Computing Consumer Preferences

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12/12/2008

Dec. 12, 2008

Computing Consumer Preferences

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From stores to online radio stations, giving you suggestions for what you MIGHT like based on what you DO like is big business. Sometimes it's simple - people who bought the ElectroRobot 5000 toy also bought lots of batteries, for instance -- so stores know to recommend one with the purchase of the other. In more subjective fields, however, such as music and art, the calculations become more difficult. Video rental company Netflix is offering a prize for improvements to its recommendation algorithms. We'll talk with people behind two popular services, Netflix and Pandora, about how they try to crunch the numbers on your preferences.

Produced by Christopher Intagliata, Associate Senior Producer

Guests

Tim Westergren
Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Pandora

Oakland, California
Reed Hastings
Founder, Chairman and CEO, Netflix

Los Gatos, California

Discussion

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