Netflix has been quick to act on its plans to charge for account sharing in the US. The streaming service is notifying American customers that they'll need to pay $8 per month for viewers outside of the household who want to share the account. As in other countries, you can add one extra member with the Standard plan, and two with the Premium tier. You can convert profiles into paying extra member accounts.

The company rolled out account sharing in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain this February after trialing the change in Latin America. You can still watch outside of your home, but you'll have to establish the household's boundaries either manually through a smart TV app (which looks for devices on the same WiFi network) or automatically (based on IP addresses, device IDs and activity). Netflix says it doesn't know your exact location, but it may ask you to verify a device if you're travelling or otherwise using a different connection.

Netflix has been direct about the reasoning behind its initiative. The media giant has pinned some of its recent financial troubles on users borrowing passwords to effectively get free service. The sharing theoretically converts some of these people into paying customers, even if it also risks sending them into the arms of competitors like Amazon and Disney.

There have been criticisms of this approach. It could prove a hassle for college students that previously used the family account for in-dorm viewing. And while $8 per month isn't a high price for a streaming service, there are some viewers who may simply drop Netflix altogether. However, it's doubtful the company is going back. It said it was "pleased" with the results from the February launch, suggesting that paid sharing is here to stay.

The next big update to your Ford EV might bring some decidedly old technology. Ford chief Jim Farley has revealed that the brand will add AM broadcast radio to its 2023 Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning models through a software update following discussions with politicians about the emergency alert system. It will also be included on all 2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, including the previously announced Mustang coupe.

Ford cut AM radio from its 2023 EVs after data showed that less than 5 percent of customers used it, according to spokesperson Alan Hall. The company was also concerned about interference with the EV system, and was trying to reduce cost and manufacturing challenges. You could still stream AM stations, but conventional broadcasts weren't available.

The decision comes less than a week after a bipartisan group of senators and House representatives introduced a bill, the AM for Every Vehicle Act, to require the older radio format in new cars without charging a premium. They believe AM is "essential" during emergencies, and that removing it could put public safety at risk. A trade group that includes Ford, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, claimed the measure was unneeded as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can deliver alerts through FM, satellite and streaming.

This isn't an altruistic gesture, then, and it's unclear how Ford will address potential interference problems. Even so, this may be good news if you live in an area prone to natural disasters. You can buy EVs from Ford knowing you'll get potentially life-saving warnings. This also applies pressure to BMW, Tesla and other vendors that have dropped AM radio in newer cars.

If you can't stand your web browser's default gray look, Google may have just what you're looking for. The company recently updated Chrome on desktop with a side panel that makes it easier to change the app's theme and color. Click "Customize Chrome" in a new tab and you can browse theme packs or set colors in real time. You can upload custom images, or set a daily rotating background if you crave variety.

There's no mention of a similar change coming to mobile. The confines of a phone screen wouldn't make this customization as practical as it is on a computer, though, so we wouldn't count on a direct equivalent.

Browser customization isn't new, of course. However, you've typically had to dive deeper into the settings to access the feature, even in other Chromium-based browsers. Microsoft's Edge, for instance, requires visiting an appearance section in settings to make similar changes. The Chrome update theoretically encourages more people to give themes and colors a try. That, in turn, may keep them using Chrome instead of switching to rivals.

Apple's long-expected switch to internally developed 5G modems is clearly moving forward. The iPhone maker has struck a "multibillion-dollar" deal that will have Broadcom develop components for 5G and other wireless connectivity. Some of the parts will be made in American facilities, including a key Broadcom manufacturing base in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The companies didn't say which products would use the 5G tech, but the arrangement isn't necessarily limited to the iPhone. Apple is believed to have started work on in-house 5G in 2020, a year after buying the majority of Intel's phone modem business. The company hasn't been shy about its plans, as it has recruited 5G developers and set up shop in Qualcomm's hometown of San Diego. It also established a wireless-focused office in Munich.

Rumors suggest Apple's 5G modems will first reach shipping products in late 2024 or early 2025. Neither Apple nor Broadcom has confirmed this, but Qualcomm told CNBC in March it assumes it won't provide iPhone modems in 2024.

This could be a significant blow to Qualcomm. While the company has diversified its chipmaking with in-car tech and low-power hardware, it's still heavily dependent on cellular modem sales and counts Apple as one of its largest customers. It will have to lean more on Android phone makers to bolster its bottom line. Qualcomm chips for Windows PCs have struggled to compete against x86-based equivalents.

Apple's anticipated move isn't surprising. The company has long tried to reduce its dependency on third parties, most notably switching to its own CPUs starting with the A4-based iPad in 2010. While Apple may need Broadcom's help, it won't be closely tied to Qualcomm's hardware release schedule — and might not risk expensive patent disputes, either. In theory, Apple could claim a technological edge by building 5G modems uniquely optimized for its devices.

The UK ordered Meta to sell Giphy at the end of 2021, and now the social media heavyweight is following through. Stock photo provider Shutterstock has reached a deal to buy Giphy from Meta for $53 million. Notably, this won't break compatibility — Meta is entering a programming interface agreement that ensures Giphy's GIFs work properly across services like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

The sale is expected to close in June. Shutterstock says the purchase will boost its stake in "casual conversations" by adding GIFs and stickers to its catalog, not to mention Giphy partners like Microsoft, TikTok and Twitter. The buyout will also help foster Shutterstock's generative AI strategy, particularly in mobile, and should help the company reach more advertisers.

Meta (then Facebook) bought Giphy in 2020 to fold its GIF library into platforms like Instagram. The deal was reportedly worth $400 million. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) soon launched an investigation to determine if the acquisition would hurt competition, though, and fined Meta $69.6 million for continuing with merger plans without the regulator's approval. A year later, the CMA told Meta to sell Giphy after finding that the takeover would unfairly cement Meta's market dominance.

We've asked Meta for comment. The firm fought the CMA, arguing that Giphy neither operated in the UK nor counted as display advertising that justified a split. Meta also contended that Giphy and users alike were better off with its resources at their disposal.

The swap shouldn't change things much if you use Meta's social networks. This may affect Shutterstock's customers, though. Chief executive Paul Hennessy hopes Giphy will help commercialize Shutterstock's GIF collection — don't be surprised if animated images play a prominent role in Shutterstock's offerings.

NASA has picked the company that will handle the third crewed Artemis Moon landing. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin will build the landing system for Artemis V, which is currently set to launch in September 2029. While they didn't mention the choice of vehicle, the company is already working on a Blue Moon lander. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Draper are among those involved in the NASA project.

An Orion capsule flight will take four astronauts to the Moon, where two of the crew members will use a Blue Origin lander docked to the Gateway space station to touch down at the lunar south pole. They'll spend a week conducting moonwalks, rover operations and science experiments while the other astronauts expand and take care of the Gateway.

NASA has already chosen SpaceX's Starship for the first (Artemis III) and second (Artemis IV) human landings. The agency said it would accept proposals for a second lander last year to both provide a backup and foster competition. Blue Origin made its bid for another lunar contract last December. The company objected to SpaceX's win and sued NASA for allegedly ignoring safety concerns when awarding the contract, but a federal court dismissed the claims.

The decision is a coup for Blue Origin. While it already has a NASA contract for a Mars science mission and financial support for its Orbital Reef space station, it hasn't had success scoring a crewed trip to the Moon. This also highlights NASA's increasing reliance on privately developed technology for its missions beyond Earth orbit, such as Axiom Space's Artemis suits. Like it or not, public-private alliances like these will define American space exploration for a while.

Hyundai is putting a relatively quick end to a class-action lawsuit over a viral TikTok car theft challenge. The automaker has agreed to pay a settlement worth up to $200 million to compensate roughly 9 million US Hyundai and Kia owners. About $145 million is earmarked for out-of-pocket losses for customers whose cars were stolen or damaged and weren't covered by insurance. The companies also say they'll cover insurance deductibles, higher insurance premiums and other related expenses.

The settlement covers a wide range of Hyundai and Kia cars released between the 2011 and 2022 model years, including the Elantra, Santa Fe and Tucson. The 2011-2014 Genesis Coupe is also included. The marques will pay up to $6,125 per owner for the total loss of a car, and up to $3,375 for damage to the vehicle and any personal property.

The brands have already released a dealership-installed update that improves theft prevention for certain models (such as the 2017-2020 Elantra, 2015-2019 Sonata and 2020-2021 Venue) by disabling push-to-start and lengthening the alarm. Other vehicles that can receive updates will get theirs by June. As part of the settlement, Hyundai and Kia will also offer up to $300 to help drivers buy anti-theft devices. They say they've already provided "tens of thousands" of free steering wheel locks to affected customers, and have provided AAA insurance options for customers who had trouble maintaining coverage.

The "Kia Challenge" emerged in mid-2022 after "Kia Boyz" posted TikTok videos showing how they used USB cables to hot-wire many Hyundai and Kia cars without anti-theft immobilizers. Thefts of those makes surged not long after, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration got involved after at least 14 crashes and eight deaths were linked to the viral clips.

The settlement heads off a high-profile court battle with owners, although it won't necessarily eliminate lawsuits from cities like Cleveland, San Diego and Seattle. It also underscores the cost of security issues in the social media era — it doesn't take much for a weakness to become public knowledge.

Apple has one more batch of major OS updates in store ahead of WWDC. The company has released iOS 16.5, iPadOS 16.5 and macOS 13.4 updates that all have an Apple News section dedicated to sports. You can keep up with rankings, scores and stories without having to wade through other articles. There are likewise score and schedule cards in News that jump directly to pages for particular games.

Apple TV 4K users, meanwhile, get a Multiview feature that shows up to four sports streams at once in the TV app. That includes Friday Night Baseball games as well as MLS Season Pass matches, but we wouldn't count on third-party service support.

Other improvements aren't quite so dramatic. Both iOS 16.5 and watchOS 9.5 respectively add Pride wallpaper and watch face options (shown above). You can also expect the usual round of bug fixes, including issues with CarPlay and Spotlight on iOS as well as Screen Time syncing on multiple platforms.

This probably won't be the last substantial update before iOS 17. MacRumorsunderstands that Apple is privately testing iOS 16.6, and might offer a public beta in the near future. Whatever happens, it's evident Apple is winding down work on its current software as it prepares to deliver major updates this fall.

Google's latest accessibility features include a potentially clever use of AI. The company is updating its Lookout app for Android with an "image question and answer" feature that uses DeepMind-developed AI to elaborate on descriptions of images with no captions or alt text. If the app sees a dog, for example, you can ask (via typing or voice) if that pup is playful. Google is inviting a handful of people with blindness and low vision to test the feature, with plans to expand the audience "soon."

It will also be easier to get around town if you use a wheelchair — or a stroller, for that matter. Google Maps is expanding wheelchair-accessible labels to everyone, so you'll know if there's a step-free entrance before you show up. If a location doesn't have a friendly entrance, you'll see an alert as well as details for other accommodations (such as wheelchair-ready seating) to help you decide whether or not a place is worth the journey.

Google

A handful of minor updates could still be helpful. Live Caption for calls lets you type back responses that are read aloud to recipients. Chrome on desktop (soon for mobile) now spots URL typos and suggests alternatives. As announced, Wear OS 4 will include faster and more consistent text-to-speech when it arrives later in the year.

Google has been pushing hard on AI in recent months, and launched a deluge of features at I/O 2023. The Lookout upgrade might be one of the most useful, though. While AI descriptions are helpful, the Q&A feature can provide details that would normally require another human's input. That could boost independence for people with vision issues.

Never mind crafting custom sodas at the restaurant — technology will soon help you customize your dips, too. Kraft Heinz has unveiled a Heinz Remix dispenser that lets you customize sauces through a touchscreen interface. You choose from base sauces and then add one or more "enhancers" at your choice of intensity. If you want 57 Sauce with a strong jalapeño accent and a hint of mango, you can make it happen.

The company plans to test Heinz Remix at unspecified restaurants in late 2023 to early 2024. There's no mention of pricing, although it's safe to presume this isn't intended for home use. Like it or not, you'll have to settle for off-the-shelf bottles at home.

The machine's existence isn't surprising. Custom drink dispensers like Coca-Cola's Freestyle have led to increased business at restaurants. Kraft Heinz could boost its profits by selling more expensive hardware to eateries on top of the usual sauces. That, in turn, could squeeze out competitors that still use one-sauce-at-a-time systems.

This could also influence the sauces you buy at the grocery store. Kraft Heinz sees the Remix as an "insights engine" that will help the firm understand customers' flavor preferences. You might see combinations that are the direct result of data from restaurant guests. This won't necessarily replace in-house inventions, but it might help the brand keep up with (or set) trends.