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Can you believe it? Little Bobby is all grown up in King of the Hill season 14, which takes us back to the beating heart of Middle America. It’s not surprising considering the show had a release date of August 4 – almost exactly 16 years after it initially stopped airing in 2009. Set in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, we’re picking back up with Hank (Mike Judge) and Peggy (Kathy Najimy) as they move back to town after Hank’s retirement, while Bobby (Pamela Adlon) is making a new life for himself as a fully-fledged adult,

The new Hulu show (which is also available on Disney+ in the UK and Australia) has been praised as being charming and a slow-grower, much like the original series when it debuted in 1997. It’s both ridiculous and familiar all at once, managing to incorporate a brand-new world while keeping tabs on everything that made the comedy the animated success story it was. As we know, the world has changed a great deal since 2009 (let alone 1997), and it’s almost strange to see a version of Middle America largely unaffected by politics.

But that’s not the change I think we need to keep an eye on. Cultural, societal and political shifts while King of the Hill has been off air go without saying, yet the biggest change affecting the show itself is the rise of streaming services. It’s not something the comedy has ever had to deal with before, and according to its creators, the viewing landscape has undoubtedly changed what we’re watching in season 14.

King of the Hill season 14’s switch to streaming has undeniably changed what we’re watching, say creators

“Everybody’s trying to figure out how to match audience viewing behavior to the way business models used to work,” showrunner Saladin K. Patterson told The Hollywood Reporter. “So, a microcosm of that is this whole thing that a season is 10 episodes now, and that certainly affects the stories we can tell, but not all in a bad way. In some ways, 10 episodes is creatively more refreshing than having to do 22 episodes. Trust me, the unspoken secret that we always had was it’s hard doing 22 episodes, and by time you get to episode 17, you’re starting to repeat yourself probably. But monetarily speaking, that was a great model. Now for streamers like Hulu and Disney+, it’s a little different.”

He continued, “When we were breaking out the season arc, it certainly made us skip ahead, I think, in a way that we wouldn’t necessarily have skipped ahead in the first 10 episodes under the broadcast model. Think about the Connie ( Lauren Tom) and Bobby relationship. We wanted the season to end with them getting together, so that meant, along the way, we had to jump that relationship ahead faster than we would have had we had 22 episodes to get them together. That fit to how we brought the stories and what we had to pick and choose in terms of what we showed.

“The word that comes to the top of my head is it makes you be more ‘efficient.’ It also makes you figure out, assuming I want to get from A to B, what in between has to be shown to make it make sense when we get to B. Versus if I had to get to A to H, I have B, C, D, E, F and G to hit along the way. It makes us have to be a little more selective with what we have our characters experience if we’re trying to get them to the same place by the end of a season.”

Of course, the fact the King of the Hill reboot is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu rather than one of the other best streaming services around also changes what we’re seeing. In Patterson’s own words, the comedy never hugely pushed the boundaries of speaking out, but now season 14 is so heavily tied to family-friendly brands, that’s even more constricted.

“On the one hand, the Hulu execs for the show were fans of the original, so we all were on the same page in terms of wanting to recapture what made the original special,” he explained. “But there were situations where the Disney of it all put some limiters on us that I know Fox would not have, even though we were on Hulu and streaming, which theoretically has broader S&P [standards and practices] than Fox. But for us, staying true to the show meant we weren’t ever going to be too gratuitous with the curse words and things, but we do take some liberties. The characters do curse in ways they can’t curse on broadcast.

“That being said, Hulu still made us go through and pull out all the F-bombs because they don’t want the TV-MA label, and it’s fine.”

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The Made By Google event is just around the corner – it’s happening August 20 – but some of the tech launching from it might be further away than we had realized if new leaks are to be believed.

That’s according to WinFuture (machine translated to English from German), which claims that its unnamed sources are telling it that while the Google Pixel 10 lineup will land later this month, the new foldable, earbuds and smartwatch won’t be landing as quickly.

The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 4, and Pixel Buds 2a (which have all previously been teased by leaks) are instead reportedly set to be available from October 9.

Problems with Google’s supply chain are the cited excuse for the delays, though WInFuture says its source didn’t get into specifics.

Google Pixel 10 leak (Image credit: Android Headlines / @OnLeaks)

There’s a whiff of irony here if the leak proves correct, as Google just teased Apple for its tech not being ready in a Google Pixel 10 ad, which pokes fun at the delayed launch of the AI-enhanced Siri. At the time of writing, the new Siri still hasn’t launched in its promised full capacity.

If Google’s hardware is delayed, this will cause its own frustrations for many who were desperate to upgrade their tech – especially if it is indeed held up by over a month.

As with all leaks though, we should take these details with a pinch of salt.

Apart from the Google Pixel 10, we haven’t had any direct promise of what hardware we’ll see at Made By Google, and we haven’t heard any official release dates for any devices.

Nevertheless, this leak could be one to keep in mind on August 20 so we aren’t too disappointed if some of Google’s new tech is as delayed as it suggests.

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• The Avid EVO TWO is an evolution of the EVO THREE
• Low-end frequency of just 28Hz, with a 3.5-way driver design
• £27,995 / €34,995 / $38,995 (about AU$57,589)

British hi-fi firm Avid has unveiled the new flagship in its EVO speaker range, the EVO TWO, as part of its ongoing 30th anniversary celebrations, which also recently included its first all-new turntable in 12 years.

Avid describes the EVO TWO as an "advancement" of the current EVO THREE speakers, with the new model delivering an enhanced bass response, a wider dynamic range and a more expansive sound stage.

The speakers will be available in the UK, Europe and the US, but they've been made with the US market in mind: according to managing director Conrad Mas, “It is particularly suitable for larger rooms and properties where wall construction may be less rigid, a common scenario in many North American homes."

(Image credit: Avid HiFi)Avid EVO TWO: key specs and pricing

The EVO TWO feature a 28mm (1.1-inch) hand-coated soft dome tweeter, two 160mm (6.3 inch) mid-range drivers and a 250mm (9.84 inch) low-frequency driver with a low end of 28Hz – the addition of the latter means that Avid is referring to this as a 3.5-way speaker system.

That's not something the company has made up – 3.5-way speakers aren't common, but there's a history of great, hefty, floorstanding speakers with hidden bass drivers.

The drive units are mounted on a rigid anodized aluminum baffle and rear plate, and the speakers are available in two finishes: black or gloss white.

As Conrad Mas explains: "The EVO TWO was developed in response to customer feedback requesting a speaker with great presence and low-end articulation, whilst maintaining the clarity and openness characteristic of the EVO series."

The EVO TWO will be available through authorized dealers from September 2025 and the price is £27,995 / €34,995 / $38,995 (about AU$57,589). I'm not sure it'll crash our list of the best stereo speakers at that price, but I'd love to find out with a nice long listening session myself…

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• A key Stranger Things actor has already guessed a big detail about one of its spin-offs
• Finn Wolfhard is the only person who's worked out the outline of its live-action offshoot
• It's been described as "like David Finch's Twin Peaks"

The final season of Stranger Things' mainline show isn't out yet, but one of its key cast members has already worked out what its live-action spin-off is about.

Speaking as part of a Variety profile piece on Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler in the popular Netflix show, its creators Ross and Matt Duffer revealed Wolfhard had correctly guessed what said offshoot's premise entails.

First, a bit of background on that untitled project: in late 2022, Netflix revealed that the Duffer brothers were developing two spin-offs of their massively successful supernatural sci-fi horror series via their Upside Down Pictures production company. One of those, titled Tales From '85, is an animated project that'll tell an original story between Stranger Things' third and fourth seasons, and feature many of the show's primary cast. It's unclear if they'll be voiced by the same actors who played them in the main series, though.

However, confirmation that the other project is a live-action one notwithstanding, we've heard nothing else about one of the best Netflix shows' other offshoots. Well, until today (August 5), anyway.

Netflix will wrap up Stranger Tihings' main story with a fifth and final season (Image credit: Netflix)

So, what is it? The Duffers didn't provide any answers when asked by Variety, but did admit that Wolfhard had perfectly surmised what the siblings were planning to do from a storytelling perspective.

"Nobody – not Netflix, not any of the producers, not any of the directors, not any of the actors – nobody else has figured out what the spinoff is," Ross Duffer said. "Finn figured it out, which is pretty remarkable. We’ve mind-melded with this kid a bit."

Interviewed as part of the same Variety article, Wolfhard was a bit more forthcoming on one of the projects that'll follow in Stranger Things season 5's footsteps. Indeed, while he didn't state what the Duffers were planning, he gave us a tantalizing glimpse into the kind of story – or, rather, stories – they're looking to tell.

"[It's] like David Lynch’s Twin Peaks," the young star teased. "Sort of an anthology and different tones, but similar universe or same universe. I think [it'll be] set in different places and all tied together through this mythology of the Upside Down. Don’t even talk about Hawkins [and] don’t have any mention of our characters.

"They were toying around with ideas in case Netflix wanted them," he continued. "I’m sure they do and I’m sure it will happen, but there’s nothing official. I think the coolest way, the way that I would do it, there has to be labs everywhere. If there was one in Hawkins, there’s one in Russia. Where else could they be?"

Matt and Ross Duffer are developing new projects set in the Stranger Things universe (Image credit: Netflix)

An anthology series set in the Stranger Things universe with a 'new weird' genre vibe similar to that of one of the best shows of the last 40 years? Sign me up.

As for the fifth and final season on Netflix's incredibly popular TV Original, its launch is only a few months away now. Indeed, Stranger Things season 5's trio of release dates were revealed in June, and its first volume, which comprises four episodes, will debut on one of the world's best streaming services this November.

More recently, we were finally treated to the first official trailer for Stranger Things season 5, which only heightened my excitement for its last hurrah. After a three-and-a-half year wait for it, here's hoping Stranger Things 5 lives up to the hype.

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• Security researchers found three flaws in Nvidia Triton Inference Server
• When used together, they can grant remote code execution capabilities
• A patch has been released, so users should update immediately

Nvidia Triton Inference Server carried three vulnerabilities which, when combined, could lead to remote code execution (RCE) and other risks, security experts from Wiz have warned

Triton is a free open source tool working on both Windows and Linux which helps companies run AI models efficiently on servers, whether in the cloud, on-site, or at the edge.

It supports many popular AI frameworks and speeds up tasks by handling multiple models at once and grouping similar requests together.

Patching the flaw

Wiz found three flaws in the Python backend:

CVE-2025-23319 (out-of-bounds write bug with an 8.1/10 severity score), CVE-2025-23320 (shared memory limit exceeding vulnerability with a 7.5/10 severity score), and CVE-2025-23334 (an out-of-bounds vulnerability with a 5.9/10 score).

"When chained together, these flaws can potentially allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to gain complete control of the server, achieving remote code execution (RCE)," Wiz said in its security advisory.

The risk is real, too, they added, stressing that companies stand to lose sensitive data:

"This poses a critical risk to organizations using Triton for AI/ML, as a successful attack could lead to the theft of valuable AI models, exposure of sensitive data, manipulating the AI model's responses, and a foothold for attackers to move deeper into a network," the researchers added.

Nvidia said it addressed the issues in version 25.07, and users are “strongly recommended” to update to the latest version as soon as possible.

At press time, there were no reports of anyone abusing these flaws in the wild, however many cybercriminals will wait until a vulnerability is disclosed to target organizations that aren’t that diligent when patching and keep their endpoints vulnerable for longer periods of time.

Via The Hacker News

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When I was a kid in the early 2000s, Lindsay Lohan was across the holy trinity of sleepover movies: Mean Girls, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and Freaky Friday. Each is a sacred text, a rite of passage watched until you and your friends are all word perfect, songs and scenes ingrained into your memory well into adulthood.

Thankfully, Hollywood is hellbent on resurrecting as many existing IPs as it possibly can, meaning Disney is giving us girls now in their 30s a sequel to the 2003 body swap comedy Freakier Friday. In the original movie, a mum and daughter swapped bodies, which allowed them to realize how they’ve been unfair to the other (don’t worry, they got switched back in the end). Lindsay Lohan is now on the other side of rebuilding her post-child star life and ready to reunite with Jamie Lee Curtis, and the result is absolutely glorious.

Mild spoilers for Freakier Friday ahead.

Let’s start with the bad news: Lohan’s Anna and Jake (Chad Michael Murray) are no longer together in Freakier Friday, despite their will-they-won’t-they romance being the entire plot of the first movie. Anna has decided to go parenthood alone in Freakier Friday, raising now 15-year-old daughter Harper (Julia Butters) on her own. Tess (Curtis) is the psychologist-turned-podcaster we remember, intent on helicopter grandparenting as best as she can. Anna meets fellow parent Eric (Manny Jacinto) when Harper gets into trouble with his daughter Lily (Sophia Hammons), and the two fall in love. When Anna and Eric soon plan to get married, a (frankly terrible) mystic at her bachelorette party swaps spirits between the quartet, and it’s a race against time to fix it.

When I found out that the storyline beats were almost exactly the same as the original movie just with additional characters I didn’t want, and even when I saw the trailer, I was braced for the worst. However, nothing could have prepared me for the spring in my step immediately after watching the full movie, which is a lightness I haven’t felt through films for decades. Freakier Friday ticks all the boxes we’re desperate for it to (feel-good storytelling with a light-hearted touch, Lohan at her best, silly nods to girlhood) and that’s going to be a lot of happy young women who’ve been left unfilled by mainstream media.

Freakier Friday is far from perfect, but it is a millennial teenage dream

The best things in life are those that are perfectly imperfect, and in an industry that’s striving for AI greatness and motion-blended superhero glory, that’s refreshing. As a Disney movie, Freakier Friday is not trying to be anything else – it’s not trying to compete as a box office smash, and it’s not trying to get a new audience base. Instead, it’s a love letter to its fans from way back when, and in turn, for Lindsay Lohan, too.

For me, the best part of Freakier Friday is seeing a happy, healthy Lohan back where we want her and absolutely loving it. She thrives working with Curtis and Murray, and it’s almost as if no time has passed. Freaky Friday clearly created an environment she felt comfortable in, meaning she could give her whole heart to the sequel when the timing was biologically right (according to Curtis, Disney was approached when Lohan could viably have a teen daughter).

Lohan turns up to our premiere in a nod to the final outfit she wore in Freaky Friday, and the love in the room for what they have created is palpable. It shows in every one of her scenes, effortlessly finding the balance between legendary Disney icon and a comeback kid proving she never lost the acting chops she was once heralded for. Between them, Lohan and Curtis go full throttle back into the 2000s, with plenty of references to their original movie through a stylised narrative structure typically left behind in the noughties (think school food fights, comedic detention scenes and impromptu fashion shows).

If you’re a fellow child of the noughties, Freakier Friday has this wonderfully rare ability to suspend time, leaving the everyday stresses of 2025 life at bay. In this bubble, the biggest worry is seeing whether Pink Slip will play ‘Take Me Away’ (more on that later), and if Anna will make it to her wedding on time. There’s love, laughs, and plenty of Easter eggs, and it’s genuinely the closest we can come to travelling back in time.

New additions hold up just as well, for the most part

Lindsay Lohan (Anna) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Tess) in Freakier Friday. (Image credit: Disney)

However, this doesn’t mean the new elements in Freakier Friday are left out in the cold. There’s a fresh take on modern social stereotypes that doesn’t feel as though someone’s mom has written it – instead the movie comes across as understanding what it means to be a young woman in the 2020s. Nobody is taking themselves or anything around them too seriously, meaning the movie has flexibility to lean into the unhinged storytelling that children’s TV was fixated with 20 years ago.

The only place this doesn’t entirely work is with popular singer Ella (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), who Anna now manages. She struggles to feel like a popstar that would genuinely appeal to the TikTok generation, shoehorned into the plot just so Anna has enough emotional background to make up for her split with Jake.

This brings me to my biggest gripe with the sequel – you cannot continue a well-known 2000s IP and not use Chad Michael Murray properly. He was the biggest onscreen heartthrob of a generation, and I was genuinely overcome with nostalgia by seeing him in the flesh just before watching the movie. I hope he’d still be with Anna (or at the very least be back together by the end), but he’s sparsely seen and is only used to prop up jokes coming from Tess. There’s no explanation for why they’re no longer together, and, without spoilers, there’s certainly a missed opportunity to extend his connection to the movie’s main dilemma.

But enough about Chad (I’ll just rewatch Sullivan’s Crossing for a Murray hit). What about Pink Slip? Yes, the iconic fictional band is back together, and yes, you’ll see the entire back catalog. I recommend watching with your best friend for the full emotional effect of belting the words as the band has their onscreen reunion, albeit you might be a bit thrown off by a jarring edit that goes against the original film’s soundtrack. Still, this is a small price to pay for a cinematic moment of dreams, and boy, seeing Christina Vidal back where she belongs is mine.

Frankly, I’m impressed with Freakier Friday. The minute a sequel comes out decades after the original, it’s set up for a losing streak, but Lohan and Curtis’ effortless embodiment of 2003 means the overall premise works despite the huge chunk of time in between. Cinema buffs will say it’s terrible, and they’re probably right. But Freakier Friday is a worthwhile sequel, and it’s definitely what I – and I imagine other noughties children – want.

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'Guest chats' isn't in beta testing yet, but will likely be released in a future WhatsApp update.

The live-action film will make its TV debut next month.

• Microsoft recently produced some new support documents
• These contain some helpful advice for would-be upgraders to Windows 11 who run into problems
• Some of this is very handy to know - including why you may not immediately be offered Windows 11 after upgrading your CPU

Microsoft recently provided some fresh troubleshooting advice for those looking at upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 who might be confused in some respects.

Neowin noticed a couple of relatively new support documents which have been published by Microsoft at some point earlier this year. They deal with problems that may arise after upgrading the hardware in your PC in order to get Windows 11, or encountering a particular message telling you that some aspect of the upgrade 'needs attention'.

Let's start with the former scenario which is covered in a support article on 'checking if a device meets Windows 11's requirements after changing hardware' and imparts advice for those who have just made an upgrade to ensure their Windows 10 PC can meet the more stringent requirements for Windows 11.

That upgrade is most likely to be a new CPU - as older processors are often a major sticking point - or possibly the addition of a TPM 2.0 module (a security feature).

At any rate, whatever hardware change you've made to your PC so it's eligible for Windows 11, you may find that when you fire up Windows Update in order to trigger the upgrade, that it isn't there. In other words, the system will tell you that your PC still isn't compatible with Windows 11, even though you've just installed that shiny new component which should do the trick.

However, as Microsoft explains, there's no need to panic here. It's actually the case that it "can take up to 24 hours for Windows Update to refresh eligibility info", meaning that you may need to wait for some time before the hardware change filters through and registers with Windows Update - and you're then offered Windows 11.

If you can't wait, there's a trick to manually refresh the eligibility assessment of your PC (using Task Scheduler, as advised here), or the easier route is to use the PC Health Check app rather than going into Windows Update (as the app will immediately recognize your upgraded hardware, Microsoft informs us).

As for the second support document brought to light, this addresses what to do if you see a 'What needs your attention' notification during the Windows 11 upgrade process, which is a certainly something of a vague spanner in the works.

Microsoft explains in detail what this is all about, outlining the reasons why a would-be Windows 11 upgrader might see this notification pop up - including an explanation of the rather cryptic 'no action is needed' message that may accompany it. In this case, the user can't do anything - which you might guess - but what you might not guess is that the known issue causing the message may be resolved by Microsoft in time. And if this happens, you will automatically be offered the Windows 11 upgrade - so, there's still hope in this scenario.

Microsoft also details what you can do about 'incompatible privacy settings' if that's the cause of the notification, and provides more info on what to do if incompatible software is the issue.

Analysis: Better late than never

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

These are handy clarifications to be furnished with, especially the info on the delay with an upgrade to Windows 11 being cleared on your PC, if you're proceeding via Windows Update after installing new hardware.

Those not aware of this (and I wasn't) could potentially upgrade their CPU (say), then spend hours searching the web in vain attempting to find out why they still can't get Windows 11, if they didn't try the PC Health Check app as well as Windows Update (which is entirely possible). So, that app is clearly your best bet for a simple, immediate upgrade to Windows 11 after you've installed the necessary new hardware to meet the requirements of the OS.

Ideally, mind, all these details should have been in place a long time ago. Better late than never, of course, but Microsoft really should have been more on the ball with some of this info, rather than adding it recently, at this late stage in the game - no doubt prompted by the fact that Windows 10's End of Life is rapidly coming into view.

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• Unit 42 saw 4L4MD4R being deployed via ToolShell
• The crooks are asking for $500 worth of Bitcoin
• ToolShell is a Microsoft SharePoint Server bug patched in late July

The risk for businesses who haven’t patched the ToolShell vulnerability keeps growing after new reports suggest ransomware actors are also joining the exploitation party.

Researchers from Palo Alto Network’s cybersecurity arm, Unit 42, said they observed a threat actor known as 4L4MD4R using ToolShell to gain access and try to deploy the encryptor.

ToolShell is a nickname for a deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability, recently discovered in on-premises Microsoft SharePoint Server instances. It is tracked as CVE-2025-53770, and was said to allow unauthenticated remote code execution, giving attackers control over unpatched systems simply by sending a crafted request. It was given a severity score of 9.8/10 (critical), and was patched in late July, 2025.

4L4MD4R has joined the chat

Less than two weeks after Microsoft issued an emergency mitigation, security researchers started noticing an uptick in attacks, and victim counts in the hundreds.

"There are many more, because not all attack vectors have left artifacts that we could scan for," Eye Security warned at the time.

Many high-profile organizations fell victim to different cyberattacks thanks to this flaw, including the US National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Education, Florida’s Department of Revenue, the Rhode Island General Assembly, and government networks in Europe and the Middle East.

Now, ransomware players are hopping onto the ToolShell bandwagon, as well. According to Unit 42, 4L4MD4R is based on open-source Mauri870 code. It was spotted on July 27, when the researchers were investigating a failed attack.

"Analysis of the 4L4MD4R payload revealed that it is UPX-packed and written in GoLang. Upon execution, the sample decrypts an AES-encrypted payload in memory, allocates memory to load the decrypted PE file, and creates a new thread to execute it," Unit 42 said.

The identity, or possible national affiliation, of the group is unknown at this time. However, the researchers said the hackers were demanding a payment of 0.005 Bitcoin, which translates to roughly $500.

Via BleepingComputer

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I've reviewed plenty of Dyson Airwrap alternatives, but the one I was most excited to try out was the Dreame AirStyle Pro. Dreame is a relatively new brand, but is rapidly establishing itself as a key player in the home appliances space.

We've tested a number of its products in different categories, and they've consistently impressed us – the Dreame R20 sits at the top of our best cordless vacuum guide, and its X50 Ultra Complete is our favorite premium robot vacuum. And that's just a couple of examples.

So my expectations for the AirStyle were high. I'd seen it demoed at a press event, my teammate had tried it out briefly at IFA and loved it, and when my test sample arrived my first impressions were great. I thought it was a shoo-in for my best hair styler roundup.

Let's start with the good bits. The dryer part is well-designed – it's comfortable to hold, well-balanced, and looks and feels high quality. The controls are intuitively placed and out-of-the-way enough that it's unlikely you'll press them accidentally, and the spring-loaded slider cool shot is especially well thought-out.

(Image credit: Future)

There's a great range of attachments, including those all-important auto-wrapping curl barrels (the innovation that made the original Airwrap so popular), and three different brushes for smoothing and volumizing.

Dreame has also added a Flyaway attachment (positioned to rival the one included with the Dyson Airwrap i.d.) and a smart-looking Fast dry attachment that blasts the air out at a right-angle to the handle, for comfortable drying. All are packaged up neatly in a stylish storage box.

The price is right too: it's still a bit of an investment, but almost exactly the same as its main Airwrap-alike competitor, the Shark FlexStyle.

What's the problem?

So far, so good – so why did the Dreame AirStyle Pro end up being the biggest disappointment of my product reviewing year? The first (and most significant) problem is that it just doesn't get hot enough.

I don't have especially long or thick hair (collarbone-length, and fine strands but quite a lot of them, for the record), but it couldn't get it dry. I spent several minutes waving the AirStyle ineffectually around my head before giving up and switching to a dedicated hair dryer – I just don't have that kind of time available in the mornings, okay?

(Image credit: Future)

It was so lukewarm that I wondered if I'd been sent a faulty review model, but not so – looking at Dreame's website reveals the two heat settings as 122ºF / 50ºC (medium) and 176ºF / 80ºC (high). In comparison, the Dyson Airwrap i.d.'s maximum heat setting is 194ºF / 90ºC.

The lack of heat is frustrating when you're in a rush and need to dry your hair efficiently, but it has a bigger problem for this kind of styler, too. You need a certain amount of initial heat to 'set' styles, and I found my curls seemed to drop much more quickly when created using the AirStyle versus other auto-wrap curlers I've tested – even cheap ones like the Revamp Dynamic Radiance Pro.

(Image credit: Future)

The second problem is that the tools don't attach securely enough. It's a simple twist mechanism, with no 'click' and no release switch. That's fine for something like the Fast dryer attachment, but with brush tools that require twisting as part of the styling process, I fairly regularly ended up with a dryer in hand and a brush hanging tangled in my hair.

Despite these frustrations, I'm hesitant to give up on Dreame's multistyler just yet. It just has so much promise. When (or if – nothing is confirmed yet) a new version arrives, I just hope these two problems will have been addressed.

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Phone calls to local Social Security offices are currently being rerouted to other field offices — often to staff who don't have jurisdiction over the caller's case, employees say.

(Image credit: George Walker IV)

• Google says it plans to pause data centre usage at key times
• Data centres use huge amounts of energy, straining the grid
• Global energy demand is surging as AI is widely adopted

It’s no secret that AI and data centres are consuming energy (and water) at an alarming rate, and it has become apparent the current levels of consumption are far above what most energy grids can feasibly support long term, a problem which will only escalate as more organisations deploy AI in the day-to-day.

This unfortunate truth isn’t lost on tech giants, who are now scrambling to try and mitigate the heavy sustainability burdens increased AI development has left them with - and Google has now announced it will start shifting or reducing power demand during ‘certain hours or times of the year’.

This ‘demand response’ means data centers are interconnected more quickly, and the need to build new transmission and power plants is lessened - helping grid operators manage power grids more efficiently and effectively.

Flexibility brings strength

A summer of intense heatwaves and extreme weather conditions has seen a high demand for energy as air conditioning units are becoming a necessity.

AI is not yet a necessity for the vast majority of uses, so Google has agreed to pause or reschedule non-urgent tasks until the demand surge is over.

Partnering with the Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) and the Tennessee Valley Authority, the new agreement will push Google closer to its 24/7 carbon-free energy ambition, helping to ‘bridge the gap between short-term load growth and long-term clean energy solutions,’ and delivering immediate benefits.

“As we add new large loads to our system, it is critical that we partner with our customers to effectively manage the generation and transmission resources necessary to serve them,” said Steve Baker, president and chief operating officer of I&M.

“Google’s ability to leverage load flexibility as part of the strategy to serve their load will be a highly valuable tool to meet their future energy needs.”

You might also like

• Take a look at our picks for the best AI tools around right now
• Check out our choice for best antivirus software
• China has spent billions of dollars building far too many data centers for AI and compute

Combs was convicted on July 2 of two counts of transportation for prostitution. The music mogul had filed a request to be released on bail before his sentencing, which is scheduled for Oct. 3.

(Image credit: Gregg DeGuire)

• A new IndieWorld Showcase has been announced for August 7
• The livestream will be 15 minutes long and feature new announcements and updates on indie games coming to the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2
• A new IndieWorld Showcase could mean a potential Hollow Knight: Silksong appearance

Nintendo has announced a new IndieWorld Showcase scheduled for this week, meaning a potential look at a host of new indie games and perhaps even a release date for Hollow Knight: Silksong.

The next IndieWorld Showcase will air on August 7 at 6am PT / 9AM et / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST and can be watched on Nintendo's official YouTube and Twitch channels.

The livestream will be roughly 15 minutes long and consist of "new announcements and updates on indie games coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch."

Join us this Thursday, August 7 at 6am PT for a new #IndieWorld Showcase! Tune in for roughly 15 minutes of new announcements and updates on indie games coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch. Watch here: https://t.co/UqgwVI23d4 pic.twitter.com/NHiNg7jQUYAugust 5, 2025

Like with every IndieWorld Showcase, we can't be sure which indie studios will announce their games, but there is one game everyone and their mother wants to see.

Hollow Knight: Silksong fans have been waiting a long time for Team Cherry to finally provide an update on the game.

It was first announced in 2019 and has made appearances at several live presentations throughout the past few years.

The sequel made a reappearance during the Nintendo Switch 2 showcase back in April (very briefly), along with confirmation of a 2025 release window, but there is still no specific release date.

We also know that the game will be released for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.

You might also like...

• The Nintendo Switch 2 is the company’s least ambitious console to date, but its improvements are astronomical
• I’ve spent 150 hours with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and the Switch 2 Edition is an incredible upgrade
• The Switch 2's controversial Game Key Cards may have sparked a change as Nintendo briefly opens a survey asking players their opinion on digital and physical games

Squarespace website builder review

Squarespace has become a top choice in the website builder world thanks to its sleek designs and easy-to-use tools. You’ve probably seen it advertised across different platforms, and for good reason—it’s hard to miss.

Pros

• Fully customizable templates
• Intuitive drag-and-drop editor
• Comprehensive ecommerce tools

Cons

• Higher pricing than competitors
• AI image generation limits
• Slightly restrictive for developers

Hostinger website builder review

Hostinger is known for its easy drag-and-drop editor, built-in SEO tools, and fast hosting. With customizable templates and AI-powered design options, Hostinger makes it simple to create a professional website without breaking the bank.

Pros

• Intuitive drag-and-drop editor
• Extremely affordable pricing
• Built-in AI tools
• Free domain and SSL
• + Unlimited websites

Cons

• No free plan
• Limited third-party integrations
• - Content lost during template switches

Hostinger and Squarespace are two of the best website builders in 2025. They both offer user-friendly drag-and-drop editors, making it simple for anyone to create a professional website. Squarespace is known for its stylish templates and strong blogging features. In contrast, Hostinger shines with its AI tools, low prices, and fast hosting options.

Hostinger website builder prices start at $2.99/mo (or less with our Hostinger promo codes), but rises to $11.99/mo after the initial term. This is still a fair bit cheaper than Sqaurespace, that starts its pricing at $16/mo (or less with our Squarespace promo codes).

This comparison will look at how these platforms measure up in key areas. We'll cover things like pricing, template quality, editor features, ecommerce options, and customer support. By exploring the strengths and weaknesses of each builder, we’ll help you find the right fit for your needs, whether you want to build a portfolio, blog, small business site, or online store.

Hostinger vs Squarespace: A detailed breakdown

Feature

Hostinger

Squarespace

Pricing

Starts at $2.99/month

Starts at $16/month

Free Domain

Yes (for 1 year with annual plans)

Yes

Templates

150+ customizable templates

180+ aesthetically-pleasing templates

Editor

Drag-and-drop interface with AI

Intuitive drag-and-drop editor (Fluid Engine)

AI Website Builder

Yes

Yes

Mobile Responsiveness

Yes

Yes

SEO Tools

Built-in SEO tools, AI SEO Assistant

Built-in SEO tools

E-commerce Features

Available on higher plans

Essential features on most plans

Marketing Tools

AI Writer, AI Heatmap

Built-in email marketing

Blogging Platform

Yes

Yes

Customer Support

24/7 live chat and email support

24/7 email, live chat during business hours

Knowledge Base

Extensive tutorials and guides

Knowledge base, video tutorials, forum

Mobile App

No

Yes

Free SSL Certificate

Yes

Yes

Design Customization

Moderate level

High level of design customization

Hosting

Fully managed hosting with 99.9% uptime guarantee

Premium hosting included, but not separately manageable

Performance

Known for fast loading times

Good performance, but may vary

Integrations

Limited

Wide range of integrations and extensions

Language Support

Multi-language support

Limited multi-language support

Logo Maker

AI Logo Generator

Free logo maker

Content Generation

AI Writer, AI Blog Generator

Limited AI-powered content tools

Specialized Features

AI-powered tools for various aspects

Acuity Scheduling for bookable services

Target Audience

Beginners, small businesses, AI enthusiasts

Creatives, designers, small businesses

Squarespace vs Hostinger: Pricing

(Image credit: Squarespace)

Plan

Monthly cost (paid monthly)

Monthly cost (paid annually)

Personal

$25

$16

Business

$36

$23

Commerce (Basic)

$40

$28

Commerce (Advanced)

$72

$52

With just 4 plans to pick from, Squarespace pricing is simple to understand.

The Personal plan starts at $16/month for features such as custom domains, Squarespace AI, SSL security, and unlimited bandwidth. Moving up to the Business plan at $23/month, you get additional features like website analytics, promotional pop-ups, customization with CSS and Javascript, and a 3% transaction fee on e-commerce sales.

If you're aiming to build an online store, the Basic Commerce plan removes the transaction fees and adds perks like point of sale, product review, and more at $27/month. Meanwhile, larger stores can go with the Advanced Commerce plan. At $52/month, you’ll get additional features like advanced shipping, abandoned cart recovery, discounts, and commerce APIs.

Depending on your situation, you can save up to 50% on your Squarespace subscription by using one of the best Squarespace promo codes.

(Image credit: Hostinger)

Plan

Introductory offer (48 months)

With our exclusive promo code*

Renewal rate

Website Builder Basic

$2.99/mo

$2.69/mo

$11.99/mo

Website Builder Plus

$3.99/mo

$3.59/mo

$13.99/mo

*Use our exclusive promo code TECHRADAR at checkout for an extra 10% off the introductory rate.

Hostinger has two budget-friendly website builder plans, starting with the Premium Website Builder plan at just $2.99/month for a 48-month term.

This plan includes a free domain worth $9.99, integration with third-party tools like Facebook Pixel, Google Analytics, WhatsApp, Adsense, and access to a Mobile website editor.

At a slightly higher cost, the Business Website Builder plan comes in at $3.99/month and includes AI tools for generating images, blog writing, heatmaps, and SEO. Plus, you can set up your online store with a 0% transaction fee.

My verdict: Hostinger clearly wins in terms of affordability with its highly competitive pricing, making it ideal for beginners or small businesses on a budget. However, if you want a more polished, design-focused website with powerful built-in tools, Squarespace's higher price might be worth it, as it has specific plans based on your needs.

Hostinger vs Squarespace: Features

For its website builder, Hostinger offers over 150 customizable templates and AI features like an AI Website Builder, AI Writer, AI Heatmap, and AI Logo Generator. These tools help users create content, optimize sites, and build brands easily. Plus, Hostinger includes fully managed hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee for reliable websites.

Squarespace features about 180 beautiful, designer-made templates that are modern and visually appealing. Its Fluid Engine drag-and-drop editor allows customization but follows a more structured grid. Squarespace also includes Blueprint AI for site creation, Acuity Scheduling for bookings, and strong blogging features. Both platforms support ecommerce on higher-tier plans, but, Squarespace offers more integrations and extensions.

For AI tools and flexible hosting, Hostinger is better. For design-focused sites with more integrations, Squarespace takes the cake. Your choice depends on your business and website preferences, along with your technical proficiency.

Squarespace vs Hostinger: Editor

Squarespace stands out with its intuitive and polished drag-and-drop editor, Fluid Engine. This editor features grid-based layouts and predefined content blocks. As you build your website, you can customize your template with colors, fonts, images, and content. You can see these changes in real time as you edit, and it’s easy to switch between the desktop and mobile views to make sure your site looks good on all devices. Squarespace comes with built-in tools for adding blogs, photo galleries, and online store features, which makes it easy to create different kinds of websites.

On the other hand, Hostinger’s AI brings your customizable site to life in a matter of minutes. Even if you choose a pre-made template, you can easily tweak elements using their drag-and-drop interface. While it might not be as feature-rich or as visually appealing as Squarespace, it gets the job done quickly and to a high standard. Not to mention, you can use Hostinger’s AI tools like AI Heatmap and AI Writer to optimize content and design for conversions.

My verdict: While Hostinger’s AI provides speed and simplicity to launch your site quickly, Squarespace comes out on top, with an intuitive editor that lets you experiment with different layouts. This gives you the flexibility to create beautiful designs and keep your website fresh and up-to-date.

Squarespace vs Hostinger: Ecommerce

Squarespace supports a wide variety of features for both physical and digital products, such as product variants, customer reviews, discount codes, and inventory management. It also offers point-of-sale integration, subscription-based services, and abandoned cart recovery in its Advanced Commerce plan. Squarespace further enhances your online store with SEO tools, customizable checkout pages, and the ability to connect your store with social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

From a single dashboard, Hostinger lets you set up a payment method, customize each item, add your business info for invoices, and review your shipping policies. It also offers several advanced tools, some of which are AI-powered, that can speed up store creation and product upload.

From the Store Manager section, you can set up an online store, manage inventory, create product categories, and offer discount codes. While you get insights like average order value and revenue, their ecommerce tools are not as advanced as Squarespace. Hostinger is best suited for smaller online stores that don’t need extensive ecommerce functionalities.

My verdict: Squarespace is the clear winner for users looking to build a full-fledged ecommerce website with advanced features. Hostinger is a great budget option for small businesses or individuals needing basic e-commerce capabilities.

Squarespace vs Hostinger: User experience

Squarespace focuses on giving you a visually-driven user experience. Its platform is smooth, well-organized, and packed with design-forward features that make building a website enjoyable. Whether you're a designer or someone with minimal tech skills, Squarespace’s well-thought-out UI leverages the help of AI for intuitive recommendations. All of their templates are mobile-optimized, so your website will look great across all devices.

Hostinger’s AI builder is designed to be quick and easy. The interface is straightforward and the features are great for those with no or little website building experience. While it doesn’t have the same level of design customization as Squarespace, the simplicity of the platform makes it easier to navigate, particularly for non-designers. Plus, the platform is lightweight, which ensures fast load times and smooth browsing experiences.

My verdict: If you value design and aesthetics, Squarespace’s user experience is unparalleled. Hostinger is more focused on efficiency and speed, making it a great choice for users who prioritize simplicity over complex design options.

Squarespace vs Hostinger: Support

Squarespace comes with 24/7 email support and live chat during business hours. Additionally, they have an extensive knowledge base, video tutorials, forum, and webinars to help you get the most out of their platform. If you need professional assistance, you can hire a Squarespace Expert to help set up your site. While Squarespace support is highly regarded, the lack of direct phone support may be a drawback for some users.

Similarly, despite a lack of phone support, Hostinger’s customer support team functions well with 24/7 customer support via live chat and email. Like Squarespace, it features a knowledge base with step-by-step guides, articles, and tutorials. What sets Hostinger apart is its Hostinger Academy YouTube channel, which has over 550 videos, run by industry experts.

My verdict: It’s almost a tie, since both Squarespace and Hostinger offer good resources, though neither has phone support. Squarespace comes with live chat, tutorials, and expert help, while Hostinger is known for quick responses and its highly valuable YouTube channel.

Expert insightSquarespace vs Hostinger: Final Verdict

Between the two, Hostinger stands out as a more affordable and flexible choice. Plans start at a small fraction of Squarespace's cost while offering essential website building features. AI tools add great value for content creation and optimization. The platform also boasts reliable hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Hostinger suits budget-conscious users, small businesses, and those who want a mix of simplicity and customization.

Squarespace, though pricier, offers superior design quality. Its professionally crafted templates and easy drag-and-drop editor make it a favorite among creatives. It's often rated as one of the easiest website builders, perfect for beginners who want to focus on aesthetics. The platform includes better integrations and features, but these come at a higher price.

For users looking for the best value and AI-assisted building, Hostinger is the top pick. If design is your main focus and you’re ready to pay more for a polished site, Squarespace is the gold standard. Your choice should depend on your specific needs, budget, and design preferences.

Spider-Man 4: key information

- Set to be released in July 2026
- Official title revealed in April
- Filming began in August
- No trailer revealed yet
- Tom Holland returning as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
- Some supporting cast members already revealed
- No plot brief yet, but some story rumors have appeared online
- Unclear how it'll impact the next two Avengers movies

Work on Spider-Man: Brand New Day is officially underway. The next Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie, whose official title has ties to a very controversial time in the superhero's comic book history, is set to arrive in theaters next July. So, it's high time that principal photography on the highly anticipated film began.

There's been plenty of speculation about Spider-Man 4 in the lead-up to the cameras rolling – so much so, in fact, that you might have struggled to stay on top of it all. Luckily for you, I've rounded up every piece of official news, plus the biggest and latest rumors, about the Marvel Phase 6 film in this guide. If you want the lowdown on Spider-Man's next big-screen adventure, then, you've come to the right place.

Full spoilers follow for Spider-Man: No Way Home. Possible spoilers are also discussed for Brand New Day, so proceed at your own risk.

Spider-Man 4 release date

A post shared by Tom Holland (@tomholland2013)

A photo posted by on

Originally, Spider-Man: Brand New Day was set to swing into theaters on July 24, 2026. However, four months after its initial launch date was announced, Sony and Marvel confirmed Spider-Man 4's release would be delayed one week. Now, it'll come out on July 31, 2026.

Last October, Tom Holland also shared an exciting Spider-Man 4 filming update on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon – the British actor revealing that principal photography would start in mid-2025. That proved to be the case, too, with Spider-Man: Brand New Day due to start filming in August. As filming got underway, Holland took to his Instagram account to confirm he'd started shooting the movie on August 2.

It's unclear how long its shooting schedule will last but, with the MCU film due out in less than a year, there's plenty of hard work ahead for everyone.

Spider-Man 4 trailer: is there one?

What do you mean there's no trailer yet!? (Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Entertainment)

No, a trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day isn't available yet. In my view, one won't arrive until early 2026, either, with it most likely premiering during Sony's panel at next year's CinemaCon panel. I'll update this section once one is released.

Spider-Man 4 cast: confirmed and rumored

Who's joining the titular superhero (right) in his next silvern screen adventure? (Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Entertainment)

Spider-Man: Brand New Day's full cast hasn't been officially revealed yet. Holland is the only cast member confirmed to appear by Sony and Marvel, but there are other actors who've said they're part of proceedings and/or been reported as being involved:

• Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
• Zendaya as MJ
• Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk
• Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher
• Sadie Sink as TBC

Holland aside, Zendaya's MJ is the only other character who's expected to pop up in Spider-Man 4. Speaking on the Rich Roll podcast last October, Holland namedropped his real-life girlfriend as someone who should show up. Jacob Batalon's Ned Leeds is another character from Spidey's first three MCU outings who might also show up, but I've seen little evidence that he'll return.

Other established MCU characters are expected to be part of proceedings. In May, reports emerged that Spider-Man: Brand New Day would feature one of the original Avengers in Ruffalo's Banner/The Hulk. One month later, numerous outlets claimed Bernthal's Castle/The Punisher would also appear in Spider-Man 4. Bernthal has since seemingly confirmed he'll feature (see the TikTok video below).

@509_big_nate

♬ original sound - Ғяɛƨн ρяιиcɛ

Considering Spider-Man: No Way Home was something of a hard reset for the wallcrawler in the MCU, there'll be plenty of new faces we'll be introduced to.

The first – and arguably most intriguing – is the character who Stranger Things star Sadie Sink is playing. Marvel reportedly cast Sink in Spider-Man 4 in mid-March, and she's been linked with playing everyone from fan-favorite X-Men superhero Jean Grey to Mayday Parker, aka the daughter of Peter Parker and Mary-Jane Watson in the comics. For what it's worth, a recent Marvel report about the comic titan's forthcoming X-Men movie has, in my opinion, ended speculation that Sink may portray Grey in Brand New Day. We'll see if I'm right if any on-set images of Sink leak online in the weeks and months ahead.

It sounds like Spider-Man: Brand New Day will aim to replicate No Way Home's success by telling a story containing multiple villains, too.

In May, a Marvel leak indicated Spidey could face off against three primary villains. Two months later, a behind-the-scenes look at Brand New Day appeared to confirm who two such foes in B-list villains Tarantula and Boomerang. Surprisingly, neither of them were Mack Gargan/Scorpion, who was very briefly portrayed by Michael Mando in Spider-Man: Homecoming's mid-credits scene. Taking to Instagram in early August, Mando heavily implied he was returning as one of the webslinger's most iconic supervillains.

#SpiderMan4 pic.twitter.com/r9l1nEmmtJAugust 1, 2025

But wait, there's more. Images captured by fans from Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Glasgow-based set also suggest Mister Negative, a fairly recent addition to the hero's rogues gallery, is also involved. The evidence? An Inner Demons logo on the side of a tank (see the X/Twitter post above), which is the emblem used by Mister Negative's forces.

Other cast rumors abound about Spider-Man 4. Deadline has claimed The Bear's Liza Colon-Zayas has signed on in an undisclosed role, while J.K. Simmons is thought to be returning as The Daily Bugle's Spidey-hating editor J. Jonah Jameson (per industry insider DanielRPK).

Elsewhere, Andrew Garfield has again denied his version of the titular hero will appear (per Deadline) and Daredevil star Vincent D'Onofrio has said not to expect Wilson Fisk/Kingpin to show up (per the Happy Sad Confused podcast) because his version of the character can only be used on the small screen. Lastly, as much as fans want it to happen there's no word on whether Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock/Daredevil will team up with Spidey after Murdock made a brief cameo in No Way Home.

Spider-Man 4 plot speculation

Full spoilers follow for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day doesn't have a story synopsis yet. Nevertheless, there's still a fair amount we can deduce about its plot.

For starters, No Way Home ended with Spidey go back to being a friendly neighborhood hero. That movie's finale saw Doctor Strange cast a spell that made the world forget Peter Parker was Spider-Man, thereby allowing him to return to his roots before he was thrust into the superhuman limelight in Captain America: Civil War.

With no Tony Stark-created tech available to him, he's also returned to his superhero origins and created his own suit. Tom Holland gave us our first full look at the updated suit he'll wear in Brand New Day in early August – the full reveal coming 24 hours after a Spider-Man 4 video teased his new superhero attire.

A post shared by Anthony | Tom Holland Updates (@tomhollandupdates)

A photo posted by on

We've also learned when the film may be set, with fan-snapped set images indicating Spider-Man: Brand New Day will take place sometime in 2027. That place places it three years after No Way Home on the MCU timeline and, if true, means Holland's Parker has been operating as his crime-fighting alter-ego for some time without anyone knowing who he is. That would be enough time for him to rack up a sizeable number of street-level villains, including the ones I mentioned in this article's cast section.

Speaking of street level events, Marvel President Kevin Feige told Collider that Brand New Day will be a more grounded take than its forebear, saying: "We are seeing, for the first time in the Tom Holland Spider-Man stories, him being a proper Spider-Man. Him being by himself, dedicated to saving the city, and dealing with – for lack of better terms – street-level crime, as opposed to world-ending events."

We don't know what kind of street-level story we'll get outside of that, but fan videos from Brand New Day's set have shown the webslinger riding atop a tank. Meanwhile, images uploaded to the Pinterest account of the movie's cinematographer Brett Pawlak imply that Spidey will do battle with The Hulk at some point (see the X/Twitter post below). Could we see the return of Savage Hulk? And what would cause Banner/Smart Hulk to de-evolve back into his original form?

So this was on Brett pawlak Pinterest account, interesting https://t.co/4wdQsHpXW4 pic.twitter.com/gvQcNB6GI6June 27, 2025

Finally, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is no longer sandwiched between the next two Avengers movies.

Originally, Avengers: Doomsday was due out in theaters on May 2026, i.e. two months before Spider-Man 4. However, Marvel announced it was delaying the release of Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel, with the films now expected to arrive in December 2026 and December 2027. DanielRPK has since suggested that meant parts of Brand New Day needed to be rewritten to reflect its story taking place before those movies, so it'll be interesting to see if Spider-Man 4 will directly lead into Doomsday or, like Thunderbolts*, contain an end credits stinger that teases what's to come in Avengers 5.

What does the future hold for Spider-Man after Avengers 5 and 6?

Will Tom Holland return as Spider-Man after Avengers: Secret Wars? (Image credit: Sony Pictures / Marvel Studios)

We don't know. If, as it's believed, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars lead to a soft reboot of the MCU – Feige has teased this will happen – it's possible that this reset could be the opportune time for Holland to walk away from his most iconic acting role.

That said, it could also be the perfect time for Holland's Spider-Man to become a mentor to a live-action Miles Morales. The star of animated offerings Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, aka two of the best Spider-Man movies, could wind up in the MCU as part of this soft reboot. If he does, Holland's Parker could teach this iteration of Morales how to use his powers, which he does in the Spider-Verse movies and Insomniac's Spider-Man videogame series, before officially passing the torch onto Morales to become the MCU's new wallcrawler.

For what it's worth, Feige told Brazilian outlet Omelete that he wants to bring Morales to the MCU, but later told Variety that he can't until Sony's Spider-Verse film series has ended. The franchise's final entry – Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse – isn't due out until June 4, 2027. But, with Secret Wars lined up to arrive six months later, the dominoes may fall into place that enable Morales to finally make his live-action debut in the MCU.

Even if that happens, I can't see Spider-Man: Brand New Day being Holland's last solo adventure in the MCU. He's too big of a name and Spider-Man's too popular of a character for the A-lister to end his association with the superhero post-Secret Wars. I fully expect Holland to co-star alongside whoever's hired to play Morales in the MCU in Spider-Man 5, then, before potentially passing on the mantle in Spider-Man 6. As always, though, we'll see what shakes out in the films to come first.

For more Marvel coverage find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order and/or how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order. Alternatively, see if you agree with our ranking of the best Marvel movies or check out my dedicated guide on Avengers: Doomsday.

This year’s Spending Review highlighted a critical issue that is often buried in the hype of AI. Huge budgets are being piled into AI development – including the Government’s latest promise of £2 billion in public funds – but without equal investment in data center capacity, power availability and sustainability, the country risks falling short of its AI and R&D ambitions.

While AI demand is scaling exponentially, our infrastructure isn’t. The UK’s AI ambitions rest on compute power, but compute doesn’t exist in a vacuum - it lives in data centers. These infrastructures therefore stand as the physical foundation of digital innovation, yet they’re often left as an afterthought.

Politicians talk about AI breakthroughs, but rarely divulge the power, cooling and land needed to support them. Agreed, it's not the ‘sexiest’ part of global AI discussions, but it’s a vital part, nevertheless.

In the worst-case scenario – which is one we’re rapidly heading towards - this gap in infrastructure could become a national vulnerability. The industry is innovating, but retrofitting the past is harder than building the future. We need policy frameworks to support both.

Infrastructure bottlenecks

The UK’s digital ambitions are running up against physical limitations, especially on the national grid. Without urgent upgrades, we’ll hit a hard ceiling on our ability to scale. These grid constraints are a major bottleneck, especially in London and the South East, where power shortages are already a consequence of underpowered infrastructure. Some providers are reporting that greater power availability in these high-demand areas won’t be available under 2035 or later.

The trouble is, factors like planning delays and general uncertainty in the sector around energy availability are slowing down the development of new data centers. More broadly, it’s also clear the UK lacks a coordinated national strategy for this digital infrastructure, unlike some of our global peers.

If we don’t act, the UK could become a net importer of compute power, outsourcing both innovation and control to more established countries. Are we really prepared to sit by and watch our AI innovation migrate abroad, simply because they have invested more in their infrastructure?

Economic and regional inequalities could also worsen if infrastructure gaps persist. Without greater data center investment outside London and the South East, underserved regions may miss out. The UK's geopolitical position will also suffer a serious setback due to lack of innovation, control and AI capacity and capabilities.

Growing pressures for greener, scalable capacity

Fortunately, there is growing recognition of the need to build greener, more scalable infrastructure. Data center operators and developers are increasingly considering renewable energy sources, waste heat reuse and modular construction. However, many of these efforts are constrained by legacy decisions, particularly the locations historically chosen for data center builds, which often don’t align with the availability of clean energy or heat reuse networks.

At the same time, there’s a growing shift toward modular, energy-efficient builds which can reduce environmental impact and support more flexible deployment. However, retrofitting legacy sites remains a challenge for the larger AI workloads, particularly those requiring upwards of 500MW capacity.

While critical collaboration between government, energy providers and infrastructure is improving, it remains fragmented. Energy planning and digital infrastructure are often siloed, despite being deeply interdependent. That has to change. What’s needed is a whole-systems approach that treats energy and digital infrastructure as two sides of the same coin.

Transparency as a whole is improving, but more needs to be done. Consistent reporting standards are needed as well as greater information sharing from manufacturing to construction and into operations. This will allow for more accurate lifetime carbon assessments and improved accountability.

Innovation and infrastructure need to work in tandem

Demand for high-performance compute is growing exponentially, driven by generative AI and large-scale model training. These technologies are power-hungry and need robust infrastructure to support them. Without urgent investment, we risk becoming dependent on foreign infrastructure for critical AI workloads.

At the same time, there is a growing disconnect between the UK’s AI ambitions – and subsequent compute growth – and its sustainability targets. Without clear guidance on how AI infrastructure fits into the UK’s carbon budget, we risk undermining current and future commitments.

A national digital sustainability framework is urgently needed. This should include fast-track planning for sustainable data centers in underserved regions. Incentives should be introduced to support grid upgrades, renewable energy integration and co-location of data centers with district heating networks.

National standards for energy efficiency and environmental impact reporting must become mandatory, not optional. A framework like this would ensure that new infrastructure is built not only for scale, but also for sustainability.

A future-ready, AI-capable data centre ecosystem will be modular, regionally distributed and powered by clean energy. It will be closely integrated with local communities, sharing excess heat, providing skilled jobs and expanding digital access. It will be governed by clear, transparent standards that prioritize both innovation and environmental responsibility.

To achieve this vision, several things must happen now. We need faster grid connection timelines, clearer planning frameworks for edge and modular data centers and incentives for sustainable builds. It’s time to treat data centers like the critical national infrastructure it is.

We've featured the best green web hosting.

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Zach Cregger burst onto the horror scene in 2022 with what looked to be a simple tale about a double booked Airbnb in the movie Barbarian. With the film praised so highly by horror fans, how could he possibly outdo himself?

Enter Weapons, a new movie that I genuinely believe is even better than Barbarian due to its wonderful cocktail of horror, dark comedy and mystery that keeps you guessing throughout.

Weapons has had some of the best viral marketing I’ve ever seen for a horror movie. Indeed, it's not all hype and no substance, as after watching the movie I can report that it lives up to all the scary videos and the real looking website you've seen online.

Weapons follows a shocking mystery that shocks a small town. At 2:17am, all but one child mysteriously vanishes from the same class, leaving a sea of worried parents and baffled police officials behind to pick up the pieces.

Fingers are soon pointed towards Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) after the town realizes that it was only the teacher's class impacted by this terrifying phenomenon. CCTV footage shows the children all running, arms outstretched, their destination unknown, and Gandy becomes ostracized as a result.

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

She's just one of the main characters we follow in the movie, though. The others are Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), a worried father, Paul Morgan (Alden Ehrenreich), a police officer, and Andrew Marcus (Benedict Wong), the school principal.

The less I say about this movie, the better because it's good to know as little as possible before watching Weapons. But just know that this mystery leaves the entire community stumped and soon puts them in danger too.

This is a movie that doesn't let up. Often with horror movies we feel safer when there's scenes set in the daytime, but Weapons has you constantly on edge from the ominous intro all the way to the final credits. It's terrifying and anxiety inducing – everything you could want from a Barbarian follow-up.

Cregger told me during an interview that "if you liked Barbarian, this is more – and in a good way" – and he's absolutely right. It does dial the horror up to 100, and left my jaw on the floor for a lot of it. Some of Weapons scariest moments happen when you least expect it as you find yourself absorbed in the investigation.

This is a very character driven movie. As a result, we do spend a lot of time getting to know the members of the town, often when they're alone. There's some excellent scenes that give us insight into how they're feeling while at their homes, or during nightmare sequences.

It's easy to feel sympathy for the characters but also frustration as well. Each character feels very well-rounded. This troubled town is full of very different personalities and they all shine through here.

The town of Maybrook becomes scarier thanks to the eerie score, composed by Cregger alongside his two friends, brothers Ryan and Hays Holladay. This was Cregger's first time composing for one of his own movie's and he's done a brilliant job.

For me, Weapons is a masterpiece but I know some fans might not like the non-linear pacing, as it can feel slow at times when the tension is building. But if you like character-driven horrors that build to a shocking reveal, you're going to love this.

In the trailer, the child narrator teases that “a lot of people die in a lot of weird ways in this story" and that's very true. To find out how, exactly, you'll have to be brave and go and watch it when it arrives in theaters on August 8 in the US and UK, and August 7 in Australia.

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