Week in review: Netflix on fire, Blockbuster on the ropes

It’s a tale of two video rental firms.
Netflix has taken a leading role in the industry, while one-time king Blockbuster is fading fast.
The following is a roundup of my recent stories from Investor’s Business Daily at Investors.com and Click, IBD’s Tech Blog.

Netflix stock hits new high; rival Blockbuster on the ropes. (Aug. 13, 2010)

U.S. video game sales fall for fourth straight month. PC game sales hopping with Activision’s hit “StarCraft II.” (Aug. 12, 2010)

Coinstar invests in mobile phone recycling kiosks. (Aug. 11, 2010)

Netflix shares approaching record high on streaming video deal with Epix. (Aug. 10, 2010)

Netflix says its streaming service is a plus for premium cable channels (Aug. 10, 2010)

Disney, Google among big players lining up to play the social-networking games game (Aug. 9, 2010)

Coinstar’s Redbox expanding to CVS stores. Deal will add 7,000 DVD rental kiosks to Redbox’s current 23,000. (Aug. 5, 2010)

More than a third of iPhone 4 owners say they’ve had a problem with reception. And 7% call it a “very big problem.” (Aug. 4, 2010)

Netflix is leading a revolution in television called “over-the-top TV,” which could upend the pay TV business. (Aug. 4, 2010)

Sonic Solutions, maker of DVD burning software, is in no rush to offer DVD ripping app, despite copyright rules change. (Aug. 4, 2010)

Apple iPhone 4 users very satisfied, despite antenna issue. (Aug. 4, 2010)

Nuance Communications pitches dictation software as back-to-school item. (Aug. 3, 2010)