Bezos has 462K acres, Gates 275K, and Buffett once tried to buy 1% of U.S. farmland. Also in this show: how to erase everything Google knows about you, the freeloading crackdown on Netflix and Costco, and the most surveilled city in the world.
YouTube’s family freeloader era is over, too: So you’ve been coasting on someone else’s YouTube Premium family plan for years? Well, YouTube just went full Netflix on us. Starting now, every 30 days, it’ll GPS‑scan your butt to make sure you actually live under the same roof as the account holder.
$200+
What some fans drop every month just to binge 60-second soap operas. Forget Netflix and chill, it’s now “vertical drama and debt” for $20 a week. That’s more than an HBO Max + Netflix + Hulu bundle, with enough left over for popcorn.
Set Netflix maturity ratings: On desktop, go to Manage Profiles > select their profile > Adjust Parental Controls and confirm your password. Pick a maturity rating (from All Ages to 18+) and hit Save. FYI: You can also block specific movies or series under Title Restrictions.
📺 Block the binge: Netflix loves to autoplay the next episode, but you can turn this off. On desktop, click your account picture and select Manage Profiles. Choose Your Profile, go to Playback settings and toggle off Autoplay next episode in a series on all devices. Now hit Save at the bottom.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Did you know an Xbox or PlayStation can stream Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and more? Install the apps from the console store and turn game time into movie night. Achievement unlocked: Your kid finally lets you use the console.
🍿 Delete Netflix history: You can remove shows and movies from your watch history to improve recommendations (or hide guilty pleasures 🤭). On PC, go to Your Profile > Viewing activity and click Hide from viewing history next to the title. Also handy if you’re trying to remember something you watched months ago.
10 hours a day
That’s the amount of screen time Americans are averaging. Apparently, “Netflix and chill” now runs concurrently with “Slack and panic.” Multitasking is also at an all-time-high. Whether they’re streaming the latest hit show or doomscrolling on social media, folks are plugged in like never before. Thank goodness for Wi-Fi. Without it, America might have to rediscover the outdoors.
😠 Stop Netflix trailer spoilers: They can ruin everything the second you open the app, so turn ’em off. On a web browser, click your profile picture (top right) > Manage Profiles > select your profile > Playback settings > and uncheck Autoplay previews while browsing on all devices > then hit Save. You’re welcome.
TV that can read your emotions — July 26th, Hour 3
Do you cry at rom-coms? Your LG TV will soon know. Plus: Why Netflix is still #1, a man sues Apple for $5 million after his phone got stolen, and how to keep hackers out of your home security cam. All that and more!
💣 AI made your explosion: In a “first ever” moment, Netflix used generative AI to create a building-collapse scene in The Eternaut, claiming it was 10x faster and cheaper than traditional video effects. CEO Ted Sarandos swears it wasn’t only a major budget break but a creative opportunity. Sure, if your idea of creativity is “Chat, make Argentina go boom.”
95 billion
That’s how many hours Netflix had people glued to their couch in the first half of 2025. That’s over 10 million years of screen time, roughly twice the age of Homo sapiens. Netflix plans to double its ad revenue with pause ads and interactive pop-ups. Nothing says “immersive drama” like a toothpaste ad mid-tear.
📺 Netflix secret codes: If you’re using a web browser, try Netflix’s hidden category codes. Just type “netflix.com/browse/genre/” followed by the number. Two of my favorites: 81466194 for 90-minute films and 2013975 for family movie night. Want more? Here’s a full list you can try.
402 Tbps
That’s the new internet speed record just set in Japan. It’s 4 million times faster than your Wi-Fi, and no, that’s not a typo. We’re talking entire Netflix libraries in seconds, on regular fiber. Somewhere, a Comcast exec just spit out their latte.
46%
How much of all U.S. TV use went to streaming in June, topping both cable and broadcast combined. Streaming is eating TV’s lunch, breakfast and dinner. And yes, Netflix is back in its hot girl summer era with 13.5% growth. Traditional TV? It’s giving “landline.”
❗ Is it just you? Use Downdetector to check if a service is down, like your internet provider, Netflix or social media apps. Just type the name in the search box.
250 million
That’s how many views over 9,000 pirated movies and shows pulled on YouTube, before anyone noticed. From Netflix exclusives to box office hits, pirates uploaded it all (paywall link). YouTube’s algorithm even gave them a boost.
🚀 NASA+ is coming to Netflix: Starting this summer, you’ll be able to stream rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks and views of Earth from the ISS right on Netflix. More details and schedules will drop closer to launch. Psst, you can watch NASA+ for free on the agency’s website with no ads.
Improve Netflix quality: If your stream looks pixelated, your video settings might be set too low. Log in to Netflix on desktop, click your profile > Account > Edit settings > Playback settings. Change Data usage per screen to High and hit Save. If it starts buffering, run a speed test and switch back to Auto.
10,000 years
That’s how long ago Meuse Woman walked the Earth, give or take a Netflix binge. Before the wheel, before writing, before Stonehenge, there was her. Now she’s got a face (thanks, science) and a pending fan vote to pick her name out of Margo, Freya or Mos’anne.