The streaming wars are heating up with a new bundle offer from Disney. See how the media company intends to compete when it debuts its own streaming service later this year.
A backless seat on a plane? The airline sets the record straight after a passenger’s social media post attracted a lot of negative attention.
And a California homeowner chose to paint the house hot pink, and add emoji faces to the exterior. See why the neighbors believe the artwork was meant to mock them.
Here’s what you need to know in the daily roundup.
TOP STORY: Disney Adds Fierce Competition to the Streaming Battle With a Bundle Package
Breaking: Disney announces $12.99 bundle for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ t.co/d8OEqj98n2
More Americans are becoming cord-cutters and switching to streaming services for their television viewing. The market research from eMarketer predicts that by 2021, more than one-fifth of U.S. households will be streaming-only, with the number of paid-TV subscribers expected to drop continuously over the next few years.
That’s part of the reason why the streaming services themselves are competing hard to stand out. Disney plans to debut its new service in November and has offered an enticing bundle package to lure consumers. For $12.99 per month, customers can get access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. (Disney became the majority stakeholder in Hulu back in May).
By comparison, a standard Netflix subscription is also $12.99, with a Premium account costing $15.99. The new HBO Max service is expected to be priced at $16 or $17 per month.
WHAT’S BUZZING THAT HAS EVERYONE TALKING: An Airline Seat That Wasn’t What It Seemed
@mattiasharris Hi Matthew, thanks for bringing this to our attention, before we can investigate this could I ask you to remove the photograph & then DM us more info regarding this, so we can best assist you. Ross
EasyJet is a budget airline based in London, England. Passenger Matthew Harris posted a photo to Twitter yesterday of a woman in a seat that did not have a seatback. He questioned the safety of the seat and tagged the airline in the post. The picture was shared thousands of times. (He later clarified that the woman was moved to a regular seat).
EasyJet’s initial response didn’t do much to clear things up. The airline responded to Harris, “Hi Matthew, thanks for bringing this to our attention, before we can investigate this could I ask you to remove the photograph & then DM us more info regarding this, so we can best assist you.” Harris refused.
The airline likely could have prevented some of the backlash with a clearer explanation from the get-go. EasyJet told CNN in a statement that the seat in question was broken, and that no one had been allowed to sit in it.
OFF-BEAT: Homeowner Appears to Mock Neighbors With Emojis Painted On the House
“At this point, there is no neutral for the city. Not taking action is condoning this. And do we really as a community want to condone this?” said a neighbor.
Kathryn Kidd owns this home in Manhattan Beach in southern California. She doesn’t live there but instead rents it out on Airbnb. But short-term rentals are actually illegal in Manhattan Beach. Kidd’s neighbor reported her to city officials, who slapped Kidd with a $4,000 fine.
In response, Kidd hired an artist to paint the exterior of the house pink with two massive emojis. One of the emojis has the tongue sticking out and the second has a closed zipper for a mouth. Both emojis have eyelash extensions. Neighbors told local media outlets that they feel Kidd is intentionally sending a message to them, that they should have kept quiet about the short-term rentals.
Kidd denied that the paint job was meant as a bullying tactic. She told CBS Los Angeles, “It’s a message to me to be positive and happy and love life.” She says she intends to keep the house as it is.
DAILY NEWS ROUNDUP
Former Tinder executive Rosette Pambakian is suing the dating app company after she says she was sexually assaulted by former CEO Gregory Blatt and was then fired for filing a complaint against him:
- Fired Tinder executive Rosette Pambakian is suing the company for wrongful termination and sexual battery. She says she was assaulted by ex-CEO Gregory Blatt and that the internal investigation was biased.
- Iconic writer Toni Morrison, whose novels included “Beloved” and “Song of Solomon,” passed away this week at age 88.
- A motorcycle that backfired in New York’s Times Square was mistaken for gunfire and sent people running. Watch videos of the scene here.
- Software developer Fredrick Brennan, who founded 8chan, is calling for the online forum to be shut down in the wake of mass shootings.
- Walgreens is closing 200 stores in the United States.
- Robert Kraft’s new girlfriend is Dana Blumberg, a New York doctor.
- Blake Hortsmann of Bachelor in Paradise shares text messages exchanged with castmate Caelynn Miller-Keyes after the first two episodes of the season depicted Hortsmann in a less-than-flattering light.
CHECK THIS OUT
Would you be willing to wear an industrial tail in order to improve your balance? Researchers at Keio University in Japan developed this device called the Arque that is meant to do just that.
In the video above, the researchers explain that the structure was inspired by a seahorse tail. The tail is weight adjustable, and additional vertebrae can be added to make it longer.
The researchers pointed out that our balance tends to be shakier when climbing or carrying heavy objects, and that the tail could improve that balance.
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