Netflix 'Recommendations' Sure Look Like Commercials...
*By Conor White*
Netflix's newest feature may only be in the testing phase, but it's causing an uproar on social media. The streaming giant will insert "recommendations" between episodes of shows, and many critics argue these suggestions are [just commercials](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/20/business/media/netflix-commercials-videos-ads.html) by another name. Users complained over the weekend that promotional videos ー which can last up to 20 seconds ー were interrupting their viewing time, and some even threatened to cancel their subscriptions.
Austin Powell, managing editor at the Daily Dot, said it's a "bad look" for Netflix.
"I just want the content, I just want my show," he said Monday in an interview on Cheddar. "It's a regressive move, and I think it's indicative of a lot of other issues."
Netflix posted [less-than-stellar](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2018-07-16/netflix-troubles-may-have-ripple-effects-research-affiliates-ceo-says-video) second-quarter numbers in July, with new subscriber tallies [falling short](http://fortune.com/2018/07/16/netflix-stock-drops/) of expectations.
With more than 80 original series slated for release this year, Powell said this may be an act of desperation for Netflix.
"They just don't know how to market all of that content," he said. "There's literally too much for them to work with and for you to know what to watch, and so they're having to really force this onto the user in a way that's not really that pleasant."
While Netflix seems to believe viewers are having trouble discovering new content, Powell said it's a simple matter of quality, not quantity.
"To me, the real issue here is content. Netflix in 2018 hasn't had a breakout hit like 'Stranger Things' or 'Making A Murderer' and they're just trying to force this."
Still, investors seem to be shrugging off user backlash ー shares of Netflix ended a six-day losing streak and were up more than 3 percent on Monday.
For full interview, [click here] (https://cheddar.com/videos/new-on-netflix-commercials).
Amid a backdrop of ongoing tariff uncertainty, more and more gamers are facing price hikes. Microsoft raised recommended retailer pricing for its Xbox consoles and controllers around the world this week. Its Xbox Series S, for example, now starts at $379.99 in the U.S. — up $80 from the $299.99 price tag that debuted in 2020. And its more powerful Xbox Series X will be $599.99 going forward, a $100 jump from its previous $499.99 listing. The tech giant didn’t mention tariffs specifically, but cited wider “market conditions and the rising cost of development.” Beyond the U.S., Microsoft also laid out Xbox price adjustments for Europe, the U.K. and Australia. The company said all other countries would also receive updates locally.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said Thursday that the majority of iPhones sold in the U.S. in the current fiscal quarter will be sourced from India, while iPads and other devices will come from Vietnam as the company works to avoid the impact of President Trump’s tariffs on its business. Apple’s earnings for the first three months of the year topped Wall Street’s expectations thanks to high demand for its iPhones, and the company said tariffs had a limited effect on the fiscal second quarter’s results. Cook added that for the current quarter, assuming things don’t change, Apple expects to see $900 million added to its costs as a result of the tariffs.
Visa is hoping to hand your credit card to an artificial intelligence “agent” that can find and buy clothes, groceries, airplane tickets and other items on your behalf.
Shares of Deliveroo, the food delivery service based in London, are hitting three-year highs on Monday after it received a $3.6 billion proposed takeover offer from DoorDash.
X, the social media platform owned by Trump adviser Elon Musk, is challenging the constitutionality of a Minnesota ban on using deepfakes to influence elections and harm candidates.
