Technology

• Xbox has announced that it is undergoing a "significant restructure"
• This will include the loss of 3,200 jobs over the fiscal year
• This includes 1,600 job losses today

Microsoft has announced that Xbox is to undergo the "most significant restructure" in the brand's history, with 1,600 jobs being cut today, for a total 3,200 jobs going over the coming months including four studios being jettisoned.

In another crushing blow for the people who make the games we love, these layoffs were strongly rumored to be coming this week — the sheer scale was unknown but predicted to be big. It turns out that was true.

In an email sent to Xbox employees that has now been made public via Xbox Wire, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma began by saying, "After careful consideration, I’ve made the difficult decision to reduce our team by approximately 3,200 throughout FY27. This will include approximately 1,600 role eliminations today, and in addition, four studios will leave Xbox to new management."

Sharma added: "Our business today is not healthy. We are operating at margins that are 3-10x lower than comparable platform and publishing businesses. We entered Gen 9 with a smaller install base and a higher cost structure. To grow, we bet on Game Pass, multi-platform, and a broader portfolio of content. While those businesses have created meaningful value, they did not grow at the pace we expected."

As well as the total of 3,200 jobs going this fiscal year, four studios are also affected. Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions are returning to being independent studios, while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs will gain new ownership with funding to complete their upcoming games, Senua and State of Decay 3.

Arkane — a studio many feared for in the run-up to this restructuring — is "beginning required consultation with its Works Council to review potential strategic options."

In a series of moves over the past decade or so, which has seen Microsoft acquire multiple studios, spend billions and billions of dollars, and make some curious decisions about Game Pass, prices, and more — all to take the brand from third in the console space to, well, third — this kind of feels like the bubble bursting before our very eyes. And the people who will pay the price will be the developers who make the games we all love playing.

Meta is reportedly exploring an AI cloud business, but APAC procurement teams still lack the product, pricing, regional, and compliance details needed to evaluate it.

The post Meta’s Reported AI Cloud Plans Are Not Yet Ready for APAC Procurement appeared first on TechRepublic.

The competition in artificial intelligence between the United States and China extends beyond a binary race for supremacy. The current landscape is more accurately characterized as "complementary competition."

While the United States and China compete, they occupy distinct positions within the global AI value chain, each possessing unique strengths that do not fully overlap.

This complementary competition is shaping the global AI industry through differentiated yet interconnected advantages.

The United States maintains leadership in foundational aspects of AI, including frontier model development, advanced semiconductors, cloud computing, basic research, and the broader developer ecosystem. Companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Nvidia significantly influence the architecture of the global AI industry.

For example, NVIDIA’s dominance in high-end GPUs provides the United States with a significant advantage in the computing layer. Additionally, leading universities, advanced research laboratories, and robust venture capital networks continue to supply AI development with talent, innovation, and funding.

According to Stanford’s 2025 AI Index Report, the United States attracted 109.1 billion dollars in private AI investment in 2024, and American institutions produced 40 of the world’s 50 most notable AI models.

This concentration of capital, research, and platform-building capacity reinforces the United States' position as a primary provider of the underlying AI architecture.

China's strengths in commercial contexts

In contrast, China is increasingly recognized for its strength in large-scale deployment of AI within industrial and commercial contexts. The Chinese industrial system is extensive, encompassing manufacturing, logistics, energy, automotive, electronics, and urban infrastructure. These sectors generate numerous real-world use cases for AI deployment, testing, and iteration.

China further benefits from tightly integrated supply chains and industrial clusters. For instance, in Shenzhen, hardware suppliers, software teams, factories, and logistics networks are highly interconnected, enabling rapid progression from concept to prototype to iteration. This integration allows China to embed AI into economic processes effectively, rather than confining its application to laboratory research or consumer chatbots.

This is why the U.S.-China AI competition is better understood as complementary rather than a zero-sum game. The U.S. provides many of the key enabling technologies, research breakthroughs, and software foundations. China excels at translating AI into industrial systems, business processes, and scaled commercialization. The two sides still compete intensely, especially over chips, standards, talent, and platform influence.

But they also pressure each other in different directions: the U.S. advances raise the technological frontier, while China’s deployment capacity pushes AI toward broader practice. Together, they shape the pace and structure of global AI development. This broader dynamic also elucidates why agentic AI products, such as Atoms, have disruptive potential.

A significant shift

This shift is particularly significant for small businesses and individual founders. For example, a local service company can develop internal booking tools, a startup can rapidly test landing pages and advertising campaigns, and a consumer brand can assess product demand before making substantial investments. In each scenario, the primary value lies not only in automation but also in time savings, cost reduction, and improved coordination.

Within the framework of complementary competition, products such as Atoms occupy the intersection of American and Chinese strengths. These products rely on foundational model capabilities, cloud infrastructure, and agent architectures typically associated with the American AI ecosystem.

However, their greatest commercial impact may occur in contexts characterized by rapid deployment, cost-effective experimentation, and industry-specific integration, domains in which China holds considerable advantages. Thus, the future of global AI will likely be determined not solely by leadership in research or deployment speed, but by the ability to connect advanced intelligence with practical economic workflows effectively.

This is where complementary competition is most evident.

We've reviewed and ranked the best business cloud storage services.

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

The competition in artificial intelligence between the United States and China extends beyond a binary race for supremacy. The current landscape is more accurately characterized as "complementary competition."

While the United States and China compete, they occupy distinct positions within the global AI value chain, each possessing unique strengths that do not fully overlap.

This complementary competition is shaping the global AI industry through differentiated yet interconnected advantages.

The United States maintains leadership in foundational aspects of AI, including frontier model development, advanced semiconductors, cloud computing, basic research, and the broader developer ecosystem. Companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Nvidia significantly influence the architecture of the global AI industry.

For example, NVIDIA’s dominance in high-end GPUs provides the United States with a significant advantage in the computing layer. Additionally, leading universities, advanced research laboratories, and robust venture capital networks continue to supply AI development with talent, innovation, and funding.

According to Stanford’s 2025 AI Index Report, the United States attracted 109.1 billion dollars in private AI investment in 2024, and American institutions produced 40 of the world’s 50 most notable AI models.

This concentration of capital, research, and platform-building capacity reinforces the United States' position as a primary provider of the underlying AI architecture.

China's strengths in commercial contexts

In contrast, China is increasingly recognized for its strength in large-scale deployment of AI within industrial and commercial contexts. The Chinese industrial system is extensive, encompassing manufacturing, logistics, energy, automotive, electronics, and urban infrastructure. These sectors generate numerous real-world use cases for AI deployment, testing, and iteration.

China further benefits from tightly integrated supply chains and industrial clusters. For instance, in Shenzhen, hardware suppliers, software teams, factories, and logistics networks are highly interconnected, enabling rapid progression from concept to prototype to iteration. This integration allows China to embed AI into economic processes effectively, rather than confining its application to laboratory research or consumer chatbots.

This is why the U.S.-China AI competition is better understood as complementary rather than a zero-sum game. The U.S. provides many of the key enabling technologies, research breakthroughs, and software foundations. China excels at translating AI into industrial systems, business processes, and scaled commercialization. The two sides still compete intensely, especially over chips, standards, talent, and platform influence.

But they also pressure each other in different directions: the U.S. advances raise the technological frontier, while China’s deployment capacity pushes AI toward broader practice. Together, they shape the pace and structure of global AI development. This broader dynamic also elucidates why agentic AI products, such as Atoms, have disruptive potential.

A significant shift

This shift is particularly significant for small businesses and individual founders. For example, a local service company can develop internal booking tools, a startup can rapidly test landing pages and advertising campaigns, and a consumer brand can assess product demand before making substantial investments. In each scenario, the primary value lies not only in automation but also in time savings, cost reduction, and improved coordination.

Within the framework of complementary competition, products such as Atoms occupy the intersection of American and Chinese strengths. These products rely on foundational model capabilities, cloud infrastructure, and agent architectures typically associated with the American AI ecosystem.

However, their greatest commercial impact may occur in contexts characterized by rapid deployment, cost-effective experimentation, and industry-specific integration, domains in which China holds considerable advantages. Thus, the future of global AI will likely be determined not solely by leadership in research or deployment speed, but by the ability to connect advanced intelligence with practical economic workflows effectively.

This is where complementary competition is most evident.

We've reviewed and ranked the best business cloud storage services.

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

For over a decade, driving profit from your website was relatively simple. Find the right keywords, optimize your site to rank for them, then convert as many visitors as you can.

But as AI overviews and conversational answer engines continue to replace search engines, traditional clicks from SERPs are rapidly dropping.

Fortunately, this shift isn't a death sentence for websites; in fact, it could be a big opportunity.

I caught up with Aja Frost, Senior Director of Global Growth and Paid at HubSpot, to get some insight into how HubSpot has reshaped its marketing strategy, helping it achieve a massive 1,850% increase in qualified leads from AI and a 3x higher conversion rate compared to traditional search.

With organic sessions and clicks sharply dropping for many websites, how can marketers continue to prove ROI? What are the new baseline metrics businesses should be measuring?

Traffic volume is no longer the right North Star metric. When AI answers a question that includes your brand, you might not see any clicks — but you’ve successfully generated awareness that could convert later that day, week, or month.

The metrics that matter most now are AI search visibility and branded search (awareness), as well as conversion rate, pipeline quality, and revenue. LLM-referred traffic converts around 3x better than traditional search for HubSpot.

With long-form ‘ultimate guides’ now struggling to compete with AI answers, how should teams be pivoting their content strategies to remain competitive?

Start writing for AI search. If an LLM answers the question “What is a CRM” and cites your CRM in the response — because you’ve structured your content in an AI-friendly way, included original data, etc. — you will still ultimately reach the buyer.

Additionally, HubSpot diversified where we showed up, including YouTube, newsletters, and podcasts. Not only do humans still spend a lot of time here, but LLMs train and cite from these sources. Today, 90% of HubSpot’s leads come from non-blog sources, with YouTube leads up 100% and newsletter leads up 90%.

What other things should brands be doing to optimize their websites for conversational AI questions?

Your content needs to answer conversational queries directly and authoritatively.

Think about how your buyers will ask questions to an answer engine, not how they’d type keywords into Google. Your content needs to answer conversational queries directly and authoritatively.

Using unique data, structuring your content so it’s easy to understand, and being cited in the places LLMs pull from will increase your visibility. You should also track your AI visibility systematically – you need to know how your products are described, which businesses are showing up instead of you, and whether your share of voice is improving over time.

Can brands leverage legacy content for AEO? If so, how?

Legacy content written to rank on Google usually doesn’t explicitly connect the topic to your product or service.

Yes, but it needs to be updated with intent. Legacy content written to rank on Google usually doesn’t explicitly connect the topic to your product or service. Update content with these connections so AI will make them for the user.

For example, if you have a blog post on running good sales calls, you’d add contextual lines like, “HubSpot’s Smart CRM includes real-time call insights, so you can course-correct while you’re still on the phone with a prospect.”

Is SEO still important? If so, what are some good strategies small businesses can use to balance search engine and AI optimization?

SEO is still important for a few reasons.

Google’s AI search (AI Mode, AI Overviews, Gemini) pull information from Google results. In addition, once buyers have discovered you in AI search, they’ll often use Google to navigate to your website.

HubSpot claims that its AEO playbook helped achieve an 1850% increase in qualified leads and a 3x higher conversion rate. What were the three main driving factors behind these wins? How can entrepreneurs and marketers apply them to their own businesses?

You should start by measuring where you show up in AI answers, then systematically close the gaps.

Our strategy had three pillars.

First, on-site content built for AI. We created industry-specific pages with structured data, unique insights, and FAQ schema. 92% of those pages ended up cited by answer engines, generating a 49% lift in AI visibility. We also launched a glossary covering top-of-funnel terms (with explicit links to relevant products), which increased citation share for related prompts by 60%.

Second, off-site amplification. We identified publishers already winning citations but not yet mentioning HubSpot, gave them AEO recommendations and templates, and scaled to hundreds of new pages, earning hundreds of thousands of new AI citations.

Third, Reddit. We invested heavily in our Reddit strategy, as it was one of the most cited sources for questions our buyers are asking.

Any business can apply these tactics. You should start by measuring where you show up in AI answers, then systematically close the gaps.

For over a decade, driving profit from your website was relatively simple. Find the right keywords, optimize your site to rank for them, then convert as many visitors as you can.

But as AI overviews and conversational answer engines continue to replace search engines, traditional clicks from SERPs are rapidly dropping.

Fortunately, this shift isn't a death sentence for websites; in fact, it could be a big opportunity.

I caught up with Aja Frost, Senior Director of Global Growth and Paid at HubSpot, to get some insight into how HubSpot has reshaped its marketing strategy, helping it achieve a massive 1,850% increase in qualified leads from AI and a 3x higher conversion rate compared to traditional search.

With organic sessions and clicks sharply dropping for many websites, how can marketers continue to prove ROI? What are the new baseline metrics businesses should be measuring?

Traffic volume is no longer the right North Star metric. When AI answers a question that includes your brand, you might not see any clicks — but you’ve successfully generated awareness that could convert later that day, week, or month.

The metrics that matter most now are AI search visibility and branded search (awareness), as well as conversion rate, pipeline quality, and revenue. LLM-referred traffic converts around 3x better than traditional search for HubSpot.

With long-form ‘ultimate guides’ now struggling to compete with AI answers, how should teams be pivoting their content strategies to remain competitive?

Start writing for AI search. If an LLM answers the question “What is a CRM” and cites your CRM in the response — because you’ve structured your content in an AI-friendly way, included original data, etc. — you will still ultimately reach the buyer.

Additionally, HubSpot diversified where we showed up, including YouTube, newsletters, and podcasts. Not only do humans still spend a lot of time here, but LLMs train and cite from these sources. Today, 90% of HubSpot’s leads come from non-blog sources, with YouTube leads up 100% and newsletter leads up 90%.

What other things should brands be doing to optimize their websites for conversational AI questions?

Your content needs to answer conversational queries directly and authoritatively.

Think about how your buyers will ask questions to an answer engine, not how they’d type keywords into Google. Your content needs to answer conversational queries directly and authoritatively.

Using unique data, structuring your content so it’s easy to understand, and being cited in the places LLMs pull from will increase your visibility. You should also track your AI visibility systematically – you need to know how your products are described, which businesses are showing up instead of you, and whether your share of voice is improving over time.

Can brands leverage legacy content for AEO? If so, how?

Legacy content written to rank on Google usually doesn’t explicitly connect the topic to your product or service.

Yes, but it needs to be updated with intent. Legacy content written to rank on Google usually doesn’t explicitly connect the topic to your product or service. Update content with these connections so AI will make them for the user.

For example, if you have a blog post on running good sales calls, you’d add contextual lines like, “HubSpot’s Smart CRM includes real-time call insights, so you can course-correct while you’re still on the phone with a prospect.”

Is SEO still important? If so, what are some good strategies small businesses can use to balance search engine and AI optimization?

SEO is still important for a few reasons.

Google’s AI search (AI Mode, AI Overviews, Gemini) pull information from Google results. In addition, once buyers have discovered you in AI search, they’ll often use Google to navigate to your website.

HubSpot claims that its AEO playbook helped achieve an 1850% increase in qualified leads and a 3x higher conversion rate. What were the three main driving factors behind these wins? How can entrepreneurs and marketers apply them to their own businesses?

You should start by measuring where you show up in AI answers, then systematically close the gaps.

Our strategy had three pillars.

First, on-site content built for AI. We created industry-specific pages with structured data, unique insights, and FAQ schema. 92% of those pages ended up cited by answer engines, generating a 49% lift in AI visibility. We also launched a glossary covering top-of-funnel terms (with explicit links to relevant products), which increased citation share for related prompts by 60%.

Second, off-site amplification. We identified publishers already winning citations but not yet mentioning HubSpot, gave them AEO recommendations and templates, and scaled to hundreds of new pages, earning hundreds of thousands of new AI citations.

Third, Reddit. We invested heavily in our Reddit strategy, as it was one of the most cited sources for questions our buyers are asking.

Any business can apply these tactics. You should start by measuring where you show up in AI answers, then systematically close the gaps.

Google Gemini Spark’s new app connections move the AI agent into files, apps, and MCP servers, creating new governance questions for IT teams.

The post Gemini Spark App Connections Arrive Before Enterprise Controls appeared first on TechRepublic.

• Obsession star Inde Navarrette recently met with the director of Marvel's new X-Men film
• It's the only movie that Jake Schreier has publicly confirmed he's working on
• Some fans really don't want to see the award-worthy actor join the MCU

Inde Navarrette has revealed she's open to the possibility of starring in a Marvel movie — and rumors are now circulating online that she could appear in the comic giant's new X-Men film.

The breakout star of 2026 smash hit Obsession, Navarrette was recently asked by Nylon magazine if she'd like to show up in a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) flick. "I would," was the in-demand and award-worthy actor's brief reply.

Interestingly, Navarrette's possible involvement in Marvel's cinematic juggernaut might soon become a reality. Indeed, in the same interview, Navarrette confirmed she'd recently met with Jake Schreier, the director of the Marvel Phase 5 film Thunderbolts.

Currently, the only project Schreier has publicly acknowledged he's working on is the aforementioned X-Men movie. It'll come as no surprise to learn, then, that a rumor regarding Navarrette's potential casting in said film franchise reboot is already spreading like wildfire across the web.

Why some film fans don't want Navarrette to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Some fans would be unhappy to see Navarrette join the MCU (Image credit: Focus Features/Universal Pictures)

It would be remiss of me not to point out that Navarrette joining the MCU is merely speculation at this point. There are bound to be other projects that Schreier is developing in secret, such as a third season of Netflix's critically acclaimed and award-winning albeit underseen comedy-drama Beef. So, the filmmaker could've sounded out Navarrette for a role in that show rather than a role in his untitled X-Men flick.

Nonetheless, some fans of Navarrette's works, which include this year's box office belle in Focus Features' Obssession, are dead-set against seeing the 25-year-old become the next big-name actor or rising star to sell their soul to the MCU.

On X/Twitter, bigmonkeong likened her rumored casting as part of the "MCU slop machine" to "seeing an angel get its wings cut off". Elsewhere, The_Epic_Mike accused Marvel of "trying to clout chase an indie horror film and nose-dive another actress' career", while tarmactorque suggested Navarrette should prioritize a role in a forthcoming film from Michael Mann, who she also recently met with. Mann's next project is the highly-anticipated Heat 2, so could Navarrette be set to appear opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale, who officially boarded the prequel-sequel earlier in July?

On the flip side, other cinephiles have already started fan-casting Navarrette in the MCU and, more specifically, in its first X-Men production. Chief among the characters some want her to play are fan-favorite individuals Rogue, X-23, and Mystique, but others are dreaming of seeing her play Magik or Kitty Pryde.

Who would you like to see Navarrette play in the MCU? Let me know by voting in the poll above. Once you're done, find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order and how to watch the X-Men movies in order.

And, if you're one of the few remaining people yet to see Obsession, which is still in theaters, you'll be pleased to know that Obsession is also now available to watch at home.

• Obsession star Inde Navarrette recently met with the director of Marvel's new X-Men film
• It's the only movie that Jake Schreier has publicly confirmed he's working on
• Some fans really don't want to see the award-worthy actor join the MCU

Inde Navarrette has revealed she's open to the possibility of starring in a Marvel movie — and rumors are now circulating online that she could appear in the comic giant's new X-Men film.

The breakout star of 2026 smash hit Obsession, Navarrette was recently asked by Nylon magazine if she'd like to show up in a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) flick. "I would," was the in-demand and award-worthy actor's brief reply.

Interestingly, Navarrette's possible involvement in Marvel's cinematic juggernaut might soon become a reality. Indeed, in the same interview, Navarrette confirmed she'd recently met with Jake Schreier, the director of the Marvel Phase 5 film Thunderbolts.

Currently, the only project Schreier has publicly acknowledged he's working on is the aforementioned X-Men movie. It'll come as no surprise to learn, then, that a rumor regarding Navarrette's potential casting in said film franchise reboot is already spreading like wildfire across the web.

Why some film fans don't want Navarrette to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Some fans would be unhappy to see Navarrette join the MCU (Image credit: Focus Features/Universal Pictures)

It would be remiss of me not to point out that Navarrette joining the MCU is merely speculation at this point. There are bound to be other projects that Schreier is developing in secret, such as a third season of Netflix's critically acclaimed and award-winning albeit underseen comedy-drama Beef. So, the filmmaker could've sounded out Navarrette for a role in that show rather than a role in his untitled X-Men flick.

Nonetheless, some fans of Navarrette's works, which include this year's box office belle in Focus Features' Obssession, are dead-set against seeing the 25-year-old become the next big-name actor or rising star to sell their soul to the MCU.

On X/Twitter, bigmonkeong likened her rumored casting as part of the "MCU slop machine" to "seeing an angel get its wings cut off". Elsewhere, The_Epic_Mike accused Marvel of "trying to clout chase an indie horror film and nose-dive another actress' career", while tarmactorque suggested Navarrette should prioritize a role in a forthcoming film from Michael Mann, who she also recently met with. Mann's next project is the highly-anticipated Heat 2, so could Navarrette be set to appear opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale, who officially boarded the prequel-sequel earlier in July?

On the flip side, other cinephiles have already started fan-casting Navarrette in the MCU and, more specifically, in its first X-Men production. Chief among the characters some want her to play are fan-favorite individuals Rogue, X-23, and Mystique, but others are dreaming of seeing her play Magik or Kitty Pryde.

Who would you like to see Navarrette play in the MCU? Let me know by voting in the poll above. Once you're done, find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order and how to watch the X-Men movies in order.

And, if you're one of the few remaining people yet to see Obsession, which is still in theaters, you'll be pleased to know that Obsession is also now available to watch at home.

Guest column: Tony Fadell helped make the Mac, iPod, iPhone and smart home revolutions happen. The next platform war is here, he says, and it's for the AI assistant that will know you best.

Spoilers for Dutton Ranch episode 9 ahead.

From the jump, it was clear that the eventual finale of Dutton Ranch — episode 9 — would be an absolutely chaotic mind-melter. While I'm happy to report that my assumptions were right, there were some unanswered questions that I didn't expect at all.

For the most part, the Yellowstone spinoff has left us with multiple dilemmas following the ranch raid. The most pressing is whether Carter(Finn Little) will survive his kidnapping, and whether Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) can get to him before anything bad happens.

Then we'll have the fallout of Rob-Will's (Jai Courtney) death, which will definitely have messed with Joaquin's (Juan Pablo Raba) mind. This is also going to affect Mariano's (Raoul Max Trujillo) standing in the 10 Petal business, arguably likely to see even more power than he had before.

Beulah (Annette Bening), meanwhile, has absolutely nothing to her name. She needs to grieve Rob-Will, but Everett (Ed Harris) wants nothing to do with her, so her next moves cannot be immediately guessed.

Then, there's Oreana (Natalie Alyn Lind). Will she keep the baby? Will Beth be there to support her? And will Rio Paloma ever be the same again?

Amazingly, none of these issues are what fans are the most perplexed by... and if you've been keeping a close eye on the show's first-look images, you might have noticed that something is missing.

Dutton Ranch season 1 completely cut out Beth bonding with her horses — despite advertising it

(Image credit: Paramount)

Recognize the above image? Despite it being a key part of Dutton Ranch's initial advertising campaign, the scene itself never materialised.

It's this that fans are hung up on, rather than anything that actually transpired in the explosive season finale.

"It makes me so mad they cut this scene of Beth and her horse from the season finale," one fan posted on Reddit. "This photo was released as an episode still on the Paramount+ press website. I’ve been looking forward to this scene. I can’t believe they cut it, but left in the teen angst. Beth and her horse have more chemistry than Carter and Oreana."

A second added, "I was so annoyed this scene was cut! It looks so sweet. It really does seem like so many tender scenes were cut this season, which is so disappointing.

"I loved this storyline and hope we get to see more of Beth with her horse in season 2. I’d also like to know what she named her."

According to the show notes, the still should have come from the season finale, but was cut. Some fans are speculating that the change is linked to the exit of showrunner Chad Feehan, who announced his departure from Dutton Ranch three weeks before it aired.

"With 6, 7 and 8 being such short runtime episodes, it begs to wonder how much footage — that potentially could have elevated those episodes as they were not the strongest of the season — ended up on the cutting room floor?" a third fan speculated.

As of writing, we don't yet know when Dutton Ranch season 2 will air, enter production, or who will take over as its showrunner. For now, all we can do is keep our fingers crossed for some more equine action.

• Merlin Bird ID is a go-to app for bird identification, with more than 40 million downloads
• It can identify over 2,000 species of birds by sound recognition
• A future update will share sound recordings with eBird, a huge biodiversity database

If you're into birdwatching, you'll need no introduction to the popular Merlin Bird ID app, by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. With over 40 million downloads worldwide, and over two million monthly users in the UK alone, Merlin is the go-to app for bird identification for many.

I'm in my forties, and birding has become one of my recent new hobbies, after years of photographing birds while testing cameras and lenses. And while I'm learning, I simply can't identify all the birds I see or hear, especially in my local nature reserve, which is a migration route for varied and sometimes rare birdlife throughout the year, and a popular birding spot.

The app helps me to identify the birds I'm unfamiliar with by their call / song, using machine learning sound recognition, and gives me lightning-fast and almost always reliable results, with an image for each identified bird. It's super helpful.

I can also feed the app one of my photos for identification, such as those taken during a recent outing with the Sony 400-800mm lens, with the results based on location data and other information from a database of more than 2,000 bird species.

So I was delighted to hear that the app — which is free for iOS and Android, with downloadable offline bird packs by location including US, Canada and Europe — is getting an update which will help users like me give something back: integration with Cornell's own eBird database, as reported by the Guardian.

Me during a recent visit to my local birding site, which hosts a wide variety of birdlife throughout the year (Image credit: Tim Coleman)A new wave of citizen scientists

eBird is a huge citizen-science biodiversity database, with over two billion recordings logged worldwide since its 2002 launch. And it's set for an influx of new data — the Merlin Bird ID app update will in future allow bird identifications to automatically flow directly into the eBird database.

Jessie Barry, of the Merlin project, told the Guardian, "Upcoming feature developments will make an even better link to the eBird systems so that we can use the data from what users ‘hear’ with Merlin to monitor bird populations."

Bird conservation is a hot topic, what with bird numbers declining. The UK, for example, has 70 million fewer birds than it did 50 years ago. So here's the good part: these records could provide vital information to conversation efforts for at-risk birdlife around the world.

Barry added: “This data helps create tools that can be used to further conservation, inspire support and inform ecological management strategies.”

Notwithstanding the cautionary note of the app's outright accuracy, with concern from some about it occasionally misidentifying birds, the Merlin Bird ID app update could be a huge boost for bird conservation efforts.

Being directly connected to the go-to bird identification app, eBird stands to receive more data from millions of users, who don't need to make any special effort to take part; they just need to carry on using the app as before to record and identify birdsong.

I love the idea that I will be one of a new wave of citizen scientists across the world, with the recordings I make playing a small part in monitoring bird populations. And the surge in recording data will likely further improve the app's performance.

Right, I'm off out with my phone, I hear the birds calling...

• Pearl Abyss adds new content to Crimson Desert via update 1.13
• The update adds new outfits, gear, and equipment for all three playable characters
• Oongka can now use the same outfits Kliff does

Pearl Abyss has gone above and beyond with Crimson Desert, thanks to a vast amount of content available at launch and consistent updates in recent months — and it's not taking its foot off the gas.

Crimson Desert has a new batch of content, with update 1.13 introducing new gear and outfits for all three playable characters, Kliff, Oongka, and Damiane, including expanded 'dyeable equipment options'. Also, both Oongka and Damiane will now be able to enter the Abyss and rematch bosses initially made for Kliff.

It's yet another substantial update for 2026's beloved hit, as the developers at the South Korean studio continue to listen to fan feedback and fine-tune areas that could do with more content.

Frankly, the game's continent, Pywel, is chock-full of activities to engage in, gear to find, and bosses to encounter, but one aspect has arguably been neglected since launch.

(Image credit: Pearl Abyss)

Both Oongka and Damiane are characters that feel as though they've received the short end of the stick in terms of outfits and equipment — and fortunately, that's what this update addresses.

Notably, Oongka can now equip 'most outfits available to Kliff', further expanding the secondary character's customization options. It's a change I've been longing for, since it should provide far more incentive for me to use Oongka, particularly for replaying boss battles while being aptly equipped.

Even with my 236 hours spent playing Crimson Desert, it still feels like there's so much more to discover, especially with Pearl Abyss consistently improving the experience — and it's worth noting that an expansion is already in development.

It's also quite fascinating to see that four months after its launch, Crimson Desert has a 24-hour peak of 26,659 players on Steam, which is incredibly rare (or at the very least, difficult) for any single-player game to sustain post-launch. Hopefully, it stays that way, as I feel that Pearl Abyss deserves all the success and praise for its efforts on Crimson Desert.

Staying anonymous these days on the internet may seem impossible, given that you’ll have to sign up for one online service or another. It gets worse when some services demand personal information like phone numbers and email addresses, which could be leaked on the web. The infamous people-finder sites curate this public information and let people access it for a fee, posing privacy risks.

The good thing is that you can remove your personal information from people-finder platforms. Data removal services, like OneRep, scan numerous people-finder sites for your data, then send deletion requests wherever your data is found. This service helps protect your privacy on the web.

OneRep is one of many data removal services, and I’ve reviewed it to help you decide if it’s an ideal choice. After extensive testing, I’m diving into its key features, pricing, pros, cons, and other important information to know about it.

• How we test, review and rate on TechRadar

OneRep: Plans and pricing

OneRep offers tiered plans: a standard plan and a Pro plan. The core difference is the number of data broker (people-finder) sites covered by each plan. The standard plan scans for your data on 319 public data broker sites, while the Pro plan covers 319 public data broker sites and an additional 559 non-public ones. The Pro plan also provides unlimited custom removal requests, while the standard plan doesn’t.

For the standard plan, you can choose the Individual tier for one person or the Family tier covering six users. The Individual tier costs $15 per month, while the Family tier costs $28 per month. If you pay annually, you’ll get a 47% discount compared to paying month-to-month, bringing the monthly price for the Individual tier down to $8.33, and the Family tier down to $15 per month.

The Pro plan also has Individual and Family tiers. The Individual Pro plan costs $30 per month, while the Family Pro tier (covering six users) costs $56 per month (the 47% annual discount also applies, with pricing reduced to $15.95 and $29.95 per month respectively). As mentioned, the Pro plan covers 316 public data-broker sites and 559 non-public ones that people often don’t see. It also provides access to a dedicated privacy expert, who can send carefully written data deletion requests when automated requests don’t suffice.

OneRep doesn’t offer a free plan, but a 5-day free trial is available for all its paid plans. You can use this free trial period to test the features before making your decision. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee after payment.

(Image credit: OneRep)OneRep: Setup

Setting up OneRep is a straightforward journey. Head to the website, select a plan, and proceed to the checkout page. OneRep requires payment details to begin its 5-day free trial, which I consider a bit of a drawback, but this is common with data removal sites. The good thing is that you can cancel the plan within 5 days, and your card won’t be charged. Even if you pay, there’s a 30-day window to request a full refund.

OneRep doesn’t have a free plan, but it does offer a freebie. On the homepage, you can enter your name and city, and OneRep will scan 316 public data-broker sites for your information.

(Image credit: OneRep )

You’ll need to sign up to access the full report, which states how many data-broker sites your personal information was found on.

(Image credit: OneRep )

The free scan is the hook OneRep uses to incentivize people to use its data removal services. You can get a detailed report for free, but you’ll need a paid plan for OneRep to send deletion requests on your behalf.

OneRep usually first sends automated deletion requests to sites where your personal data is discovered. If the automated requests don’t work, OneRep’s team drafts legal deletion requests and sends them manually on your behalf.

We’ve mentioned that OneRep covers 316 public data-broker sites on the standard plan and an additional 559 non-public sites on the Pro plan, but there’s more to it. For Pro subscribers, if you find your personal information on a people-finder site not usually covered by OneRep, you can share the link on your dashboard, and a dedicated OneRep expert can draft a custom deletion request for that site. There’s no guarantee that the request will be successful, but it works in many cases.

I like that OneRep doesn’t just offer data-removal services. It also offers a data breach monitoring service, which helps you identify if your email was affected in a known data breach. In my case, I surprisingly discovered that my email address was affected in four data breaches:

(Image credit: OneRep )

With this discovery, the right step to take was to change the passwords affected in the data breaches. I changed the passwords on both the affected websites and any other websites where I used the same passwords. This way, someone can’t use my breached password to gain unauthorized access to my accounts. As a preventive measure, I always activate two-factor authentication for my accounts, ensuring that people can’t gain access even if they somehow have the right username and password.

OneRep: Ease of use

I found OneRep very easy to use, and I don’t say this lightly. I’ve tested some data removal services that took a long time to get familiar with, but that wasn’t the case with OneRep. From signing up to accessing reports and monitoring deletion requests on my dashboard, everything felt simple.

You can access OneRep from your web browser on a PC or smartphone. There’s no native smartphone app, so a PC provides the best user experience.

OneRep: Security and privacy

OneRep contributes a lot to your online security and privacy. It scrubs your personal information (e.g., names, home addresses, and phone numbers) from people-finder sites and alerts you about data breaches where your email address was affected. The Family plan provides security coverage for both you and five other people.

OneRep doesn’t offer many complementary security features like some rivals. Apart from data removal, data breach monitoring is its core complementary feature, unlike some rivals that also offer a VPN, spam call blocking, identity theft protection, and more. However, OneRep is effective in its core duty of scrubbing and removing personal data from people-finder sites.

OneRep: Support

Users who need help can first visit OneRep’s official support page. On this page, they’ll find detailed answers to frequently asked questions and general guides about OneRep features. This support page proved valuable for me as a first-time user.

If the support page is insufficient, you can contact OneRep via email or telephone. Email tickets get responses within 24 hours, and telephone calls receive instant responses, but are restricted to working hours.

OneRep: Competition

Cloaked is the main OneRep competitor I’d like to highlight. I’ve tested both platforms extensively enough to provide a fair comparison.

Compared to OneRep, Cloaked offers a broader suite of complementary security services, including a VPN, dark web monitoring, and robocall blocking. However, for personal data removal, Cloaked has less coverage than OneRep’s 800+ sites (316 public sites and 559 non-public sites).

I think OneRep is better than Cloaked for core data removal, but Cloaked is better as an all-in-one online security suite.

OneRep: Final verdict

Overall, I’ll recommend OneRep to anyone seeking a reliable data removal platform. You won’t get much outside data removal, but it’s highly effective for this core task. OneRep is a reliable companion that helps protect your privacy online.

MacPaw has spent years building a reputation as one of the most design-conscious developers in the Mac ecosystem. Its flagship product, CleanMyMac, has long included a malware removal module powered by Moonlock's engine. In October 2025, the Kyiv-based company spun that security technology into a standalone product: Moonlock, a full-featured antivirus app that goes well beyond a simple scanner.

Rather than leading with threat counts and detection percentages, Moonlock frames itself as security software that treats users like adults, explaining what malware is, why it matters, and what to do next, instead of firing off opaque alerts. The marketing centers on a 'care, not scare' approach, essentially promising to educate you rather than just bombarding you with red-text alerts.

While many live in the mythical belief that Macs are immune to viruses, MacPaw's own research reports that 66 percent of Mac users encountered at least one cyber threat last year, with a 67% increase in registered macOS backdoor variants in 2025. The research shows a key message: macOS is not immune, are users are being targeted more frequently than ever.

Plans and pricing

Moonlock starts at $54 per year for a single Mac, with licenses available for 2, 5, or more than 10 devices per subscription. Monthly billing and one-time lifetime license options are also available for those who prefer not to commit to an annual cycle.

Discounts of up to 67 percent are advertised on multi-year plans, which is worth exploring if you intend to stick with the product long term.

New users get a seven-day free trial, though a credit card is required to start. That is a common enough practice, but it does mean you will need to remember to cancel if the product does not suit you. To soften the blow of that annual fee, Moonlock offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is a considerably more generous safety net than the case-by-case refund process offered by some competitors.

Current Setapp subscribers get access to Moonlock at no additional charge, which may be the most compelling value proposition for those already in MacPaw's subscription ecosystem. At $54 per year for a single device, standalone pricing lands considerably higher than ClamXAV's three-Mac Home plan at $29.95, a gap worth weighing if budget is a primary concern.

Features

(Image credit: Moonlock)

Moonlock is organized into six sections: Home, Malware Scanner, VPN, Network Inspector, System Protection, and Security Advisor. That framework reflects a deliberate decision to bundle a security suite rather than deliver a focused antivirus, giving the product a notably broader footprint than Mac-only rivals like ClamXAV.

(Image credit: Moonlock)

Real-time protection runs continuously in the background, monitoring file activity, app behavior, and Mail attachments even when the main application window is closed. The Malware Scanner supports on-demand and scheduled scans, with built-in quarantine and removal tools. Detected threats are accompanied by plain-language explanations rather than raw file paths and specialized terms.

(Image credit: Moonlock)

The bundled VPN is a simplified version of MacPaw's ClearVPN, covering around 60 server locations across more than 45 countries. Independent testing found no DNS or WebRTC leaks, and MacPaw maintains a no-logging policy. Speed retention is strong, holding around 82 percent of baseline download speeds on transatlantic connections and up to 96 percent on closer servers.

Network Inspector adds a country-level connection blocker, permitting users to block outbound traffic to specific regions. System Protection audits macOS's own built-in security settings and walks you through any gaps. Finally, Security Advisor provides a checklist for basic digital hygiene, including practical guidance on habits such as two-factor authentication and app permissions. AI assists with malware classification on the backend, helping the team update threat databases before new strains reach your device.

Privacy and Security

From a top level perspective, Moonlock was tested by the third-party laboratory AV-Test in September 2025 and earned it's AV-Test certification. It scored a 5.5/6 in Protection, 4.5/6 in Performance, and a full 6/6 for Usability (which I'll dive into in the next section).

As for the credibility of the underlying research arm, Moonlock Lab has made several notable contributions to the antivirus landscape, being the first to identify PyStealer on VirusTotal, and the lab has also been cited by the SANS Institute for discovering new variants of the Atomic macOS infostealer.

Regarding privacy, the VPN operates under a strict zero-logs policy, and all data is processed locally. MacPaw publishes a Trust Center at security.macpaw.com describing its data-handling practices, certifications, and security standards, which is a nice change in transparency from many other antivirus providers.

The one caveat worth noting is that Moonlock is a recent standalone launch. While the underlying engine has been in use in CleanMyMac for some time, the app itself has a limited history as an independently tested product. But it is worth noting that in the time since the last time AV-Test handled Moonlock, MacPaw have likely taken steps to improve protection and performance.

Interface and in use

The interface is highly polished, modern, and immediately legible, with a two-panel home dashboard that separates tasks on the left from status information on the right. Everything is where you would expect it to be, and the visual hierarchy makes it easy to tell at a glance whether your Mac is protected.

Instead of a generic 'Threat Resolved' notification, Moonlock tells you what was found, why it poses a risk, and what your options are. I found I was the one to make the final call on whether to remove a flagged item, which sidesteps the infuriating experience of automated deletion that occasionally catches legitimate software.

The system requirements make it suitable for older devices too, requiring macOS 13 or later and 515MB of disk space. The app runs quickly and, in day-to-day use, does not noticeably drag on performance. Installation requires a MacPaw account, which adds a step that competitors like ClamXAV skip entirely for home users, but the tradeoff is a unified login for managing licenses and accessing support.

Ultimately, Moonlock is a great option for those looking for an accessible and easily navigable Mac antivirus that doesn't bombard you with any overly-technical language, and performs as though you are the one in control.

Support

Moonlock support runs on MacPaw's established infrastructure, with a dedicated knowledge base that covers installation, configuration, and troubleshooting, and those with questions can submit immediate inquiries through the support portal. In-app feedback is also available via the Help menu.

(Image credit: Moonlock)

As with many Mac-focused security products, live chat or phone support does not appear to be offered as a standard option. For most home users, the knowledge base and email channel will be sufficient. Teams with more complicated environments should verify support response times before committing, particularly given that Moonlock is a relatively new standalone product and the support documentation is still maturing.

The competition

ClamXAV is the most direct rival in the Mac-exclusive antivirus space. At $29.95 per year for three devices, it is considerably cheaper than Moonlock's $54 single-device starting price, and it also holds a perfect AV-Test score compared to Moonlock's test results. It does not include a VPN, network inspection, or the polished onboarding experience Moonlock offers, but for those who want focused antivirus protection at a lower cost, it is a strong option.

Intego Mac Internet Security X9 sits at a comparable price point and includes a network monitor, with a longer track record in independent third-party testing. Bitdefender Total Security and Norton AntiVirus Plus both offer wider platform coverage and larger feature sets, making them better fits for households with mixed Windows and Mac devices.

Those who are already subscribed to CleanMyMac should also note that its built-in malware-scanning module, powered by the same Moonlock engine, continues to function independently. Therefore the question is whether the full Moonlock standalone app adds enough to justify an additional subscription or an upgrade in spending.

Final verdict

Moonlock is one of the most carefully designed security apps I've encountered in the Mac ecosystem. Its interface is excellent, its feature set is broader than most Mac-specific alternatives, and the research team behind it is doing genuinely credible original work. The 30-day money-back guarantee is also a nice addition, despite the need to enter your payment details first.

At $54 per year for a single Mac, it costs nearly twice as much as ClamXAV's three-device plan. The added value of the bundled VPN and Network Inspector goes some way toward justifying that gap, but those who already have a VPN solution elsewhere may not find the extras compelling enough. Setapp subscribers, on the other hand, get all of this for free as part of a subscription they likely already value.

For long-standing CleanMyMac users who already benefit from the embedded Moonlock engine, the standalone app offers greater depth, visibility, and control, but it's not a replacement for anything missing. It is a fuller version of the protection they have already been relying on, now with a VPN, richer reporting, and a proper home for the security features that were previously contained within a Mac cleaning utility.

For Mac users who want a single subscription that covers antivirus, VPN, network monitoring, and system security guidance, Moonlock makes a strong argument. Just go in aware of what you are paying for relative to the alternatives.

You might also be interested in our report on the best Mac apps of the year.

• Aldi is launching a new outdoor lamp range
• Each lamp is solar-powered and comes in two styles with three color choices
• The cost just £4.99, making them an affordable way to give your garden a glow-up

We’re seeing more and more affordable tech gadgets appearing in the middle aisles of budget supermarkets these days — and if you’re looking to give your garden a summer makeover, Aldi just unveiled a new range of solar-powered garden lights.

The lineup, which goes on sale on July 9, consists of two styles of outdoor table lamp, mushroom-top and flat-top, both of which are available in three colors: black, mint, and beige, so you should be able to find a colour that fits in with your garden decor.

Each lamp costs just £4.99, making them an affordable way to give your garden a glow-up with Aldi proving once again that you don’t need to spend a lot of money on the best smart lights in order to brighten up your home and garden.

Aldi’s new lighting range isn't, of course, in the same ballpark as smart lights from the likes of Philips Hue or Govee. There’s no app and no controls to fiddle with, and because they’re solar powered, placing them in sunny spots in your garden will ensure they have enough juice to last through a whole evening of outdoor dining or partying.

(Image credit: Aldi)

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from national treasure Nigella Lawson is that summer parties aren’t just about good food and drinks — the setting and decor are just as important, and lighting plays a big part in creating the perfect atmosphere.

It’s not only budget brands like Aldi that are jumping on the outdoor lighting bandwagon — if you want app-based features such as the option to change the colour of your lights, the big smart home brands are getting in on the act too.

Govee’s recently released smart string lights marked the brand’s first step into solar lighting costing £119.99. Though this is a little more pricey than the average solar-powered light , Philips stills takes the top spot on the price front — its own Festivia Smart Globe String Lights are one of our favorite garden gadgets for giving your outdoor space an instant lift.

• Alibaba bans access to Claude Code, tells employees to use internal Qoder instead
• Anthropic was tracking markers to indicate which users were in China
• Anthropic accused Alibaba of major Claude model distillation effort

Alibaba has reportedly banned its employees from using Claude Code internally, beginning July 10 2026, classifying it as a high-risk tool that risks organizational security.

The change follows similar trends already observed among American tech giants, banning Chinese tools from internal use, but Alibaba cited genuine concerns that have been acknowledged by Claude-maker Anthropic.

The ban could also be seen as a push for Alibaba's own alternative, with workers advised to use the company's own Qoder AI assistant instead.

Alibaba bans Claude Code over security concerns

The controversy stems from developers reverse-engineering Claude Code, revealing it contained code to identify Chinese users. Checks for Chinese system time zones, proxy servers, AI lab infrastructure and network characteristics were all revealed.

Anthropic stated this experimental feature launched in March, and was designed to combat unauthorized resellers, prevent account abuse and protect its models from AI distillation.

However, the spyware was reportedly hidden using obfuscation and steganographic techniques, making them effectively invisible to users.

This isn't the first time both companies have found themselves in a sticky situation – Anthropic recently accused Alibaba of conducting the largest known model distillation attack against Claude (via Reuters).

More broadly, Chinese companies have been increasingly referring to domestic AI tools like Qwen, DeepSeek, Moonshot and Ship amid growing geopolitical tensions.

While that trend has been largely mirrored in the US, in favor of the likes of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Cloud and xAI, US firms have reportedly been exploring cheaper Chinese alternatives in the name of cost efficiency.

Alibaba and Anthropic haven't publicly commented on this matter as yet.

X-Men 97 season 2 is in full swing following last week's three-episode premiere. And, while you'll only be able to stream one new chapter this week, it's such a great episode — one equipped with a bombshell ending — that you'll need plenty of time to recover after watching it. On this occasion, then, a new two-episode drop isn't necessary.

But, I digress — you want to know when the Marvel TV show's forthcoming entry will come out on Disney+, so let's stop beating around the bush and get on with it, shall we?

What time can I watch X-Men 97 season 2 episode 4?

The fight against Apocalypse echoes through time.Stream Marvel Animation’s #XMen97 Season 2 now, only on Disney+. pic.twitter.com/6snkgaOcUhJuly 5, 2026

The next installment of X-Men 97 will make its debut on Wednesday, July 8 at 12am PT / 3am ET in North and South America.

Based in another world region and can't work out when this season's fourth episode will air on one of the world's best streaming services? No sweat. Check out the list below to see what time you should tune in to catch it:

• US — 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada — 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK — 8am BST
• India — 12:30pm IST
• Singapore — 3pm SGT
• Australia — 5pm AEST
• New Zealand — 7pm NZST

When do new episodes of X-Men 97 season 2 come out?

To shape the future, they'll have to survive the past. Marvel Animation’s #XMen97 Season 2 is now streaming. Don’t miss the first three episodes now on Disney+! pic.twitter.com/sYomhEAPQUJuly 1, 2026

New entries of this Marvel Phase 6 TV series will arrive on Disney+ every Wednesday for the foreseeable future. With five more episodes left of the X-Men's animated show before it departs our screens — until its third season is released, that is — there'll plenty more mutant mayhem to consume in the weeks ahead.

Want to know the official launch dates that new episodes of this Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project will make their bow on? See below:

• Season 2 episode 1 — out now
• Season 2 episode 2 — out now
• Season 2 episode 3 — out now
• Season 2 episode 4 — July 8
• Season 2 episode 5 — July 15
• Season 2 episode 6 — July 22
• Season 2 episode 7 — July 29
• Season 2 episode 8 — August 5
• Season 2 episode 9 — August 12

• ITV is selling its media and entertainment divisions to Sky
• The £1.6 billion deal is a massive shake-up for UK television
• Analysts say viewers could expect Sky and ITV's offerings to merge in future

The UK's TV landscape just changed in a big way, with ITV announcing that it's agreed to sell its media and entertainment business to Sky in a massive £1.6 billion deal.

The agreement makes it one of the biggest deals in UK media history. It'll see Sky take ownership of the ITVX platform and ITV's free-to-air channels, but doesn't include the ITV Studios production arm (which makes the likes of I’m A Celebrity and Mr Bates Vs The Post Office).

So what does this all mean for the average Downton Abbey fan or Sky subscriber? Will ITV's channels remain free-to-air? And what does it mean for current and future shows on both platforms?

Here are some of those big questions answered by media and broadcasting experts...

Will ITV continue to be free-to-air?

Yes, for the foreseeable future at least. ITV has public service broadcasting commitments from its licence that run until 2034. The Sky deal doesn't change that.

Tom Harrington, a TV analyst from Enders Analysis, says ITV being free-to-air is also likely one of the main reasons for the potential deal. "ITV remains profitable and the reach that it commands as the major commercial broadcaster is probably the main reason why it would be attractive to Comcast/Sky".

(Image credit: Future)

However, Sky's focus could increasingly shift from ITV's broadcast offerings to its online streaming platforms – and may ultimately see ITVX and NOW TV merge.

"Online video advertising remains a key area of growth, as audiences increasingly turn to the convenience of the expansive catalogues available to them via streaming. As such, monetisation of this space is essential for broadcasters’ ongoing strategies," said Peter Ingram, Research Manager at Ampere Analysis.

"A sale of ITV to Sky will likely lead to an acceleration of the development (and possible integration) of streaming propositions such as ITVX and NOW with a focus on expanding online video subscription and advertising revenues," he added.

In other words, expect ITVX and its ITVX Premium subscription to become the primary focus for Sky. Not that traditional broadcast TV will be left by the wayside.

"ITV’s linear operations could be rationalised, but key assets will remain in order to continue monetising the still sizeable audience that is loyal to linear TV", Peter Ingram added.

What might this mean for current TV shows?

Major changes for ITV or Sky viewers are unlikely in the short term due to existing agreements and contracts. But one thing you can expect to see is more ITV shows on Sky, and vice versa.

"An immediate impact of a combination could be an element of integration of Sky and ITV’s programming assets," Peter Ingram from Ampere Analysis predicts.

"The two companies are among the highest content spenders in the UK, with ITV providing a slate of locally resonant shows, news and sports rights. Sky provides local and international first-run and library film and TV series, major sports rights (such as Premier League football) and news. The two operators could utilise some of these programming assets across a combined entertainment ecosystem to greater effect," he added.

(Image credit: NBC)

However, Tom Harrington from Enders Research told us before the finalisation of the deal that changes could be more of a slow burn. "From a viewer perspective, in the short term there probably wouldn't be many discernible changes: the ITV and Sky offerings would remain similar," he said.

"In time, Comcast/Sky may have differing opinions to current ITV management about how to monetise on free-to-air and there could be channel changes and a differing approach to ITVX," he added.

The nature of the deal – which doesn't include ITV's production arm, ITV Studios – might also eventually affect the kinds of shows you see on its channels. ITV Studios produces shows like Love Island and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here and The Voice. Those could one day find a different home, some analysts predict.

"The biggest customer of ITV Studios is ITV itself, and more than half of all ITV's viewing is from shows it makes itself in Studios," Harrington explained. "So if Comcast/Sky was to acquire ITV broadcast then we would assume it would include a long-term agreement that guaranteed the flow of content from ITV Studios to the channels/ITVX," he noted.

"However, even with some sort of agreement, over time you could foresee that the relationship between these two parts would weaken from current levels," he said.

Is this good or bad news for TV viewers?

It's still too early for definitive conclusions about the deal. However, experts have highlighted three potential impacts that are broadly good, bad, or mixed.

Based on previous mergers, there's reason for some concern about TV quality, according to Tom Harrington from Enders Research. "Generally in a merger/acquisition such as this, the result is less content being produced overall, as savings and efficiencies are immediately sought. So overall there may be less on offer — although this may not necessarily be obvious to the viewer," he said.

(Image credit: Ludus Magnus)

Still, on the plus side, the TV shows that do get made might be more widely available. "You would imagine that Sky may want to utilise Sky programming on ITV and vice versa. So certain viewers may get access to shows and some sport that they may not previously have had access to," he added.

Peter Ingram from Ampere Analysis is also a bit more optimistic about the long-term health of TV shows on both ITV and Sky. "The increased scale provided by the group’s presence across TV and streaming would facilitate an even stronger revenue base, allowing for the production of more high-quality original programming for UK consumers," he predicts. Let's certainly hope so.

Commentary: I love the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but Samsung needs these upgrades for the Fold 8 Ultra to earn a permanent spot in my pocket