Quickflix posts AU$850,000 in losses for Q1 2015

Quickflix Quickflix has thanked the buzz around the launch of rival video streaming services like Netflix for increased demand and growth in subscriber numbers for the first quarter of 2015. But while its users might be streaming more hours of content, the company reported a cash loss of more than AU$850,000 for the quarter, with …

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Nokia’s next act: A return to smartphones, report says

The Nokia N1 tablet might have a smartphone complement in 2016. Nokia A remnant of onetime phone giant Nokia could be planning to come back to a business the Finland-based company famously abandoned not so long ago: smartphones. Nokia Technologies is working on a secret project that will result in the company announcing a new smartphone as early as 2016, …

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Are crowdfunding sites becoming too political?

A crowdfunding campaign for South Carolina police officer Michael Slager raised more than $1,300 before it was shut down by Indiegogo. Screenshot by CNET Moments after Oklahoma reserve deputy Robert Bates was charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a suspect, a $25,000 fund-raising campaign to pay for his legal bills kicked off on Indiegogo. By the next day, …

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Netflix accounts for 25 percent of iiNet traffic, but are networks ready?

Image by Claire Reilly/CNET After locking down a deal to give its customers unlimited and unmetered access to the US-based streaming service, iiNet now says that one quarter of its total traffic comes from users accessing Netflix. Speaking at the CommsDay Summit in Sydney, iiNet chief technology officer Mark Dioguardi said households across Australia were now all saying the same …

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HBO Now locks out Australian VPN users over unauthorised use

HBO Now was announced as an Apple TV exclusive in March. CNET As Australian internet users flock to virtual private networks in droves to access geoblocked content, HBO Now is warning non-US users that they will be locked out of the content streaming service this week. The service launched in the United States just in time for the fifth season …

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‘Premium’ for a price: Optus considers charging Netflix for its network

Optus has heavily promoted over-the-top services such as Netflix. Screenshot by Claire Reilly/CNET Optus has hinted that it may begin charging over-the-top services such as Netflix and other streaming providers for “premium” access to its networks — seemingly contradicting the telco’s stated support of net neutrality — the idea that service providers and governments should treat all data on the …

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Sony prices 2015 4K and Android TVs

The X900C is billed as the world’s thinnest big-screen TV. Sarah Tew/CNET Addendum, June 21 at 9 a.m. ET: Sony has announced the X900C is now available for pre-sale and shipping from July 2015 while the X910C will be available later in Summer 2015 with both models now given official pricing. We’ve known about Sony’s 4K-heavy 2015 lineup of TVs …

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WhatsApp touts 800M monthly active users

Messaging service WhatsApp continues to grow its huge user base. WhatsApp WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular messaging platforms, and it’s showing no signs of slowing. In a Facebook post Friday, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum announced that the Facebook-owned service now has 800 million active users every month. That’s a lot of chatter. WhatsApp Messenger lets you send …

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Here’s what you can do on the Apple Watch without your iPhone

Now playing: Watch this: All the things Apple Watch can do without an iPhone nearby 1:33 The Apple Watch is, first and foremost, an iPhone accessory. It might be even more than that eventually, a truly independent gadget, but a vast majority of its current core functions — making calls, sending messages, getting information, even playing any third-party games — …

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Amped up: The Technics SU

Technics SU-C700 integrated amplifier Technics Technics was once one of the most iconic names in the audio business, best known for its DJ turntables, but back in the day Technics also made highly regarded speakers and amplifiers. So when I received a hot tip that Technics was back with a new integrated amp I couldn’t wait to plug it into …

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Verizon Fios’ shift to ‘skinny bundles’ runs afoul of ESPN

ESPN is not happy with Verizon’s a la carte cable TV plan. Verizon Verizon’s plan to offer cheaper, à la carte bundles to Fios subscribers has raised the ire of ESPN. Verizon “does not have the right” to offer ESPN’s channels outside of a standard cable package, representatives of the sports channel told The Wall Street Journal. In Verizon’s proposed …

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Is compression helping or hurting the sound of music?

Steve Guttenberg/CNET Compression has gotten a bad rap in recent times, but I’d wager nearly all of your favorite records are compressed. Some less than others, yet some of your most beloved tunes are massively compressed. Dynamic range compression (not lossy compression) is a handy scapegoat too often tagged to bad-sounding music, but heavily compressed music isn’t a new trend: …

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Google to support Chrome on Windows XP until end of this year

Google Chrome isn’t deserting XP users, at least not yet. Google Windows users who still can’t say goodbye to the ancient Windows XP will at least be able to browse safely the rest of the year using Google Chrome. In a blog posted on Thursday, Google Chrome director of engineering Mark Larson said the company had previously announced that support …

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Verizon Fios shifts to ‘skinny bundles’ for TV service

Who needs 100-plus channels when we’re only watching 17 of them per TV household? Nielsen The bundle isn’t what it used to be: Verizon says its Fios customers will be getting more choice over the channels they watch on TV. Starting April 19, Verizon’s Fios television service will offer a “skinny bundle” option. Rather than being stuck with a standard, …

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How to blur out personal details on Google Maps

Nicole Cozma/CNET Google makes a valiant effort at blurring out many of the details at your residence when it takes images for street view. However, it’s not perfect and may miss a thing or two. If it happened to catch you in the middle of washing your car, or perhaps took some images of your home while it was undergoing …

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