While it might not appear so to the vast majority of observers (and customers), Netflix’s recent changes may have been the right ones, says ZDNet’s David Hamilton. The company has made a series of awkward moves (at best) to shift its business model from a DVD-and-streaming company to a streaming-only company. In the process, it lost 810,00 net subscribers in the third quarter and has seen its stock prices tumble to $77.37. But this might not be such a terrible thing, says Hamilton. READ MORE
Part of Facebook’s new changes and fresh look will involve additional profile sections built from a user’s history at third-party businesses. Netflix had hoped to be part of this, and for most of the world, it will be. But beleaguered Netflix can’t find complete success. That feature won’t come to the United States any time soon. READ MORE
Netflix’s recent decision to increase rates for its streaming plus-DVD service, then splitting the company in two caused customer ire. But what seemed like a bone-headed move to some, might actually be Netflix CEO Reed Hasting’s genius move. Maybe. READ MORE
Yesterday Facebook held its annual f8 developers conference in San Francisco and announced several changes to its site, including a new Timeline feature, which captures everything you’ve ever posted. READ MORE
After two months of customer discontent over a price increase, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings poured fuel on the fire Monday with an email to his subscribers. He meant it as an apology. It read more as pure arrogance splashed over 661 words. Now subscribers have turned their anger directly on him. In other words, Hastings completely botched the whole thing, says L. Todd Thomas, a professor on business leadership at Northwood University. “I’m not even sure what he thought the outcome of that email was going to be,” Thomas says. “So yeah, it was a dumb move.” READ MORE
Netflix will split its video-stream and DVD-mailing services into separate companies after losing a million customers over its pricing snafu. Consider this an ideal lesson in re-branding. READ MORE
Netflix dethroned the former video-rental upper class, the Blockbusters, the Hollywood Videos, by creating a rabid fan base that appreciated the ease of its service. Now those customers are deserting Netflix. READ MORE
Amazon may soon add another digital offering to customers of its Prime service. The e-retailer has talked with book publishers about a Netflix-like service for digital books, where Prime subscribers would pay a flat yearly fee for an e-library with monthly limits on how many book you could download. READ MORE
Coming to the land of first-person shooters and Sonic the Hedgehog: A movie genome project similar to Pandora. Microsoft has announced a licensing agreement with Israeli start-up, Jinni, and may soon make it available to XBox users. READ MORE
Poor Netflix continues to have a really rough few weeks. Customers squawked at its pricing changes. Starz walked out on its streaming-video service. Now Blockbuster says it will start its own online streaming service. READ MORE
