NETFLIX EXPANDING TO UK AND IRELAND IN 2012

Well it looks like Netflix's rumored UK launch was a lot more than just a rumor. Today, the company announced that it will indeed expand to the UK and Ireland "in early 2012," promising to offer unlimited streaming on PCs, tablets and mobile devices at a "low monthly subscription price." The company didn't say what that price would be, nor did it offer any details on available content or supported devices, though more details will be announced closer to its launch. We're also expecting to hear more from Netflix during its Q3 earnings conference call later today, when we should find out about the impact of its recent price hike and Qwikster turnaround. Whether or not its foray into the UK can loosen Lovefilm's grip on the domestic market, however, remains to be seen.

MICROSOFT HIRES 14-YEAR OLD MODERN WARFARE HACKER

A 14-year-old Irish school boy known only as Jake managed to hack into the Xbox 360 servers for Modern Warfare 2 and cause a phishing scam alert .

It wasn’t big news as Microsoft handled it, but they wanted to know what had caused it and if it was related to the PSN hacking incident. They managed to trace it back to this Irish schoolkid, which must have come as a bit of surprise. It’s not every day someone so young can learnt he skills to find an exploit and then do the work to gain access to such a system.

To give Microsoft credit where it’s due, they didn’t turn on the boy. Instead, they have decided to make him their youngest employee. The thinking being, he is obviously adept and Microsoft want to nurture that talent. Who knows, he could be the next Bill Gates.

Working with Microsoft in Ireland, managing director of the division Paul Rellis said they aim to, “develop his talent for legitimate purposes.”