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Netflix can’t seem to follow up its biggest shows

2026-04-23T10:41:17-04:00

It hasn't been that long since Stranger Things ended, but even still fans are clearly clamoring for more. The finale was overshadowed by a conspiracy about a secret episode, and an otherwise standard behind-the-scenes documentary became a hotbed for theorizing. Of course, given the scale of Stranger Things, Netflix was never going to let the franchise die completely, but its first attempt at expanding the franchise largely falls flat. Tales From '85 is a stakes-free return to Hawkins that's missing most of what made the original series such a phenomenon. And it's another example of Netflix struggling to turn its biggest shows into ongoing fr …

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Former MrBeast exec sues over ‘years’ of alleged harassment

2026-04-22T16:09:49-04:00

A former employee of Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson has filed a lawsuit alleging that she faced "intentional infliction of emotional distress" from harassment at the YouTuber's production company, was asked to work during maternity leave, and was wrongfully fired just a few weeks after returning from leave. According to the lawsuit, plaintiff Lorrayne Mavromatis and other female employees were demeaned by their male colleagues, who perpetuated a toxic, "male-centric workplace."

Mavromatis was one of the few women in the executive suite at Beast Industries before she was fired. The lawsuit claims that she faced unwanted sexual advances and comme …

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Celebrities will be able to find and request removal of AI deepfakes on YouTube

2026-04-21T13:30:24-04:00

YouTube is expanding its AI deepfake monitoring feature to Hollywood - meaning some celebrity AI videos could soon disappear.

The platform's likeness detection feature searches YouTube for AI deepfake content and flags it for public figures enrolled in the program. Public figures can use it to keep track of AI content on YouTube of themselves or request removal (takedowns are evaluated against YouTube's privacy policy, and not every request will be approved). YouTube began testing the feature with content creators last fall; in March, the company expanded the program to politicians and journalists. YouTube says the tool will cover celebriti …

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Apple TV has another busy summer of sci-fi with Silo season 3 in July

2026-04-21T09:48:44-04:00

Over the last few years Apple TV has established itself as a force in sci-fi, and that trend looks to continue through 2026. Up next: the post-apocalyptic thriller Silo is returning for its third season on July 3rd. The 10 episode-long season will span 10 episodes and wrap up on September 4th, with new episodes streaming on Fridays.

Based on a trilogy of books from author Hugh Howey, Silo follows the residents of an underground city - the titular silo - that live in a tightly-controlled environment amidst a grim and deadly landscape outside their walls. The first season introduced the story as a small-town mystery, before season 2 steadily …

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YouTube’s mobile app finally lets you share timestamped videos

2026-04-16T19:32:16-04:00

YouTube is making some changes that might affect how you share videos from the mobile app. From the app, you can finally share videos from a specific timestamp, which will make it easier to point someone to a part of a video you might want them to see while you're on your phone. However, this change will replace the Clips feature that lets you make a shareable clip from a video.

You'll still be able to watch any Clips that you've already made. But moving forward, "the ability to set an end time or include a custom description when sharing will no longer be available," YouTube says. The company notes that while clipping is "important way for …

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Netflix embraces vertical video with major mobile app update

2026-04-16T16:29:56-04:00

Netflix announced on Thursday that it will be launching a redesigned mobile app, which will include a vertical video feed, at the end of April. "This redesign will better reflect our expanding entertainment offering and make it easier for members to engage how and when they want," the company said in its Q1 2026 earnings letter to shareholders.

In Thursday's letter, the company said that the lines between "entertainment on TV and mobile devices are blurring," noting that video podcasts "over-index" on mobile. Co-CEO Greg Peters said in January that the company was planning to revamp its mobile UI as a way to "better serve the expansion of o …

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Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings is officially leaving the company

2026-04-17T05:38:53-04:00

Netflix cofounder and chairman Reed Hastings plans to leave the company after nearly 30 years. The news comes as part of Netflix's Q1 2026 earnings results released on Thursday, which says Hastings "will not stand for re-election to our Board when his current term expires at the Annual Meeting in June."

After cofounding Netflix in 1997, Hastings served as CEO from 1999 to 2023, when he stepped down and took on the role of chairman. "My real contribution at Netflix wasn't a single decision; it was a focus on member joy, building a culture that others could inherit and improve, and building a company that could be both beloved by members and …

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How Netflix made us fall in love with K-dramas

2026-04-16T11:46:30-04:00

This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week.

What do you get if you take a bunch of ripped, shirtless male K-pop idols in boxing gloves and have them spar in the ring until they're sweating? For Netflix: another global hit.

The streamer's K-drama Bloodhounds, now in its second season, is currently tearing up its global viewing charts. Season 2 attracted 7.4 million views last week, making it the most-watched non-English TV show worldwide on the service, and the third-most-popular show overall.

Bloodhounds is no exception …

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Roku hits a major milestone with 100 million households

2026-04-17T15:53:36-04:00

Roku continues to solidify itself in a very busy streaming landscape. As of April, over 100 million households are streaming with Roku devices, including its streaming sticks and boxes and Roku TVs.

Roku originally spun out of Netflix in 2008, where it was conceived as an in-house streaming device. It's not just Roku that has exploded in popularity since then, as streaming services have come to dominate the entertainment world. Netflix had less than 10 million subscribers in 2008, but now has over 325 million; Hulu, which also launched to the public in 2008, had 64.1 million subscribers in the US by late 2025; and Disney Plus had over 131 …

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YouTube now lets you turn off Shorts

2026-04-16T05:26:50-04:00

YouTube's time management settings now have an option to put a zero-minute time limit on Shorts, effectively removing them from your app in Android and iOS. The option is an update to the Shorts timer YouTube originally announced in October; the lowest previous option was 15 minutes.

The feature was expanded in January to give parents some control over how long their kids spend scrolling through Shorts, with an option for zero minutes "coming soon." According to YouTube spokesperson Makenzie Spiller, the option to set the timer to zero is now "live for all parents, and is currently being rolled out to everyone," including users with regula …

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