It’s a little late for Halloween, but one of the great Amazon ghosts is back — rumors of a free version of Prime Video.  Amazon is reportedly developing a free, ad-supported service to complement Prime Video, its streaming-video rival to Netflix, according to Ad Age, which is citing people familiar with its plans.  But rather than …

Netflix said Friday it’s dropping plans to pursue a second stand-up special with comedian Louis C.K., following a report about claims he engaged in sexual misconduct dating back about two decades.  “The allegations made by several women in The New York Times about Louis C.K.’s behavior are disturbing,” a Netflix representative said in a statement Friday. “Louis’ unprofessional and inappropriate …

After gawking at that $1000 phone everyone is talking about today, the Nokia 2 has a $115 option to pitch you.   The low-cost phone was unveiled Tuesday and promises two-days of battery life on a single charge, adding a new challenger to inexpensive handsets from Motorola and Samsung.  The phone will sell for 99 euros, or about $115, globally, …

Google Docs dished out more tricks than treats for some users hit by locked-out accounts Tuesday.  A slew of Google Docs users reached out to the service’s Twitter account Tuesday morning to say they’re being wrongfully locked out of their files with a warning about violating terms of service. Users complained they’ve lost access to their files that contain harmless material, …

Apple designated three Macs either obsolete or vintage Tuesday, meaning that the gadget giant will no longer repair or provide replacement parts for them, according to a report on 9to5Mac.  The report also noted that Apple’s extended warranty offer for 2012 MacBook Pros with Retina displays has ended. Some models of that laptop were dogged with their display’s anti-reflective coating …

Some models of the Apple Watch Series 3 unintentionally show a row of small stripes along the side of the watch’s display, especially when the device is turned off, 9to5Mac reported Tuesday, citing internal company materials describing the problem.  Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment.  Apple has informed its retail repair staff, as well as authorized third-party sellers, about the problem, according …

Pandora is ratcheting up its human touch.  The music streaming service unveiled “featured playlists” Monday, its latest gambit at appealing to music listeners by promising to surface music they’ll like. The playlists, which are picked and refreshed by curators, are available to people who subscribe to Premium, Pandora’s $10-a-month competitor to Spotify and Apple Music that lets you listen to …

Having a hard time keeping up with everything Netflix is putting out? So is the company’s budget.  Netflix on Monday celebrated its biggest gain ever in subscribers for this time of year, in a report detailing its finances for the third quarter. But on the heels of a price increase, the company vowed to keep revving up its output of …

This is part of our Road Trip 2017 summer series “The Smartest Stuff,” about how innovators are thinking up new ways to make you — and the world around you — smarter.  Snowflakes flutter around my face, taking me back to my childhood in Ohio where I’d tilt back my head to gaze at the swirl of tiny crystals spiraling toward my …

Pandora has put its leadership on shuffle.  Co-founder Tim Westergren has stepped down as CEO, and two other longtime executives will also leave their posts, Pandora said Tuesday in a statement and in a letter to shareholders. At the same time, the streaming music company is adding a big name to its board of directors: media-world luminary Jason Hirschhorn.  Tim Westergren …