Entertainment
Spider-Man 4 Release Date Confirms Avengers: Doomsday Tie-In
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published

Ending years of speculation, Sony has made it official, and the untitled Spider-Man 4 has a place on the release calendar: July 24, 2026. That date may seem to be incredibly far away right now, but it has some significance, not only coming at the height of the Summer blockbuster season but because of what’s happening a few months earlier, in May 2026. Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026, which means no matter what happens with the film re-introducing Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, we can expect to see some of the fallout right away in Tom Holland’s next solo film.
The Plot Is Under Wraps

The hype for Spider-Man 4 has been building ever since Spider-Man: No Way Home proved how fun the multiverse can be by bringing back Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, the best Marvel villains with Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Thomas Haden Church, Rhys Ifans, and redeeming Jamie Foxx’s Electro performance in the process. Immediately following its success, there were whispers that maybe Tom Holland was done and moving on in his career. Instead, Holland is not only back as Peter Parker, but the rumblings of his increased involvement with the Avengers get louder with every underperforming Marvel film.
Sony has confirmed that Tom Holland is returning, and Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton is taking over behind the scenes, but will Zendaya’s MJ or Jacob Batalon’s Ned come back? Given that the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home reset the web-slinger’s status quo the same way “One More Day” did in the comics, it would make sense if they didn’t return. And will the film continue to explore the multiverse, or could we get a small-scale, street-level story in Spider-Man 4 involving Vincent D’Onofrino’s Kingpin or, even better, Big Wheel?
DOOM Is Coming

But before Spider-Man 4 hits theaters, fans will have had the chance to watch Avengers: Doomsday, which will determine the entire future of the franchise. Replacing Avengers: Kang Dynasty on the schedule after Jonathan Majors’ arrest, the end result is still the same, with Avengers: Secret Wars ending the second MCU era and potentially resetting everything. Given Tom Holland’s increased involvement as the heart of the MCU and Robert Downey Jr.’s return as Doom, we can expect at least one major scene between the two as Peter deals with a villain that looks exactly like his mentor, and will that lay the groundwork for the next Spider-Man?
Spider-Man 4 Will Be A Hit

Given the release dates, it’s possible that we will never see a substantial Spider-Man 4 trailer until after Avengers: Doomsday is in theaters. There’s a non-zero chance that the next Spider-Man is a Battleworld movie, adapting the Secret Wars 2015 mini-series lineup that mashed multiple worlds together for four issues, which did include a return to Spider-Man: Reign that was so popular, a sequel to the original limited series is on its way. Essentially, no matter which way Disney and Marvel mastermind Kevin Feige takes the story, it’s going to be popular, and it’s going to break box office records.
Entertainment
Get lifetime ad blocking for up to 9 devices for $11
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The Family Plan is designed specifically for households rather than individual users. In addition to blocking intrusive ads across supported devices, it helps reduce online tracking, warns about phishing sites, and adds another layer of protection against malware. That means fewer distractions while browsing and more peace of mind when the whole family is online.
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This offer is available to new users only, it covers up to nine devices, and you have to redeem your code within 30 days of purchase.
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If you’re looking for an easy way to protect multiple devices without juggling separate subscriptions, the AdGuard Family Plan Lifetime Subscription is price-dropped to $11 (reg. $169.99) through July 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
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Entertainment
Get Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for life for $27.97 — Ditch 365 for good
TL;DR: Microsoft Office Professional 2021 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher, and Teams (free version). Get a lifetime Windows license for $27.97 (reg. $219.99).
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Microsoft keeps releasing new versions of Office, but that doesn’t mean everyone needs the latest one. For plenty of entrepreneurs, freelancers, students, and everyday office workers, Office Professional 2021 still checks every important box. For a limited time, a lifetime license is just $27.97 (reg. $219.99).
Office Professional 2021 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher, and the free version of Teams, giving you a complete productivity suite that works offline after installation. It’s compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 11, so you can keep working with the familiar desktop apps you already rely on.
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Microsoft 365 includes extras like cloud storage, AI-powered tools, and continuous feature updates, but not everyone needs them. If you’re perfectly happy with the familiar Office apps you’ve been using for years, Office 2021 delivers the essentials without an ongoing subscription.
Better yet, it’s a one-and-done purchase. Buy it once, install it on one Windows PC, and keep using the software without worrying about another subscription renewal or future price increase. The license is tied directly to your device rather than your Microsoft account, which some users may prefer for its straightforward licensing model.
It’s also surprisingly well-rounded for the price. Compared with Office Home & Business 2024, which includes five core desktop apps, Office Professional 2021 comes with eight: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher, and Teams (free version). That includes Access for database management and Publisher for desktop publishing, although Microsoft plans to end Publisher support in Oct. 2026.
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Normally $219.99, you can grab a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for just $27.97.
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Entertainment
Is AdultFriendFinder safe to use? What a cybersecurity expert says.
There’s a commonly asked question about AdultFriendFinder, everyone’s favorite spicy dating platform: Is AFF safe to use? We get it. Unlike other big-name dating sites, its interface is packed with adult content. It’s extremely NSFW and appears to be a potential breeding ground for scams. Wannabe daters are right to question its legitimacy — they understandably want to know whether AFF is the real deal.
To better understand the risks of using AdultFriendFinder, we consulted Anna Larkina, a Web Data and Privacy Analysis Expert at Kaspersky, one of the world’s leading cybersecurity services, about the kinds of threats users might face on AFF and how they can mitigate those risks.
Credit: AdultFriendFinder
Understanding the risks of online dating
To begin, it’s worth remembering that there’s a risk inherent to using any online service, whether it’s an adult dating site or otherwise. Even the most reputable websites have been exploited and experienced major hacks over the years. “Users should remember that any service can potentially encounter various cybersecurity issues,” Larkina told us. That includes “data leaks, attacks on third-party contractors, or issues related to the human factor.”
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But the risks are, of course, higher on certain websites. With a regular merchant website, for instance, you’re only handing over your credit card information (which is very valuable, admittedly), but with a dating site, you’re potentially providing your credit card details plus crucial personal information, from your date of birth and nationality to your address and phone number. That’s information that can prove very appealing to scammers and bad-faith actors.
While this is a risk you take with any dating service, AdultFriendFinder is perhaps more vulnerable than most dating sites because of the nature of its content and user base, so it’s important to understand the potential issues.
What risks are specific to AdultFriendFinder?
The “adult content” angle
While NSFW is permitted — encouraged, even — on AFF, users are under no obligation to post nude photos of themselves, or get down and dirty on a webcam feed. Many, many people opt to do so, of course, and while there’s no judgment here — no siree, let that freak flag fly high and proud — you are risking potentially awkward conversations with family, friends, or co-workers if they happen to stumble across your account. (That would mean they’d have to fess up to being AFF users too, but even so…)
Unfortunately, bad actors can exploit and use your own personal information against you.
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“Data from services with adult content or dating services can be especially sensitive for users, because it’s more personal,” warns Larkina. “If fraudsters somehow obtain such private data, they can use it for more ‘efficient’ blackmailing or targeted phishing.” Needless to say, you should be wary of how you use the site and what information you share, especially if you have a public-facing job.
AFF security breaches
While dating sites invest heavily in cybersecurity protections, online threats are constant and keep evolving all the time. Hackers eager to discover treasure troves of personal and financial information often target online dating platforms, which can make users feel super vulnerable.
AdultFriendFinder has suffered two major security breaches, which is actually a pretty stellar record of security over its entire 30-year history. In 2016, hackers gained access to the personal information of four million AFF users before the breach was found and stopped. And a larger breach occurred in 2016, affecting some 300 million AFF accounts, including 15 million that had been officially deleted by users but whose data had not been properly expunged from the AFF servers.
Phishing scams
Another common hacking technique — and one particularly effective on dating websites — is phishing, in which a bad actor assumes a false identity to gain your trust and deceive you into revealing sensitive or compromising information. It’s easy to do on dating sites because, by their very nature, people sign up specifically to search people out and make connections. Scammers can pose as attractive people, telling users exactly what they want to hear and luring them into the scam.
To combat phishing, AFF offers the ability to verify identities with government-issued identification. This verification process is still an optional extra — it’s not mandatory when setting up an account. We recommended doing it though, and setting a search filter to verified accounts only. It’s a surefire way to protect yourself against bad actors.
Can your AFF account be found?
While the private information you give AFF (your real name and email address, for example) isn’t public-facing, AFF’s dating profiles are public by default, so if you include a picture of your face (as many accounts do), you can be recognized by friends, co-workers, and family members.
And since AFF has suffered two major hacks before, there’s always a chance it could happen again, which could result in your email address and information ending up in a dodgy database.
How to protect your online identity when using AdultFriendFinder
Does this all mean you should never use AdultFriendFinder, or any dating site? Absolutely not. We’re here to help you protect yourself and stay vigilant, not to discourage you from signing up.
Larkina has shared an additional list of best practices to help you mitigate risks while having fun on AFF or any other dating site:
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Don’t use a professional email address to sign up for a dating site. If you’re especially nervous, consider creating a new email address just for the purposes of signing up.
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To protect your accounts, use strong and unique passwords, change them regularly, and if possible, enable two-factor authentication
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Be extremely cautious with what you share with strangers, especially when it comes to sensitive information or intimate photos. “Always assess reputational and other risks before posting or sending anything,” cautions Larkina.
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When using AFF in particular, limit your interactions to users who have verified their identity
Summing up her advice, Larkina urges online dating service users to treat these “platforms as public spaces, not as private ones” as far as possible, and be ever mindful that “every piece of data you provide — email, phone number, username, etc. — becomes part of your digital footprint.” If you’re careful about what you share and who you share it with, you can safely enjoy AdultFriendFinder and any other dating site.
