Media Decoder Blog: A Resurgent Netflix Beats Projections, Even Its Own

1:51 p.m. | Updated For all those who have doubted its business acumen, Netflix had a resounding answer on Wednesday: 27.15 million.That’s the number of American homes that were subscribers to the streaming service by the end of 2012, beating the company’s own projections for the fourth quarter after a couple of quarters of underwhelming results.Netflix’s growth spurt in streaming — up by 2.05 million...

Read More..

DealBook | The Trade: An Asset So Toxic They Called It ‘Nuclear Holocaust’

On March 16, 2007, Morgan Stanley employees working on one of the toxic assets that helped blow up the world economy discussed what to name it. Among the team members’ suggestions: “Subprime Meltdown,” “Hitman,” “Nuclear Holocaust” and “Mike Tyson’s Punchout,” as well a simple yet direct reference to a bag of excrement.Ha ha. Those hilarious investment bankers.Then they gave it its real name and sold...

Read More..

Sundance stars sound off on gun violence in film

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — The Sundance Film Festival isn't home to many shoot-em-up movies, but action-oriented actors at the festival are facing questions about Hollywood's role in American gun violence.Guy Pearce and Alexander Skarsgard are among those who say Hollywood shares in the blame.Pearce is in Park City, Utah, to support the family drama "Breathe In," but he's pulled plenty of imaginary triggers...

Read More..

SciTimes Update : Science News From Around the Web

Wednesday in Science, we’re reading about killer penguins, texting moms, asteroid mining, designing a more pleasurable condom and a maple leaf controversy in Canada. Check out these and other science headlines from around the Web. The Last 925,000 Pounds Are Always the Hardest: Boston’s citywide challenge to lose one million pounds in a year appears to have fallen about 925,000 pounds...

Read More..

DealBook: At Davos, Financial Leaders Debate Reform and Monetary Policy

DAVOS, Switzerland — Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, apologized again for the bank’s recent $6 billion trading loss, this time in front of an audience that included the elite of the financial world. But in keeping with his confident demeanor, it was a diet portion of humble pie.“If you’re a shareholder of mine, I apologize,” Mr. Dimon said at the World Economic Forum annual meeting...

Read More..

Car Bombs in Iraq Kill at Least 17

Hadi Mizban/Associated PressThe aftermath of a car bombing in Baghdad on Tuesday. BAGHDAD (AP) — A string of attacks, including three car bombings in and around Baghdad, killed at least 22 people Tuesday, deepening fears of a surge in violence as sectarian tensions fester in Iraq. Although there was no immediate claim of responsibility, blame is likely to fall on Sunni insurgents such as...

Read More..

Is Facebook envy making you miserable?

LONDON (Reuters) – Witnessing friends’ vacations, love lives and work successes on Facebook can cause envy and trigger feelings of misery and loneliness, according to German researchers.A study conducted jointly by two German universities found rampant envy on Facebook, the world’s largest social network that now has over one billion users and has produced an unprecedented platform for social comparison.The...

Read More..

James Franco explores leather, sex at Sundance

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — There's a lot of leather and sex in James Franco's life right now.The 34-year-old actor-director is part of three movies at the Sundance Film Festival that deal with sex, pornography and bondage, and discipline.In an interview at the independent-film showcase in Park City, Utah, he said, "I guess I'm drawn to it."Franco co-directed, produced and stars in "Interior. Leather Bar."...

Read More..

Well Pets: Holly the Cat's Incredible Journey

Nobody knows how it happened: an indoor house cat who got lost on a family excursion managing, after two months and about 200 miles, to return to her hometown.Even scientists are baffled by how Holly, a 4-year-old tortoiseshell who in early November became separated from Jacob and Bonnie Richter at an R.V. rally in Daytona Beach, Fla., appeared on New Year’s Eve — staggering, weak and emaciated —...

Read More..

J.&J. Study Suggested Hip Device Could Fail in Thousands More

An internal analysis conducted by Johnson & Johnson in 2011 after it recalled a troubled hip implant projected that the all-metal device could fail within five years in nearly 40 percent of patients who received it, newly disclosed court records show. The analysis, which the company has never released, suggests that thousands of additional patients may have to undergo painful procedures...

Read More..