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Tech & Turmoil: Streaming Costs Rise, Self-Driving Cars Get Billions, Iran Protests Flare

Tech and Entertainment Industries See Major Developments in Early 2026

The early weeks of 2026 have brought significant developments across various sectors, from streaming services and self-driving technology to international film and political unrest.

In the entertainment world, Crunchyroll, a popular anime streaming platform, increased its monthly subscription prices by up to 25 percent, weeks after eliminating its free tier, according to Ars Technica. This marks another price hike for subscribers since Sony acquired Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2020. At the time of the acquisition, Crunchyroll had 3 million paid subscribers and 197 million users with free accounts.

Meanwhile, Waymo, Google's self-driving taxi unit, secured an additional $16 billion in funding, Fortune reported. This investment values Waymo at $126 billion, underscoring investor confidence in the rapidly expanding robotaxi market. The funding aims to support Waymo's ambition to provide self-driving car rides globally, as it competes with rivals backed by Tesla and Amazon. Analysts estimated Waymo's worth at approximately $30 billion just five years prior, after a previous round of fundraising. The new valuation has spurred speculation about a potential initial public offering as a spinoff from its parent company, Alphabet Inc.

In film news, Variety announced that Kiyoshi Kurosawa's first period drama, "Kokurojo: The Samurai and The Prisoner," based on an award-winning novel, has been boarded by Charades. The film, produced by the 130-year-old Japanese studio Shochiku, was set to be unveiled to buyers at the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin.

Nielsen planned to test a new measurement system for live crowds during the Super Bowl, according to Variety. This new measurement aims to provide a more accurate count of viewers in locations like bars, hotels, and offices, which could potentially boost viewership numbers for sports, news, and special events. TV networks and sports leagues heavily rely on Nielsen's data to determine viewership numbers for various events.

Internationally, Iran experienced significant political upheaval. Time reported that Iranian authorities violently suppressed an uprising in early January. On January 8, the government shut down the internet and authorized security forces to use deadly force. The resulting crackdown led to a large number of casualties. According to Iranian health officials speaking to Time, the death toll in Tehran alone could exceed 30,000 in a 48-hour period. The report also noted that President Donald Trump had previously promised U.S. intervention.

AI-Assisted Journalism

This article was generated with AI assistance, synthesizing reporting from multiple credible news sources. Our editorial team reviews AI-generated content for accuracy.

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