Dramatic, down-to-the-wire finishes aren’t the sorts of things one generally associates with technology prizes. However, the team behind the $1 million prize awarded by Netflix says that’s exactly how that contest went down. The team received the award Monday in a New York ceremony hosted by the online movie rental company, which called the contest to see if anyone could solve a problem that had vexed its own researchers: how to improve by at least 10 percent the recommendations engine that suggests what movies Netflix members should rent next.
