Infinity

Starting Monday you may not require a Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast or additional device just to stream Netflix at home. You will, however, still need a cable subscription. Netflix recently inked deals with three U.S. cable providers under which new cable boxes will ship with a pre-installed Netflix application. It's a somewhat bizarre move, considering cable companies have typically battled against streaming alternatives, which have pushed some U.S. consumers to cut cable TV subscriptions altogether. As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Foxconn recently sold communications technology related technology to Google, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The number of patents sold and specific names of them were not provided by the news outlet, though Google has long been bolstering its patent portfolio in an effort to defend Android, help fight for partners who use the operating system.

Foxconn reportedly has been granted than 60,000 patents as it continues research and development on even more projects. While the firm is best known for manufacturing products designed by other firms, but also ranked in the top 20 owners of U.S. patents in 2013. The firm also recently teamed up with Google on a new robotics project, where Google will build robots and help Foxconn automate its assembly lines.

So what does Google need communications patents for?

It's possible Google will use them to help fight of Apple and patent trolls who accuse Google and some of its products, such as Android, as infringing on other patents. However, a recent report suggested that Google is also interested in offering its own wireless service in the United States, and perhaps the patents may be used to help it execute on those plans.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, The Wall Street Journal said.