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Netflix and deaf-rights group settle suit over video captions

Netflix and the National Association for the Deaf (NAD) have come to an agreement about captions for the company's streaming videos: 100 percent must be captioned by 2014.

The agreement comes by way of a class action lawsuit filed by NAD in 2010 that alleged the streaming service was "failing to provide adequate closed captioning on 'Watch Instantly' streaming video programming," and therefore was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

After back-and-forth between the lawyers -- and Netflix working to get the case thrown out -- the two sides finally settled this week.

"We … Read more

Best monitors for movie-watching

Why would anyone want to watch a movie on a sub-40-inch screen? Well, ideally you wouldn't, but we don't all get what we want in life, now do we?

In a perfect world, all screens would span 50 inches diagonally and sport superhigh resolutions. Also, we'd all have enough space to fit them in every room.

Real life just ain't chock-full of unicorns and seven-year wizard colleges, though, and real-life dorms and apartments can be small. Doesn't mean you'd want to miss out on watching movies the way they were intended. Well, at least from a color, black-level, and contrast ratio perspective. We addressed the whole difference-in-screen-size thing earlier.… Read more

Seiko unleashes stylish 'Star Wars' watches

Timing is everything, especially in the "Star Wars" saga. For example, had Han Solo missed that critical shot on the TIE fighter in the trenches of the Rebel assault on the first Death Star, Luke Skywalker would have been toast -- and so would the rebellion against the Empire.

On October 12, Japanese watchmaker Seiko commemorates "Star Wars" in a new collection of themed watches with a collective run of only 5,000 pieces. Six popular characters from the movies each get their own model: Darth Vader, Darth Maul, C-3PO, R2-D2, Yoda, and the lemming-like Stormtrooper. … Read more

Finding flaws in the iPhone 5

Monday's CNET Update is a bit scratchy:

Apple sold more than 5 million iPhone 5 units as of the first weekend. That's a million more than the launch of the iPhone 4S. But looks like Apple could have sold many more if there was enough supply. Several retail stores in major cities had only 8 or 10, according to reports, and didn't get enough to fulfill preorders.

When you have millions of people around the world racing to be the first to have one, there are high standards. So there's been quite a bit of press … Read more

Keep an eye on your kids' PC use with JuniorWatch

As a parent, you're responsible for what your children see and do online, and parental control suites like JuniorWatch can help out. This free application monitors, logs, and reports all activity on your family PC or your child's PC. JuniorWatch captures screenshots and Webcam shots, logs keystrokes, monitors the clipboard, saves browser history, and blocks inappropriate Web sites. You can also delete and retrieve files remotely with JuniorWatch. In addition to overall upgrades, new features include anti-phishing and porn blocker tools.

Before you install JuniorWatch, we recommend first signing up for a free account at the program's … Read more

Samsung says its manufacturer doesn't use child labor

After Samsung was criticized last month for partnering with an electronics manufacturer that allegedly employed child workers, it announced today that all employees at the manufacturing factory are of a legal working age.

"Samsung holds itself and its supplier companies to the highest standards," Samsung said in a statement. "We have a zero tolerance policy on child labor violations and are therefore conducting field audits to ensure all our facilities in China, whether supplier facilities or fully-owned facilities, are compliant with applicable labor laws and Samsung's labor and employment right policies."

When watchdog group China … Read more

Worldwide TV viewing

The Online TV Player is a program that accesses online TV and radio from around the world and streams it on your computer.

This program has a very simple layout and there really isn't much to it. You simply go through the lists of online TV and radio from whichever country you want, and select one to watch. It does require you to have certain additional programs like RealPlayer and Windows Media Player in order to play a number of the TV channels. We didn't have RealPlayer, but even the channels that did not require this would not … Read more

Luxury watchmaker turns hand toward retro games

A gentleman's timepiece should never be too exuberant, but Crave feels compelled to give a curious nod to the ultra-expensive Pac-Man and Space Invaders watches by Swiss timepiece crafter RJ-Romain Jerome. Each dial features a miniature replica design of the arcade classics set in a pixelated appearance.

Perhaps understated from first glance, these geeky watches (waterproof to 98 feet) with rubber straps contain some real stellar inspirations. For starters, each steel timepiece features real fragments of the Apollo 11 lunar module, and the designer took it a step further by modeling the four joints of the watch after lunar landing module legs. To top off the extravagance, the back of the watches contain low-oxidation silver mixed with real moon rocks, specially patterned like the lunar surface. … Read more

DVDs, Blu-ray disc rentals still surpass streaming

Streaming video may be cost-effective and convenient, but consumers are still renting more movies via the mail and physical retailers.

People renting DVDs and Blu-ray discs through retail stores, kiosks, and Netflix's mail service totaled more than 62 percent of all movie rentals in the first half of the year, according to NPD Group. In contrast, those renting digital movies via subscription streaming, pay TV video on demand, and Internet VOD added up to only 38 percent.

Though physical discs still lead the rental landscape, their popularity has been waning. Rentals of DVDs and Blu-ray discs dropped by 17 … Read more

Samsung to investigate child labor claims at factory

Samsung has already sprung into action in response to accusations that its HEG Electronics supplier is forcing underage children to work under harsh conditions.

The Korean handset maker is sending a team this week to the HEG Electronics factory in Huizhou, China, to conduct its own investigation, according to The Verge. This would be Samsung's third probe of the facility; the first two failed to turn up any issues.

HEG Electronics, which makes DVD players and mobile phones for Samsung, has been accused by China Labor Watch of employing children under 16.

A new report from CLW found that … Read more