Posts by Swedan Margen
Netflix prices are rising again, hitting $27 a month
Netflix prices in the U.S. are going up — again. For the second time in a little over a year, the streaming service will demand a few more dollars a month from its subscribers. Netflix’s standard plan with ads will now cost $8.99, up $1. Both the prices for the standard plan with no ads…
Read MoreDon’t Blame Insurance for the Strait of Hormuz Crisis | National Review
Premiums are the price of risk that already exists in the world. Source link
Read MoreCommentary: Sora’s demise doesn’t mean the AI bubble is bursting anytime soon
ChatGPT would like you to know that, despite what you may have heard on social media, the abrupt closing of Sora, OpenAI’s nascent platform for creating video shorts, “does not” mean that the public is increasingly disenchanted with AI-generated video content. Or “AI slop” as it is known in online vernacular. Yes, ChatGPT concedes, Sora…
Read MoreThe Soft Power of BTS
The mega-popular K-pop stars have been on hiatus for nearly four years. Their new album, “Arirang,” tests the group’s staying power in the global cultural marketplace. Source link
Read MoreSony and Honda pull plug on the $100,000 EV that was set to debut in California
As major automakers pare back their EV offerings, Sony and Honda are scrapping their plans to launch a gadget-packed electric vehicle. The move by Sony Honda Mobility comes weeks after Honda announced a $15.7-billion writedown of its EV business and said it would cancel planned production for three of its own electric models. Sony Honda…
Read MoreLiberal Horizons Revisited | National Review
A controversy over a pastor’s comments about the Muslim call to prayer is a familiar one. Source link
Read MoreThe Iran War Successes They Don’t Want You to Hear About | National Review
The media’s dour outlook seems wholly divorced from an objective appraisal of the war in its fourth week. Source link
Read MoreInstagram, YouTube found liable in lawsuit alleging they were designed to addict kids
After a grueling seven weeks of court proceedings and more than 40 hours of tense deliberations across nine days, jurors handed down a landmark decision in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, finding Instagram and YouTube responsible for the suffering of a Chico woman who charged the platform was built to addict young users like…
Read MoreSupreme Court makes it harder for music and movie makers to sue for copyright infringement
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court made it harder for music and movie makers to sue for online piracy, ruling Wednesday that internet providers are usually not liable for copyright infringement even if they know their users are downloading copyrighted works. In a 9-0 decision, the justices threw out Sony’s lawsuit and a $1-billion verdict against Cox Cable…
Read MoreAs streaming subscription fees rise, more consumers opt to pay less and watch ads
When video streaming platforms were first launched, they were marketed as an affordable way to watch your favorite movies without the interruption of an ad break. But, over the years, as subscription fees hit highs of nearly $25 a month and cheaper ad-supported tiers were introduced, more consumers are willing to pay less in exchange…
Read MoreLiza Minnelli’s Uncharacteristic Pivot to Self-Disclosure
This sounds remarkably unlike something a real human might say, but then sounding like a human has never been Minnelli’s strength. In an early interview, she boasted about knowing the price of paper towels, and in her late fifties she was still talking of borrowing “a quarter from a chorus kid.” Grasping for a relatable…
Read MoreAs L.A. jury deliberates, another social media lawsuit ends in $375 million verdict
Jurors in New Mexico leapfrogged their California peers Tuesday, handing down a $375 million verdict against Meta for endangering children while a similar lawsuit remains pending in Los Angeles County. The jury in Santa Fe came back with a decision in just hours while the L.A. panel slogged through its eighth day of deliberations over…
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