October, 2015

• 8 October

  Netflix hikes price of its most popular service by a buck, to $9.99

  

  Claire Reilly/CNET Popular streaming-video service Netflix is raising prices for the second time in two years, lifting the cost of its most popular level of service in the US, Canada and Latin America. The sign-up page on Netflix’s site said that the company’s “standard” tier of service, which lets two people watch separately at the …

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• 8 October

  Sony Xperia Z5 family: Australian pricing and availability

  

  Rich Trenholm/CNET For the next iteration of its popular Xperia range, Sony hasn’t just stopped at a single device. Joining the Z5 are the smaller-screen Z5 Compact and the 5.5-inch Z5 Premium. The camera is the focus for the basic Z5, with a completely redesigned 23-megapixel rear snapper boasting an auto-focus time of just 0.03 seconds. The 4.7-inch Compact has …

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• 8 October

  Vimeo recruits stars of ‘Saturday Night Live’ and ‘Orange is the New Black’ for new shows

  

  Enlarge ImageNatasha Lyonne (left) and Aidy Bryant will appear together in a new production backed by Vimeo. Debby Wong/Corbis Vimeo has recruited stars of “Saturday Night Live,” “Parks and Recreation” and “Orange is the New Black” as it joins Netflix and other video services creating original films and TV shows. From “House of Cards” on Netflix to “Transparent” on Amazon, …

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• 8 October

  Verizon’s grandfathered unlimited data users face $20 price hike

  

  Verizon’s unlimited data customers will soon see a higher bill. Verizon It’s getting tougher to be an unlimited data customer on Verizon Wireless. The New York telecommunications giant said Thursday that subscribers on grandfathered unlimited-data plans — the company stopped offering them to new customers in 2011 — would face a $20 increase in their monthly bill. Customers will see …

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• 8 October

  18.4

  

  The Samsung Galaxy View tablet could sell only with AT&T. CNET/Marguerite Reardon AT&T could be among the first, if not the only, wireless carrier to sell the massive Samsung Galaxy View tablet when it goes on sale. The documents for wireless devices that vendors are required to clear through the FCC’s website tell us a little about unannounced electronics. In …

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• 8 October

  Don’t hold your breath for another Facebook phone

  

  Enlarge ImageDavid Marcus, Facebook’s vice president of messaging products (right), talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher and Kurt Wagner about Facebook’s recent efforts. Shara Tibken/CNET HALF MOON BAY, Calif. — Facebook Phone version 2.0 appears to be a no-go. The social-networking giant will “probably not” be making another smartphone after the failure of its first attempt two years ago, said David …

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• 8 October

  Apple Pay is coming to Starbucks, Apple exec says

  

  Enlarge ImageJennifer Bailey, head of Apple Pay, talks about the service’s rollout with Recode’s Ina Fried. Shara Tibken/CNET HALF MOON BAY, Calif. — You’ll soon be able to pay for your Starbucks latte with your Apple Watch, as well as your KFC chicken and Chili’s Southwestern egg rolls. Apple Pay, Apple’s mobile payments service, will be coming to Starbucks over …

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• 8 October

  Adobe teases tech that easily erases pesky tourists in your photos

  

  Enlarge ImageAt Adobe’s Max conference, “Parks and Recreation” actor Nick Offerman holds a 3D-printed model of his head reconstructed from a photo. Adobe Systems / photo by Elizabeth Lippman Photoshop experts have long been able to whisk tourists away from their pictures by combining multiple shots. Now Adobe Systems has packaged that technique called monument mode into a prototype app …

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• 8 October

  HBO Now (finally) launches on Roku

  

  Researcher Park Associates estimates Roku to be the most popular streaming-media devices in the US. Sarah Tew/CNET Roku owners, rejoice: You can watch HBO Now at last. HBO’s online-only subscription service added support for Roku streaming-media devices Thursday, weeks after landing on competing gadgets from Amazon and Google and months after debuting on Apple devices. HBO Now made waves for …

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• 8 October

  Singapore testing drone delivery of snail mail

  

  Enlarge ImageSingapore’s first test of mail delivery via drone included flying over the ocean. Singapore Post Singapore Post, the country’s postal service, has delivered a package in its first drone test. The drone traveled 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) across the ocean to a nearby island to deliver a bundle with a t-shirt and letter to a postal employee who was …

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