By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Netflix raises its prices. Here's why it'll probably do it again soon
8b059926f57ad99d33bbbff79b514409c9d1afbefce3ef70c46028ef7a0ced5a
The $9.99-a-month plan, which allows you to stream on two devices at the same time, will jump to $10.99 a month. The $11.99-a-month plan, which gives you four streams, will jump to $13.99. - photo by Herb Scribner
Netflix will raise its prices for its U.S. subscribers, the company announced last week.

The $9.99-a-month plan, which allows you to stream on two devices at the same time, will jump to $10.99 a month.

The $11.99-a-month plan, which gives you four streams, will jump to $13.99.

The entry-level plan for new users will remain at $7.99.

Price hikes have already gone into effect for new subscribers.

For current subscribers, changes will take effect in November.

From time to time, Netflix plans and pricing are adjusted as we add more exclusive TV shows and movies, introduce new product features and improve the overall Netflix experience to help members find something great to watch even faster, Netflix said in a statement, according to ReCode.

Netflix has recently doubled down on its original content, investing $6 billion into shows like House of Cards and Stranger Things and feature films and TV shows, CNBC reported.

In response, big studios like Fox have worked to reclaim their old shows from Netflix. Fox in particular has chosen to stream its shows only on Hulu or Fox-related apps, according to Recode. CBS announced it would produce episodes for a new Star Trek show, which will only air on a CBS app. And Disney, which has plenty of films on the service, plans to take its movies and shows onto its own platform in 2019.

But demand still remains high from Netflix customers, which means this wont be the final time we see a price change for Netflix, according to USA Today.

The company can still make price increases without losing much business, experts told USA Today.

"Netflix has a lot of headroom for price increases," said Michael Greeson, president and principal analyst for research firm The Diffusion Group, to USA Today. "The service offers tremendous value even at the higher, but still very low, monthly costs."

Netflixs decision to raise prices may help other streaming services, too, USA Today reported.

For example, Hulu, which started as a free service, now costs $7.99 with commercials or $11.99 without commercials.

Amazon Prime costs $99 a year, with a separate $8.99-a-month plan just for Amazon Prime video.

This "gives permission to other (streaming) providers to consider price increases. Of course, their economics and user base will vary, but I think Amazon Prime and Hulu subscribers could tolerate a small price increase just about as well as Netflix, Greeson told USA Today.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
93cbd7a5475cccd1cee701424125d3abaa9b4beaa58d3663208f656cbbbd7661
A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.