Netflix eyes fee on password sharing

Netflix is beginning to crack down on members who share passwords with others outside their household. Under a new “Extra Member” program tested in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru, members pay about $3 extra a month if they share passwords with people who don’t live with them.

Netflix didn’t say if the fees will be expanded to the United States or how it knows if you are sharing passwords, but tech experts say Netflix can discern the general location of a logged-in subscriber from their IP address. So, for example, if you are logged in from Valley Stream and sharing a password with someone logged in at the same time from Riverhead, Netflix knows.

Putting the zoo in Zoom 

Can’t bear the thought of another Zoom meeting? Bear down next time. Zoom added the ability to superimpose animal avatars on your head during conferences. Zoom says the 11 avatars, which include dogs, cats, pandas and polar bears, mirror head movements and facial expressions that can “delight your colleagues.” But first check with the top dog running the conference, who might not be as delighted.

New dating app for single parents 

Match Group has launched Stir, a dating app aimed at single parents. Match says the free app, available for iOS and Android, is aimed at helping single parents “focus on having a personal life beyond navigating parenthood.” According to the Census Bureau, there are about 11 million single-parent households in the country. In addition to Stir, Match owns Tinder, OKCupid, Hinge and several other dating apps.

Porsche ups its EV quotient 

Porsche will turn the 718 Boxster into an exclusively electric model from 2025 and also offer a hybrid version of its iconic 911. The automaker has seen double-digit profitability from its electric Taycan sports car and plans for half of its sales to be battery-only or hybrid models by 2025, before moving to 80% of sales exclusively powered by a battery by 2030. — Bloomberg News