Netflix Raises US Prices as Tech Industry Sees Major Shifts
Netflix increases its most popular streaming plan to $13 per month to fund original content, while other tech giants make headlines with new features and scientific revelations.
Netflix raises prices for all US subscribers, bringing its most popular high-definition plan from $10.99 to $12.99 per month. The streaming giant takes this step to fund its ever-growing budget for original content, a necessity as competitors like Disney and WarnerMedia prepare to launch rival services and pull back their licensing deals.
In other major tech news, a German court dismisses Qualcomm's latest patent suit against Intel-powered iPhones, though the chipmaker plans to appeal the decision. Additionally, Oxford researchers reveal that previous studies claiming screen time harms young people rely on flawed statistical methods that produce false positives rather than solid science.
The tech landscape also sees Facebook committing $300 million to support local newsrooms and journalists, while Pandora rolls out a personalized voice assistant for iOS and Android. Meanwhile, 23andMe updates its ancestry reports to include over 1,000 global regions, and TikTok emerges as a potential video chat alternative to WeChat in China.