Netflix - page 8

Hollywood lines up to help Apple make its own Game of Thrones

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Planet of the Apps
Apple's next TV shows should be a lot better than Planet of the Apps.
Photo: Apple

Hollywood is racing to do business with Apple in hopes to help the iPhone-maker create its first breakout TV series and movies.

Apple’s LA-based TV execs, Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, have been lining up meetings with some of the top names in town, according to a new report that sheds some light on the company’s TV strategy. Everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Steven Spielberg has pitched the duo. But in true Apple fashion, they’re being very picky about what they say yes to.

Apple competes with Netflix over Jennifer Aniston drama series

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Apple could be a $2 trillion company by end of 2021
Apple will have to splash the cash to secure rights to new drama series.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is reportedly battling with Netflix over the rights to a new original drama series starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.

The show is based around the workings of a morning television TV chat show, possibly (hopefully!) suggesting something similar to Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom or Sports Night.

Roku continues to trounce Apple TV

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apple tv and siri remote
Apple TV can't compete with Roku.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The gap between Apple TV and Roku continues to widen — only not in Apple’s favor.

According to the latest research data, Apple TV is getting absolutely dominated in the streaming set-top box race. As top rival Roku inches closer toward taking over half the market, Apple TV still struggles to crack into the top three streamers. And the future isn’t looking too bright.

Should Apple abandon original video? [Friday Night Fight]

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Will Carpool Karaoke: The Series be Apple's first hit?
Will Carpool Karaoke: The Series be Apple's first hit?
Photo: Apple

This coming Tuesday Apple is set to debut its newest original TV show Carpool Karaoke: The Series, but with Planet of the Apps being such a dud, some of us at Cult of Mac are questioning whether Apple has anything to gain by making mediocre TV shows.

During Apple’s Q3 earnings call this week, Tim Cook said Apple will continue to explore original content for Apple Music. Can Apple actually make great TV shows, or is it losing focus on what’s more important?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we discuss Apple’s media ambitions:

Lose cable, but not your shows, with this cord-cutter megabundle [Deals]

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The Ultimate Cord Cutting Kit Subscriptions
Cutting your cable doesn't have to mean less content, with access to the world's largest entertainment library.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

With the explosion of content over the last few years, cord cutting is sweeping the country. In comparison to wired alternatives, digital options cost less but offer just as much content — along with a few bonuses.

We’ve got a bundle that’s loaded for the cable-weary. And right now, you can get a year of the Ultimate Cord Cutting Kit Subscriptions for just $19.99.

Netflix tops this list of potential Apple takeover targets

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Apple adds 5 new vice presidents to its executive lineup
Apple adds 5 new vice presidents to its executive lineup
Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac

A Citibank analyst says Apple is sitting on so much cash, a likely change in tax code could see Cupertino use its “Merger and Acquisition firepower.” The most likely target would be Netflix.

Citibank puts the odds of a Netflix buyout at 40 percent, according to analyst Jim Suva in a note to clients titled Addressing the Problem of Too Much Cash.

Apple’s cash pile heads for $250 billion milestone

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Apple raked in the cash last quarter.
Apple raked in the cash last quarter.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple’s second quarterly earnings report of 2017 will likely reveal the company now has over a quarter of a trillion dollars of cash stashed in the bank.

The iPhone-maker has so much cash its reserves exceed the foreign-currency reserves of the U.K. and Canada combined. During the last quarter of 2017, Apple’s money-making machine was earning $3.6 million per hour.

iOS 11 will bring new focus on original videos from Apple Music

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Carpool Karaoke
Enjoy Carpool Karaoke without an Apple Music subscription.
Photo: Apple

iOS 11 will deliver a new Music app with a focus on original videos, according to Jimmy Iovine. The Apple Music chief says the service could add many as 10 original video series by the end of this year, including Carpool Karaoke and will.i.am’s Planet of the Apps, while Apple is also in talks to secure content from J.J. Abrams and R. Kelly.

Netflix gives thumbs up to skipping opening credits

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Netflix on a MacBook
You can now skip opening credits.
Photo: Netflix is killing star-ratings and title scenes

Binging your favorite TV shows on Netflix is about to get a lot better and a lot worse at the same time.

Netflix revealed that it plans to roll out two new features that will change the way you watch and review shows. Get ready to say goodbye to opening credits and five star reviews.

iPhone users spend more than ever on apps

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iPhone 7
App spending is on the rise.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

When it comes to buying apps, iPhone users aren’t afraid to bust out their wallets for good software.

Spending on iOS apps increased during 2016, according to the latest data from app analytics firm SensorTower which claims the average iPhone user spends $27 a year just on games.

Fill your screens with all the content your heart desires [Deals]

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Get a massive streaming library along with the benefits of cable.
Get a massive streaming library along with the benefits of cable.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Between our computers, phones and TVs, there’s almost too much screen to fill. Right now in the Cult of Mac Store, we’ve got a pair of deals that will bring more content than you’ll know what to do with.

SelectTV offers an unmatched library of TV, movies, radio stations and more. Getflix unlocks the vast seas of streaming video. Snag these deals and you’ll never want for something to watch again.

Subscription service lets you binge on 60-plus Mac apps

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Setapp lets you binge on macOS apps.
Setapp is like Netflix for Mac apps.
Photo: MacPaw

The way Mac users get apps is about to become a lot more like Netflix, thanks to a service launching today called Setapp.

Created by the folks at MacPaw, Setapp is a new app subscription service that provides Mac users with an alternative way to try and buy apps instead of going through the Mac App Store.

Its not filled with loads of crap either. Top apps like Ulysses, Blogo, CleanMyMac, iMazing, Pixa, Polarr and Flume are all included. Instead of buying apps individually though, Setapp lets users pay a flat fee for access to hundreds of popular apps.

New Netflix documentary series focuses on visionary designers

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Screen Shot 2017-01-20 at 13.57.57
Netflix's new documentary series looks like a winner.
Photo: Netflix

Netflix makes some darn good drama shows, but it’s the company’s forthcoming documentary series that really has us interested. Called Abstract: The Art of Design, it’s an 8-part series about visionary designers, set to arrive on February 10.

Despite not featuring Apple (at least, based on what we’ve seen in the trailer), it certainly looks the kind of factual programming that would be of interest to Cult of Mac readers.

Check out the trailer below.

Hulu will add live streaming, offline viewing ‘in a few months’

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A new App
Hulu on Apple TV.
Photo: Hulu

Hulu has promised it will give subscribers a new live streaming bundle and the ability to download content for offline viewing “in a few months.”

Many of the company’s biggest competitors already offer an offline viewing feature, with Netflix the latest to join the party back in November. Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins assures fans that his team is “working hard” on it.

Netflix gives birth to boy with smartphone brain

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iBoy
As long as it's not a Galaxy Note 7 stuck in his brain, he'll be OK!
Photo: Netflix

If you thought Black Mirror had the market cornered on stories about the dark side of technology, you’d better think again!

Netflix just released the official trailer for a new movie called iBoy and, as its name implies, there’s a certain tech connection. Check it out below:

Apple could offer original scripted TV content by end of 2017

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4118bc185081d7b9ff5160dc6e5304cbaab081a7
Could Apple challenge shows like Netflix's Stranger Things
Photo: Netflix

Move over The Crown and Stranger Things! Apple is planning to enter the original TV shows and movies market, according to a new report.

The Wall Street Journal claims Apple has been in talks with “veteran producers” over the past few months about buying the rights to existing shows, and has also told them that it has plans to create its own programming — although those efforts are still in the early stages.

Best iOS apps of 2016

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Best iOS Apps
Appy holidays!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

2016 Year in Review Cult of Mac It’s been a banner year for iOS apps. From smart photo-editing tools to music-generating apps, Apple and third-party developers alike brought some serious heat to the App Store. We’ve combed through our home screens to pick out the best iOS apps of 2016.

Check out our picks below.

‘Netflix of Mac software’ lets you binge on apps

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Mac App Store
The email app BlueMail finds itself on the outside of the "closed garden."
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s Mac App Store has been a desolate wasteland of mediocrity for years, but a new service called Setapp wants to breathe new life into macOS apps.

Setapp app claims it’s an “Unstore” alternative to the Mac App Store. Instead of paying for apps individually, you’ll pay a monthly subscription fee for access to 300 popular apps.

How to watch Netflix offline

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The new Netflix app reveals your internet speeds.
Finally, watching Stranger Things on the subway is a reality.
Photo: Photo: Shardayyy/Flickr CC

If you’ve been dying to watch Netflix offline, your life just got better. An update to the official Netflix app lets you download TV shows and movies so you can view them without munching through your data allowance.

Anyone who’s dreamed about watching Stranger Things or The Crown on the subway to work, or at 35,000 feet, this is your lucky day! Here’s how to get in on the action.

Apple tried to sign Chris Rock to iTunes movie deal

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AppleTV_TV-Movies-PRINT
Making TV shows is just one of Apple's many hobbies.
Photo: Apple

Cupertino’s slow flirtation with Hollywood nearly landed Apple an exclusive iTunes movie deal with comedian Chris Rock, according to a new report.

Apple has shown interest in producing original video content of its own. The company bought the rights to James Cordon’s Carpool Karaoke TV show, and it appears Apple has some tepid interest in making the type of movies you’d find on Netflix.