Turns out all those Netflix Originals are really expensive |
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Welcome to Decrypted, Digital Trends' new daily newsletter guiding you through the latest news in the world of tech, with insights from our senior writers. |
 | by Trevor Mogg, Contributor
Netflix is raising the monthly fee of its standard and premium plans in the U.S. The change will see the monthly rate for its Standard plan rise by $1, from $12.99 to $13.99, while its Premium plan will increase by $2, from $16 to $18. The Basic plan remains at $9 per month.
The new subscription rates took effect on Thursday, October 29 -- but only for new members signing up to the video streaming service. Existing subscribers don't escape the hike, however, with the new prices expected to come into effect over the next couple of months.
"Current members will be notified through email and will also receive a notification within the app 30 days ahead of their price increase," the company confirmed. "Timing will be based on the specific member's billing cycle and will be rolled out over the course of the next two months."
The price increase is the first to be imposed by Netflix since January 2019, when it added one or two dollars to each of its tiers. "We're updating our prices so that we can continue to offer more variety of TV shows and films — in addition to our great fall lineup," Netflix said in a statement, adding: "As always: we offer a range of plans so that people can pick a price that works best for their budget." |
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 | by Luke Dormehl, Contributor
"You cannot go to the grocery store on the moon," said Didier Toubia, speaking with great solemnity, as if he was addressing one of humanity's most fundamental problems. Which, in a very real way, he is.
"One of the main problems for the human species going really deep into space is the lack of food," he told Digital Trends. "When we're talking about a deep space operation like a spacecraft that is up there for five years, how do you feed the people [on board for that length of time] without any access to local food?"
Toubia, a biologist and "food engineer" by training, is the co-founder and CEO of an Israeli cultivated meat startup called Aleph Farms, one of an expanding number of companies working to create an alternative to breeding and slaughtering cattle by growing high-quality meat from animal cells. One of the key differentiators is that, along with a plan to grow meat for people on Earth, Toubia also has his eye on the stars.
"We believe that when the human species becomes multiplanetary, we will need to [follow to] make sure that we are able to provide a good food experience with nutritious meat anytime, anywhere. I believe we'll be able to deliver the first pieces of meat within four to five years from now," he said. |
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by Andrew Martonik, Mobile Editor
With four new models, the iPhone 12 lineup has a lot to offer. I've spent the last two weeks using the 12 and 12 Pro, and loved them both. The real standout is the iPhone 12, which for $799 offers most of a "Pro" experience. The cameras are exceptional for the money, the new larger screen is great, and the fresh design differentiates it from the crowd. Plus, fresh additions like 5G and MagSafe have you set for the future.
The 12 Pro turns things up a notch, with a flashy design in stainless steel and advanced camera features. But it doesn't go as far beyond "base" model this year — especially for $200 more. Frankly, most people will be best served by the standard iPhone 12.
Having an excellent experience with the 12 and 12 Pro just makes me even more excited to see the 12 Mini and 12 Pro Max in the coming weeks. They go up for pre-order on November 6. |
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 | by Rob Oster, Copy Chief
The Haunting of Hill House premiered on Netflix just in time for Halloween two years ago and is one of my favorite shows of the past several years. Simultaneously eerie and heartfelt, it is an ingenious puzzle box of a story meticulously crafted by co-writer/director Mike Flanagan.
So it should be no surprise that my expectations for The Haunting of Bly Manor, the similar but unrelated follow-up series that debuted on Netflix this month, were sky-high. While the shows are distinct, they do share similarities, including several key cast members in different roles, a slow and methodical unraveling of the key mysteries, and a pervasive sense of dread -- not everything is going to end happily ever after for all of the characters.
Unfortunately, while Bly Manor is thoroughly well done and more than worthy of a recommendation, it pales in comparison to Hill House. Like its predecessor, it features an utterly mind-blowing episode that changes the landscape of the series, but Bly House becomes a bit bogged down and falters down the stretch.
Loosely based on Henry James' 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw, Bly Manor follows Dani, a young American woman who is fleeing a haunting of her own and takes an au pair job at a rural estate in England. Her two young charges -- Miles and Flora -- have been orphaned and mostly abandoned by their Uncle Henry. It's not long before Dani learns that her predecessor, Miss Jessel, died on the estate, which also has more than its share of ghosts, including a malevolent presence that emerges from the lake every night and walks the halls of Bly Manor.
Like Hill House, Bly has more on its mind than thrills and chills. Yes, there are plenty of ghosts and frightening moments, but Flanagan is also deft at exploring humanity and all its foibles via his spooky yarns. He does this by creating characters you care for, including Hannah (T'Nia Miller), Bly Manor's snazzily dressed housekeeper, who is at the center of the head-spinning episode that represents the series' zenith.
Miller gives a heartbreaking tour de force performance in the episode. Other standouts in the cast include Rahul Kohli as the estate's cook, as well as Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Amelie Bea Smith, who play Miles and Flora, respectively. Ainsworth, in particular, projects a maturity well beyond his years that services the plot well.
Flanagan (Doctor Sleep, Oculus), who handles his cast deftly, has become one of the preeminent horror directors of his generation. And while it's not quite at the level of his best work, Bly Manor is a solid and elegant ghost tale that's perfect for a Halloween weekend binge. |
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