When a CEO is asked to dream we shouldn't be surprised when he dreams big. In an Reuters interview with Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings, we learn that Netflix is working in parallel to bring its services to "all the game consoles, all the Blu-ray players, all the Internet TVs." Naturally, he added that the Xbox deal is exclusive for the time being. The company is currently focused on the big screen but "will get to mobile eventually, including the iPhone." And while the streaming business is "booming," he says the DVD business is still growing as well, likely peaking in "5 years or so" with people still doing DVD-by-mail over the next 20 years. Reed then adjusted his monocle and disappeared in a flash of cigar and brick-and-mortar ash.

[Via All Things Digital]

Multichannel News is passing on word from "an industry executive familiar with Netflix's plans" that the company is prepping an app for the iPhone and iPod touch (not to mention the Wii, which we've heard before) that would let users enjoy their Watch Instantly queues from the comfort of the small screen -- likely restricted to WiFi, of course, because the mere thought of trying to stream a movie over a saturated 3G network is about as brutal as fingernails on a chalkboard. It's a cute rumor; the overlap in Netflix and iPhone owner demographics has to number in the hundreds of thousands, so it's easy to understand why the thought of catching up on Friday Night Lights on the road would go over well with the populace.

A couple problems here, though: first off, Watch Instantly doesn't store content locally, which means you've got to maintain an internet connection to enjoy the show. Assuming the no-3G thing panned out -- and rest assured, it would -- who wants to be stuck in a coffee shop for hours on end because you want to finish out a movie you've started? Secondly, if there's one thing Apple loves, it's maintaining control of the media ecosystem; we'll see hell freeze over before we'll see Watch Instantly on Apple TV, so why would the iPhone be any different? Of course, there's nothing stopping Netflix from creating a Watch Instantly app, but getting it into the App Store is another matter altogether -- and barring some wild FCC ruling, we're not seeing Apple letting that happen.

[Via Electronista]

Get enough Netflix / Microsoft synergy yet? We hope not, since that Netflix queue manager for Windows Mobile showcased during Steve Ballmer's CES keynote is slicker than we thought, with an exclusive streaming video preview feature. Whether DVD or Instant Watch that should add some enjoyment to your Netflix browsing, check out a YouTube demo after the break or just go ahead and download the app for yourself.

[Via My Philly Network]

kwiry's been helping texters remember things for well over a year, and now it's about to help them schedule TiVo recordings and update their Facebook / Twitter statuses. A few new kwiry shortcuts have been announced to make the lives of text messaging fiends more enjoyable, with a one-time account link between your handset and your TiVo Series2 / Series3 enabling a "tivo 30 Rock" SMS to trigger that very action. Additionally, users can now tap into Yelp and email contact information on the go, and as always, the service is completely free to end users. Hear that? Free.

[Via CNET]

Taking a page from i.TV, last night during the Ballmer keynote Microsoft announced a Netflix queue management app for Windows Mobile devices. Pick a Watch Instantly movie and it shows right up in your Xbox 360 (or any other Netflix-enabled device's) viewing queue. PyxisMobile offers similar functionality in its Smartflix program for those who can't wait until later this month when Microsoft & Netflix's homegrown version becomes available.

Talk about being on a hot streak. Netflix has been the talk of the town here lately, hiring a new guy to concentrate on digital distribution, nixing HD DVD rentals for good and showing up on your iPod touch / iPhone. You heard right -- thanks to a new third-party application from i.TV, users can now manage their Netflix queue right from their handheld. In the app, users can see detailed content information, ratings, cast credits and recommendations, and you can even sign up for access or link to an existing account. Oh, and did we mention it's free to download? Because it is.