Netflix comes full circle, creates virtual video store

Created as part of the company's most recent hack day (and thus, unlikely to ever see a real release), Netflix Zone is a blocky representation of your old school VHS emporium, except you peruse the stacks with an HTC Vive instead of driving to a Blockbuster in a nearby strip mall. Unfortunately there's no esoteric "Staff Picks" section, but the organization in the virtual store does reflect the user's Netflix recommendations and the whole place turns into a screening room when a user picks up a title for closer inspection. To play a title, you apparently pick it up off the shelf and just chuck it at a wall. While the idea of re-living the video store experience is enticing, some of the other hack day projects are a little more practical. Take for instance a drag-and-drop homepage interface that allows you to pin categories to the top, a "Family Catch-Up" feature that reveals how far along in a series the other profiles in your account have watched, and a "QuietCast" feature that turns your phone into a wireless headphone adapter while streaming the video to your Chromecast.