Netflix Considering Streaming to Nintendo Wiis, PS3s

It was over a year ago that reports emerged of Netflix surveying users about possible streaming to the Xbox 360 (which eventually came to fruition) and the PS3. New reports have arisen about Netflix asking the same questions, this time about the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii.

In email surveys sent to customers, reports indicate that both the Nintendo Wii and the PS3 would require a "Netflix Instant Streaming Disc."

A Netflix Instant Streaming Disc (one-time fee of $9.99). This disc must be put into your PS3 (or Wii) whenever you want to instantly watch movies and TV episodes from Netflix over the Internet

I can perhaps understand, with the rather limited storage on the Nintendo Wii compared to the other consoles the possible reason for a Streaming Disc, but one would think the PS3 could support this functionality with a firmware upgrade.

And at $9.99, you'd expect the disc to be copy-protected as well, which would tend to mean you'd better make sure you don't scratch the disc.

Of course, this is a survey. It doesn't mean the functionality will appear soon, if ever. Readers, would you want this on your console, and how do you feel about the $9.99 fee?

Google's Street View Starts Blacking Out Parts of the U.K.

I find this somewhat humorous because London has tons of surveillance cameras all around the city, but since the launch of Google's Street View in the U.K., dozens of photos have been removed after privacy complaints (and for other reasons, like one of a man relieving himself on a street).

Street View images can be removed via a simple process, as I've indicated before, by bringing up Street View Help, click a link, and select "This image infringes on my privacy," or any of a few other reasons (see above).

And that's apparently what's happening. According to a Google spokesperson, the number of removal requests has reached the "hundreds," but it had been "less than expected."

"We take privacy very seriously which is why when we announced Street View for the UK we explained our easy to use removals process for images people found inappropriate - simply click to report a concern and report the image."

One such image which was removed is above: a man exiting a sex shop. His face is blurred, but still. Google says its software automatically blurs '99.9 per cent' of faces and car number plates.

The British cities on Street View are Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Southampton, Swansea and York.

In Wake of Shootings, German Retailer Pulls Violent Video Games, Movies

German retailer Galeria Kaufhof is pulling violent films and games from its store shelves, starting in April, in the wake of last week's tragic school shootings at Albertville Secondary School.

Tim Kretschmer, 17, stole one of his father's guns last week and went on a murderous shooting spree, killing 15 people including students and teachers at his former high school, before eventually turning the gun on himself.

While not explicitly blaming gaming, sources such as the AP pointed out the fact that Kretschmer loved to play Counter-Strike. This was in reports of the incident, not analysis.

Aki said the two played poker together, both in person and online, as well as a multiplayer video game called "Counter-Strike" that involves killing people to complete missions.

"He was good," Aki said.

One can see the subtle implication. After the shootings, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated she was examining the possibility of tighter gun controls as well as limits on violent video games.

Galeria Kaufhof will no longer stock films or games sold with an 18-plus rating, which is material judged inappropriate for young people. That rating is usually reserved for material such as horror films and first-person-shooter games.

Stephan Reichart, managing director at German video game developers association G.A.M.E. said:

"I think (Kaufhof's decision) is a complete overreaction ... it borders on impulsive hysteria. It would be sufficient if retailers made sure their cashiers don't sell this material to young people."

True, but that's always hard to ensure. Even tobacco and liquor sales which are supposed to be sold only to adults are not always policed correctly. Still, it does seem to be an overreaction. What do you readers think?