen, but the change does come shortly after the launch of Apple TV+.

Continue reading →

To help bring in more money to fund new shows, Netflix is increasing its prices in the US with immediate effect.

The cost of plans is jumping by between 13 and 18 percent, and new users will have to pay the new prices straight away. Existing customers can expect to see their subscription fees going up at some point over the next three months.

Continue reading →

Netflix has millions of users around the world, but how many of these are actually paying customers? Many of us either know (or are) people who share their Netflix account with friends and family, or leech off the one person they know that's willing to pay for a subscription.

But Netflix free rides could be coming to an end. At CES, UK-based firm Synamedia revealed artificial intelligence software that could be used by Netflix and other companies to detect and block the sharing of account credentials.

Continue reading →

If you're a Wii owner who uses the console to not only play games but also enjoy binging on Netflix, you're going to have to find an alternative soon. Nintendo is closing down streaming video services on the device in January 2019.

We already knew of Nintendo's intention to shut down the Wii Shop channel in January 2109, but the addition of shuttering video streaming will come as an added blow to Wii owners.

Continue reading →

Walmart has partnered with movie studio Metro Goldwyn Mayer to help boost content for its video-on-demand platform Vudu.

Vudu -- which Walmart bought eight years ago -- has failed to attract a userbase anything close to that of rival Netflix, but by teaming up with MGM, there is clearly a push to change this. MGM will create original content based on its library of film and TV franchises. Walmart is also planning to introduce a new "shoppable" video ad format.

Continue reading →

Netflix is arguably the most extensive streaming movie and TV platform in the world. But, much to users’ dismay, the content selection isn’t identical in each country.

So, if a person gets used to watching a certain show on Netflix, then moves to another nation, it may not be possible to keep enjoying a similar library of content. For example, the United States has the most television shows on Netflix compared to any other country -- 1,157. It also boasts the most movies, with the current total over 4,500. Considering Portugal only has 537 films in the Netflix collection and just over 200 shows, it’s no wonder people get frustrated by those geographical differences.

Continue reading →

Reviews are a handy way to gauge whether or not your going to like something -- be it a game, a piece of hardware, an app, or a movie. Netflix, however, seems to think differently, and has taken the decision to kill off the user reviews feature of its website.

As part of a staggered cull, Netflix will stop users from writing reviews at the end of July. By the middle of August, it will no longer be possible to read existing reviews. Moving forward, the only sort of feedback users will be able to give is a simple thumbs up or thumbs down.

Continue reading →

As much as we'd like to think otherwise, no software is free of security issues. That's why it's important for tech companies to play an active role in finding and fixing as many bugs as possible before they're exploited. Implementing a bug bounty program can be very effective, as the product is exposed to various testing mindsets and approaches which can uncover some nasty surprises.

Netflix, which has over 100 million users across the globe, today introduces its first bug bounty program that's open to the public, with rewards that can reach $15,000 for the most-valuable findings that security researchers report.

Continue reading →

Software updates offer a quick and easy way to bolt new features and options onto apps and operating systems -- or at least in theory. If you like the idea of streaming HD Netflix content on your OnePlus 5 or 5T, you'll probably be pleased to hear that there's an update available that brings this very feature to your phone.

This is clearly great news. What's not so great, however, is the extraordinary fact that in order to get this feature you will need to physically send off your phone so OnePlus can perform the update for you.

Continue reading →

Black Mirror is one of Netflix’s better original series. The show presents a nightmarish vision of modern society and new technologies and in the latest season, one episode in particular stood out for a lot of people.

In Hang the DJ, a dating system called 'Coach' not only pairs up singletons, it reveals how long they have together.

Continue reading →

The annual scourge is upon us, as tens of thousands of attention seekers descend on Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show. Nowhere else can you watch bloggers and journalists in a constant chase of their public relations foibles, who desperately hunt for all the attention they can get their clients. Think a thousand kids in a small room, calling for mommy and groping her dress. Then multiply ten times.

My last CES pilgrimage was 2008. That's right, I haven't gone in 10 years. No-o-o-o regrets. Nothing important ever comes out of the show, even though each year the hype suggests otherwise. Most new unveiled products won't ship until second half of the year. If ever. There's more vaporware at CES than hot air—and that's no easy feat. Surely the Las Vegas Convention Center installs extra carbon dioxide scrubbers so that participants don't asphyxiate. If there was an alarm for toxic babble, it would sound incessantly.

Continue reading →